The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1913. HON. W. FRASER'S VISIT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 86, 15 August 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1913. HON. W. FRASER'S VISIT.

The Hon. W. Fraser, Minister for Public Works, accompanied by Mr J. B. Hine, M.P., arrived in Stratford last evening in fulfilment of his promise to vist the back-country out east, and to meet the settlers face to face. Mr Fraser will doubtless hear many tales of real hardship and will be able to see for himself something of what the roads are like in winter in I the neighbourhood of Whangamomona. There is also, of course, the special question of compensation for the great damage to the County road by Public Works' heavy traffic—an evil out of which great good, will eventually arise. Though possibly an unavoidable evil, it is nevertheless something which the 'settlers ought not to be asked to bear the cost of, even if the straitened finances of the County Council would bear/ the strain of repairing such damage without breaking. The Minister will akso inspect the railway works and necessarily receive many deputations. This evening the good people of the district will do him honour at Whangamomona irrespective of Party politics, or any small-minded feeling. They will banquet Mr Fraser loyally and treat him well because Whangamomona could not be anything but hospitality itself, and because 1 it loves all Ministers for Public Works and has entertained them in succession for the past quarter of a century. We sincerely trust the Minis-! tor's visit may be productive of good. It will at least give him a more intimate knowledge of an import-

ant district, and also of a great railway work with winch ho is associated its the Ministerial head.

vernment deems it advisable to hold over the proposed legislation dealing with this subject until later in the session," is one passage of the Budget. Wellington's Evening Post comments on this as follows:—An inkling of the trouble in prospect for the Ministry can be seen in the report of the meeting of the Wellington Industrial Association. The chairman. Mr Partridge, invited the members to think about the attitude of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. This body is not only alert to check "any, attempt by interested parties to further increase the Customs duties on farmers' requirements;" it is also resolved to "press for reductions and remiovals." Prominent representatives of farmers have unmistakably

recorded their opinion that the rural industries are the only ones tvorth encouraging. Directly and indirectly, they submit that the most profitable policy for this country is to exchange a surplus of primary produce for the cheap manufactures of Britain and foreign countries, instead of maintaining all sorts of local industries with high tariffs. Farmers have looked askance at the requests of the iron and engineering trades, and the land men have plans of resistance. Between the warring captains of the primary and secondary, industries, what will the worried Government do? Has the Ministry been able to evolve a fiscal masterpiece, guaranteed to please all factions? Such a stroke of genius could have only a temporary success. Whether the Government swerves more towards free trade or more towards protection, there will be storms of protest. No Government in the past twenty years has dared to take a bold line. Comfort and safety have always been sought in compromise-, and it is not likely that the Massey Government will risk any revolutionary changes. As the party in power is practically dominated by the strong, country quota—naturally in close sympathy with the Farmers' Union—the Protectionists have cause to be nervous.