Awaroa.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 353, 13 March 1908, Page 2

Awaroa.

(fsom oub own cobrlspondent.)

Tbe bush fires are now practically over for this season, and the settlers are all very busy getting their grass packed in and sowing the seed, etc., There is a great scarcity of l&boar. Men that are prepared to work, don’t know what price to ask for their labour as their is such a demand for them ; and others who a few years ag) could not get £1 a week are now asking doable that amount aud found. It is impossible to pay the wages that men are asking and live off bush farms. The high price of labour muse come to an end sooner or later. Tbeof great will be the fall. Hundreds o acres of bush were not felled, miles of fencing not erected, aud thousands of pounds in other improvements not done last winter in this district alone, owing to the scarcity of laboar, and the high prices chat were asked to do tbe work.

The Commissioner of Crown Lands paid us a very hurried visit last week, and considering the short notice, a fair number of settlers met him at Awaroa. His main object in making the visit was to enquire as to what damage had been done by tbe late bush fires. Most of the settiers availed themselves of the opportunity of “obtaining”, or at least ordering, grass seed from the Gcvernmeut, but we have’nt got it yet, and unless they hurry up, it will be getting too late to get any early feed this season. This is very important to most of us, as almost all tbe old grass has been burnt, and unless seed is sown at once, it will ba right into the cold weather, and there will be little oc no growth till next spring. That means starvation for the stock this

winter.. If the Government really wish to assist the settlers, it would be far better and more satisfactory to give each one an open order to obtaia so much seed from where ar.d from whom he liked. That would, facilitate mate tecs, aud every one could get exactly what they wanted, up the amoant af the Government order, but if the

amount of red tape has to be gone through of calling tenders, inspection of seed, and dozen? of other little details, well the assistance will not ba much good co the poor unfortunate settler in the back blocks—burnt oat, in many cases without house or home, grass or stock, winter coming on and without roads, rents coming doe, and interest on morgages, etc. All I can. say is : breaking ia tbe book blocks ie not the game it is cracked up to be. Let some of tbe members and speakers of Che Trade Unions, who have so much to say about the unearned inclement. Also some of our members of Parliament, to Cake the freehold away from us, coma into the back blocks, any one of them or all of them, for one winter, and I will guarantee they will soon change tbeir mind, and then after they have put in a winter they can talk of what they know something ab.uit. At tbe present time the ones who have most to say know the least, and have noc been a mile out of town m tbeir lives. These are the men our present Government are pandering too. Well, now is the time. Election time will soou come round. Vote for good sound, level-bended men—men with experience, aud men who will study the farming mm unity &ud seUlars ol Now ZwUand.