The Rangitikei Advocate MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8737, 11 February 1907, Page 2

The Rangitikei Advocate MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

The statement made in a cablegram received on Saturday that the 'irans--3 vaal election contest was being conducted on racial lines can barcily cause much surprise except to those who believed that the Boers had so changed then 1 character as to become ardent supporters of wbat to them is an alien power. We cannot doubt the truth*of the statement that the leaders carefully veil their national aspirations or that candidates in the 5 back veldt districts speak much more plainly than when they are mixing in the towns with the inhabitants of British race. Iso donot the assurance that it is intended first to get rid of 5 | the Chinese and then of the British | workmen would forcibly appeal to the \ Boer farmers who only wish to he left alone and who feel that hue country is getting too full when they can sec the smoke rising from the chimney of a neighbour s House. ” 'While granting the ’accuracy of tao cabled news wo should be glad, however, to knew how far the feeling do- ! scribed in it is general in the country, 1. 1 Wo know how false an idea of the state of this country could bo ptoduccd by an isolated message re porting a single speech by some agitator, and wo cannot but feel some ■ anxiety as to whether the ox-geucrais * ’ and other leaders spoken of as touring the country' and expressing antiBritish views may be, so to speak, boiled down to one or two irreconcilable;?. That the predicants are 1 preaching that the day of deliverance 10 from Egyptian bondage has arrived for the Beer Israel is exactly what we 5. i snoulu expect from a body ot bigotted * and ignorant men who feed that their ' ipiluoneo would terminate with the advent of civilisation. Mr Smuts wishes, it is sank to proven fc the mining industry being represented ba the House on the giound that the ® people must rule. Seeing that the whole future of the Transvaal depends Q on the success of the mines, and that lew ot the shareholders will bo able to vole in the elections, such an pniniwii can only be bold by men who arc iii ixious pi keep the country as * preserve? for st few idle and ignorant ' Boers. The struggle promises to be an exciting one. ana we chail enxiovily await il‘o c-f i-M polls. f "dy. Shietci.iffe, president of Wolhugsj ton .Chamber of Commerce, made t some intess&ting remarks the other | day in .his address at the annual | meeting oi i-US Chameeo. jeeletTiiig | to the" undoubted prospsuty of the I -olony Mr Shirtcliffe pointed out tnxt } me apparently large increase in our H was due almost entirely ro jt • ! rise in ju ices rather than to £ greater volume ci production. Hu gave ii> : following figures to show the per - coinage increases m value and voiumo respectively of .our chior exports during the last two years: \.oo! ’* o-i.K, sheepskins fTB : S, frou-u meat 2,1 k butter and cheese la,ll, tallow | 10,131. kVool and sheepskins alone uccouutod for 22,000.G00 out o* ft total increase during jho past two f years of £3,150,000. * it is clear that 3 cur prosperity at present; ;s chieln I. duo to a lucky turn in the mav;-;efc ia v wool, Isoihing that wo can do can j ensure that prices will raaxntaia il 'u. S present high k-vel and fanners would to wBl to centider the profits made of Into cs a sort ,:.f jnsuranco fund against Jean years. E,.w: in periods ■- of depression exports of iiigii utility will obtain something like paying prices, and it should be the object a 5 t gil to cm- their flecks end herds so as w obtain the best return at Ml times, This process of sHeclion combined ~ itii tiia incs; approved methods oi .cultivation, which enable jam farmer to ywoc.ru:? the greatest possible yi-'ld from a given area, will do all that ■ 1 can be done to prepare for the fall in , price.? which is -bound se.coiao sooner j or luxes. "Only the most fyolishly t bom: itii or culpably careless w;)l manage their ar'ame ns if the present high level of prices would continue < for ever. i