FARMERS’ UNION.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9438, 7 May 1909, Page 2

FARMERS’ UNION.

V, DINNER AT PALMERSTON. At the annual dinner of the Palm-: ■1 erston Branch of the Farmers’ Union on Wednesday there was a large v attendance. , _ *•. In proposing the toast of the Navy and Army. Hr J. Q. Wilson said ■ that the rceent discovery of the possible naval supremacy of . Germany, - in respoet to Dreadnoughts in -1913, had caused an unpleasant shock ; thronghout the Empire. He cordially thanked Sir Joseph Ward for his offer of two Dreadnoughts to the British Navy, and hoped the Farmers’ Union throughout the would -ndorse the action. The step was e--entially loyal, and he hoped that fcue Government would insist on Sir Joseph Ward going Home to the Conference of the Empire as ■to the naval aitnationjeven though it might .mean his absence in the session, as it wasniost important that wo should have continuity of action 1 and-our. best thought and minds at that, uonferenoe. Wifcb reference to the army, it was necessary that every man should be taught at least, how_ to shoot, and he was glad to see that the Farmers ’■ -Uuion, after the Defence League, had been the , first to, ask the Government to insist on com-, pnlsory training. It would do the • New Zealand youth no harm to be taught a little manners and disoiPl lS 6 ’hls reply, Qapt. Hewitt said that as to naval supremacy, he didn t believe they wanted two ships to : one. In the old days the British navy went to sea with fewer snips, and they were quite capable of doing so yet. As to the Dreadnoughts, he admired the spirit of the Government in telegraphing two Dreadnoughts, and if it had been a little bit unconstitutional,—well, Nelson when he left Oolliugwood’s line, was unconstitutional, butt it captured the French fleet, and so the Govern- ' meat may have been a little unconstitutional but they hit the nail on the head at the right time. Captain Preece also responded. Mr R. O. Bruce proposed the Legislature, in an eloquent speech. He was, he said, much in favour of ■an’Upper House, and had frequently heard member? of the Lower House thank God for it, because it froze ' some of the Bills that; they themselves had found political exieenoies required them to pass in the Lower House. In the Lower House there' was constant action because the members bad tojdo something,,tojjhold seats, though many of them knew the futility of legislation. If Sir Joseph Ward oonld carry out lua policy of retrenchment and could be kept from sqnandermg millions as ■ all Governments and individuals were apt to do when they borrowed money, ahd from appointing any more inspectors, they conld look forward to the next three years with confidence. In the leader of the Opposition Sir Joseph Ward found a foeman worthy of his steel, endowed with h is tenacity of purpose and staying powers. If the_ Opposition bad been obliterated as it was prophesied. in some quarters would, be the case, it would only have been an incident, because the deathless principles of the Union, freedom, freetrade, and the ireehold, would still live. These principles were their heritage, and what a satire it was on the present politics that the men who held those principles were called Blatant Tories. It was embed: ded in the heart of the working man that by legislation they oonld get shorter hours and better pay. They bad been 1 , misled very much, but they were now coming out at the same hole that they went in at. The Arbitration Court was the biggest .quackery of a Bill that ever went through the House. Yet our legislation had found admirers abroad. As to land tenure the freehold was in no danger. _ A most pernicious practice had arisen in New Zealand of governing by Royal Commissions. The Commissions, ,on questions which the members should themselves be learned in, were useless, and the men who sat on them often knew nothing of their subjects. Alluding to the Asiatic question, he said it was most impotent that the people of Australasia should maintain friendly relations with the yellow men, if only for the reason Japan might one day be a fine market for their wool, and it' was mote than possible that the ships of the yellow men would one day cleave the waters that were now cleaved by British keels. The Mother Country had behaved with the greatest generosity, and the Colonies should reply after the tvords of Kipling’s “Lady of the Snows,” Mr Bnddo, in replying, apologised lor the absence of Sir Joseph Ward. After references to the value of the Advances to Settlers and Loans to • Local Bodies Acts, be said that throughout the world there was a

trend towards the city,- and . who oonld blame the people? To stop this it was absolutely essential to improve matters for back country settlers. Regarding the valuation agitation, Mr Bnddo said the valuation on unimproved value must be on selling values! The property often went op iu value by the .owner’s reserve, or the eloquence of the agent, but he knew no case where the false _ value of one property raised the value of neighbouring lands. There was often a great difference in the produce from two properties of the same nature, farmed by different men, and so valuation by production was impossible. In spite of what had been said there'would be fewer appellants at the Assessment Court when the cases were heard than" ever before, and the position now arrived at was that the ■ values of the Assessor and . owner were usually the same. Many farmers hadUoss monev by fictitious values and j the Valuation Department must not be used to that end. Two million seven hundred thousand acres of Native land .had hedn purchased by the Government last year, and was now available for settlement in smaller areas, and he hoped the settlement of it would soon be undertaken. As to the stringency in the money market, the Premier had said he believed the Colony was under-banked. The five banks had the whole business in their own bands, and should have met ordinary trading deficiencies, hut he didn t advocate hanks advancing mon«y on lands. Their assets should be liquid. Still there were many farmers and traders flnanioally embarrassed, and they u expeoted better of the five banka than u to allow the farmers to auffe* when times became somewhat bad. As to experimental farms, these were wanted as the fanner was not always a scholar, and "they were most valuable adjuncts to scientific farming. In proposing the toast of the Farmers’, Union, the Mayor of Palmerston (Mr J. A. Nash) said that many had thought its life would be short. It had now, however, risen to a very high standard and was making itself felt. If the members stuck together it would get from the Government of to-day what it required. Mr J. Q. Wilson, Dominion President, and Mr Cooper responded. ' Mr H. F. Gibbons proposed the toast of “Agricultural and Pastoral Interests.’’ Referring to the banks, be said'that the banks had advanced all the money they had, and could hardly be expected to do more. The banks never lost money through advancing to farmers on?good security. Mi Eeakes, Chief Government Veterinarian, replying, said that the Department of Agriculture had done much good and ,he hoped the time was near when the farmers would welcome the inspectors upon their farms, where now they ' met them with guns. Now that he was head of his division he hoped the farmers would treat the Department’s ofiicers •as counsellors and friends, and not as policemen. He also hoped the farmers would make more use of the instruction given. Mr F. Hockly, proposed' the toast of Trade and Gommeroq, and referred to the importance of town and country pulling together to a similar end. The recent depression was largely due to wild speculation. Mr J. M. Johnston, in reply, referred to the Dairy School, and said that he hoped it was coming some time. As to land values, he didn’t, agree with tlie Minister. The land value was what the land; could produce (hear, hear). Values had been inflated by the farmer himself, who had been giving equal to £5 to £6 per sheep for grazing land. No one could afford this. The fair value of sheep land was from to £4 per sheep. He endorsed Mr Gibbons’ remarks as to the banks not having lost on money by advancing to farmers. He had known money advanced on promises to pay without signature.