THE FARMERS AND THE GOVERNMENT.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 313, 24 May 1907, Page 2

THE FARMERS AND THE GOVERNMENT.

(to the editor.) Sis,—Speaking at the opening of a bridge in the South Island before be left New Zealand, the Premier said , that pioneers who were going out into the back blocks deserved every consideration at the hands of the Government, and also that the public works cost the country two and a half mil- *■ lions a year, including new railway ‘ stations, post offices, etc. Who keep the towns ? It is the farmer, and if the towns persist in depriving those who keep them and feed the whole population, of necessary roads and bridges there will have to be a change. Is it 1 not right and just that we who have > the self denial, determination and will to go oat into the bush, there to increase the imports and exports of the colony, should receive much more con sideration than those people who are contented to wait in the towns until we form business for them by our patien? industrious toil ? We have a one-third voting majority at election time, therefore let us return honest men, pledged to make our roads and bridges. 'fhe Taranaki election shows i the feelings of the electors. Io spite ' of all the Government assistance an Oppositionist has been return-d. I’, is all very well to be told that we deserve L every consideration, bn; that won’t help us. We want proof. We have been told since we came here that all own would receive favourable consideration when the e- uroates ware being prepared. Plenty of such pro ’ mises have been mad?. But we will not he fooled any longer. Let the Government get to work and make our roads and bridge-, and also take note that if two millions and a h,alf were spent last year, very little came to the and practically nothing to the Kawhia or Waitomo Counties. We have not yet gjt the money we wanted to borrow for county work, viz., to make roads that the , Government represented as roads when wejook up our land. Rwe do not.re- * oeive more of that consideration which 1 the Premier said we deserve, we have ’ a power that no other section of the > community could use, that is to imi port our necessaries and export our 1 produce. Once let the towns feel the 1 scourge of no trade and no food, and i we should soon get that every conside rati on which our occupation deserves, as admitted by Sir J.G.W. A • union of farmers unfettered by differ- ’ encee, with one objec* in view, will en- . to go on strike if necessary, and until we gain our end-. We will u ■’ways be second to the labour anions ‘ anti! we unite for our mutual benefit, 1 and Stick to our object, when no other section of the community could die- ■ tate to us.—Yours, etc., FARMER.