The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE MONDAY, JULY 17, 1916. CONFERENCE OF FARMERS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 17 July 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

MONDAY, JULY 17, 1916. CONFERENCE OF FARMERS.

(With which is incorporated The Tal bape Post and Waimarino News.)

It is gratifying to know that the Conference of Farmers, connected with th e Farmers’ Union, recently sitting in Wellington, had quite a flood of remits from branches in various parts of New Zealand, in the direction of urging the Government to tak e all the land that was required for settling our returning heroes from either of the several seats of war. There was, of course, no need to pass twenty such resolutions, but the Conference selected the most comprehensive and definite, and adopted it unanimously without any more discussion than that which emphasised the importance of having the land to give to every one of the men who desired it. Not only did the resolution cover the main issue, but it went into details in one important, vital particular. It laid down, that if the Government bad not the land already available, it should take all that was needed from among the larger estates, beginning with those having the. widest area which are the least cultivated. Not those estates, we take it, whereon, say one man to the hundred acres is employed, but those employing one man to the thousand or even more acres. These huge, uncultivated areas should be brought into their highest producing capacity; of course, they will be when the country becomes sane enough to realise the advantages accruing to the whole State politic, by so doing. But there is an urgent need of a. special character .ust now; we have returning from the war many young men who have done their duty by risking their existence in fighting for this very land; they have rescued it from the Attilan robber, and they are already asking that a comparatively small area be set aside on which they may work, on

I which they may make a home, and on which they may end their days. These .men want what is their right in this respect; the people, except a very few who are the quintessence of greed, are anxious that the land required should be in readiness for these men; the Press of the whole Dominion is strongly advocating what the people desire to see brought about, and now we have the men who have the land—the representatives of farming in conference —passing resolutions urging the Government follow the recommendation to ing with the largest and least cultivated holdings. There are many blocks of land of from five to twenty thousand acres or more that are not employing a man to the thousand acres, some of them not a man to the two or three thousand acres. Why does not the Gov ernment folio wthe Recommendation to them of the Farmers in Conference, and take these huge areas and give it out In small holdings to the men, whose numerous applications are filling the pigeon holes of the Minister? . Very small, comparatively, estates are being bought at high prices that are only capable of accommodating four or five of the applicants fon land. It is scarcely, necessary to mention that the machinery to be set in motion adds hugely to the capital value of such small areas. On areas that would provide land for one hundred, the cost of acquirement would be littl e more; but what the whole Press and people are concerned about is what the Government dabbles in little blocks of land, settling only a few men, while there numerous applications unprovided for, and while huge areas of land are awaiting the Purchase Board ’s attentions. The Avar has taken a trend that will result in our men coming back to us iu increasing numbers, and Ave think with the Farmers’ Conference that steps should be taken to ha\ r e the land ready for every one of them who desires to go on to it.

THE RED CROSS SHOP.

Now that the Allies are making a supreme effort to drive back the Germans to their own land, the greatest need for the surgeon and nurse will be felt. Neither of these are, however, of much service without the necessary accessories of their profession. The Governments are undoubtedly making provision (for handling wounded, men such as were. neyer approached- in any previous war, but liqyever complete their arrangements, there is much that can be done* voluntarily towards easing pain, saviffg-' life, ffiid makingrecovery more rapid. To ensure that pain is obviated to the greatest possible extreme', there should be, what might appear*-kit less strenuous times, a..surfeit of 'Uppri'anc'cS and accessories for the recovery ■'and coiiifdnc of men \viio have failerfryet escape" with over so frail a upon ate. It is in our power t o sale' many of these 1 1 ves, and to renuer yM'ii less unbearable. The little we may give towards the noble work the ladies of the Taihape Red Cross ore doing may seem insignificant, yet it is possiole that even that little, coming at tlie- n.ght time, may save a life, but we may, at least, be assured that it has given ease and comfort to some suffering one who has offered his all to his Empire. We have in mind the sublime efforts of the ladies who are conducting in Tailiape what is aaown as the iced Cross Shop, and we desire to impress upon settlers, large and small, rich and poor, the claim chesc. ladies have upon them fun tiiot xiei.p that is necessary to keep the institution going. While we are killing u sheep for the. farm'd!’s requirements it may seem a small tiling to oiler a quarter to the Red Cross Shop ladies, but such a gift would give a glint of heaven to them. When potatoes, onions

or other stored produce are being handled, many of us could afford a small —no matter now small —basket or bag for the Red Cross ladies, who would receive it with volumes of thanks. They will convert whatever is donated to their stock into money, so that those very gifts may be carried in another form into hospitals at the front, to the bedsides of broken men, to be used in assuaging their pain or giving them those little comforts so much needed in nursing them, back to life and health. There is n« institution or organisation that merits the thoughtful little gifts that must come in to keep up the flow or what is necessary in bringing back life and some degree of health to men who hav e gone from our midst to light our battles, more than the Rod Cross Shop.