THE HON. W. D. S. MACDONALD

Taihape Daily Times, 28 June 1918, Page 4

THE HON. W. D. S. MACDONALD

AT THE TAIHAPE WINTER SHOW. When it became known that the Honourable, the Minister for Agriculture was to visit the Taihape Winter Show an effort wa n > made by Mr. R. W. Smith, M.P., to induce him to deliverd a short public address, to which the Minister readily consented. The meeting was held in the Town Hall yesterday afternoon at three o'clock, and was well attended by a representative audience of the district's farming community. Mr. John Oldham occupied the chair, and briefly welcomed the Hon. Mr. MacDonald, and introduced him to the meeting. The Mayor of Taihape (Mr. A. L. Arrowsmith) added his welcome on behalf of the Borough. He said it gave him pleasure to have the Minister in Taihape; he did not know how he came, but by whatever the means he was none the less welcome, and he hoped the visitor would not miss any opportunity to come again. (Applause). Mr. R. W. Smith, M.P., also extended a hearty welcome to Mr. MacDonald; he offered some apology for the unpropitious weather, but, he said, he had read in the papers that where Mr. MacDonald came from it had been rainng for a couple of years, and he could not help thinking that this was the sort of welcome he would like. Taihape had been a long time without a Ministerial visit and they would all be glad to see Mr. MacDonald again. If he would come to the Summer Show they could show him something he would like to see. Mr. Smith said he would like to take the Minister through the district as he would then satisfy him that it was one of the best in New Zealand. The Hon. Mr. MacDonald was greeted with loud and prolonged applause. He said he had very great pleasure in meeting the people of Taihape, and in seeing their Winter Show. The weather department was in charge of his colleague, the Hon. Mr. Russell, but farmers had to take the weather as It came. As Minister of Agriculture, he was glad to visit the .district.. The holding of agricultural and, horticultural shows indicated that the jpeople were enterprising. So far as ; the pastoral and farming interests went they had a district second' to none in the Dominion; there was undoubted prosperity. Mr. Smith had said that when people settled in the district they could not move them; that was the class of men they wanted in a district. So far as agriculture was concerned he could not say much, about the grow, ing of cereals; he had not seen the country, but if Taihape had the country such root crops as the Show disclosed the success of agriculture wan fully assured. They could take risks here in the matter of winter feed that could not be taken in the South Island. It was best to make provision for winter feed, and in dairying that was esential. With reference- to

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY he did not know what farmers were going to do., Before the war they got lid per pound for butter fat, now they got 22d still they wanted something better, and they were going to turn their factories into making dried milk. His advice was, if they were doing well now they should not be in a hurry to make any change. For butter and cheese New Zealand had made a name throughout the world, and when they laid the foundation stone of such an industry it was a /bad thing to start establishing dried milk and glaxo factories. Everyone who had tried to take a short road to get rich in dairying would fall. The export now totalled a value of £8,500,000, and another £1,500.000 worth was required for local consumption; there was an income of £10,000,00 from the dairying industry. The Agricultural Department's dairy instructors were doing their utmost to produce the very best class of article. When once Government Grader put bis brand on butter it could readily be sold in any part of the world. The great essential was the will to produce; it was the men and women who put their energy and ability into their work who made a name for the dairying industry. Owing to shipping shortage there would be great difficulty this year in getting produce away. £120,000 had already been applied for, for additions to cold storage,, so it would be seen that the Government was helping as anuch as possible.

THE PASTORAL INDUSTRY, particularly the freezing industry, needed more cold storage owing to very nearly all the ships being taken to carry on the war. While he would like to take the people into his confidence and tell them the whole story, he did not want to tell Germany the whole story. (Applause). There were people who might think the Government were indifferent, but it was an absolute. fallacy to believe that. If we cannot get produce exported to the markets of the world we cannot get money for the producers. Last year, when the difficulty arose he was able to get the Government to take

full responsibility, and the Government had paid £3,000,000 for meat, in store. His colleague, Mr. Guthrie/ tried to arrange for 75 per cent, to be paid on 1917 meat and 45 per cent, on the 1918 meat in cold store. The Government were aware that meat was going to the meat trusts, and a committee of the Farmers' Union wrote to the Government saying they must stop Trust operations. Farmers will sell all their meat to trusts and allow them to nominate the hands it shall go into in England, but if farmers were sincere in their desire to be rid of trusts their meat would go direct to the pepple and no trusts would get it; you want to sell to the trusts here and then you ask the Government to stop it from falling into, trust hands in England. The Imperial Government offered to purchase the COMING SEASON'S WOOL CLIP, and for one year after the "war, but he understood there was a great deal of opposition to the Government gelling to the Imperial Government on these 'iucs. Some thought to get four shillings a pound after the war. A conference was to be held, and those who were going to that conference had need to be very careful about this qu( stion. He was horn on a sheepfarm and never got more than one shilling a pound for wool; now they go: frcm 22 pence to 26 pence, and it was not enough. In 1902 they got threepence to threepence-halfpenny, and yet they were told it did not pay at 22 pence now," although they got payment 14 days after it went into store. He believed they were getting good prices for all their - products. They had got the best little country in the whole world. Their wool would continue after the war to be used in other countries, but whether they would be able to pay extravagant prices for it was questionable. The Government did not want to give away their products, but there were some who took exception to what was being done. A case in point was tbat of certain men going over to Australia and getting Australians to raise their butter prices against the English Government. The Government of this country .was not responsible for that. "While- England >,was.;-' bleeding to death for your liberty and mine," said the Minister "I think that .was a most inequitable, thing o do, ■■'.. i They were now getting twenty pence for what they were selling in 1914 for ninepence. England had arranged ror shipping and had provided storage, and yet our farmers went to Australia and told them what to do. These are the people who are yelling now about trusts... Another matter that affects. many people is . ■

THE WHITE PINE SHORTAGE. It was an exceedingly difficult matter to settle. Sir Francis Bell and ; other* Ministers had been going exhaustively into the question lately with a view, to maintaining a supply adequate for our own industries. The sawmillers' were willing that the needs of New Zeaianc should ■: he •- met, therefore export might have to be restricted in the future.' 'Local requirements would have to be supplied first, including fruit packingj butter, fellmongery and fat; these'were the principle things affecting production to-day. Right throughout war countries this great war was causing a shortage of labour, as well as in this country, but Cabinet had given definite instructions to Military Service Boards that the last man should not be taken from essential industries. If they understood the running of Military Service Boards they would realise what the Government was trying to do under very trying conditions. Matters affecting THE SECOND DIVISION

reserves' allowances had been gone into so far as it was possible. This country was trying to maintain all its women and children in as decent a condition as possible. They could net the lives of men at a money value. Some were under the impression they were going to fight for the Government, but all were going to fight for their liberty, their country, their homes, and all that was wortn living for; what was -worth while for the future of the world. K one could see the last day of the war he could tell a different story, but no one could see it. This country wanted a strong finance ftir lJ tne ;J car ! e ,i of the' relatives

and friends of the (boys who•< may never come back. After matuxest. consideration the Government has fixed upon allowances,' but if the Financial Assistance" Board does not do fo-day what is found to be needful, that doe'a not end the matter; it can be considered again and again. The Government and Ministers are only an incident in the country; they are here today and gone to-morrow. It is said that the men who never made a mistake never made anything. In old party days one side was always right and the other side always wrong, but when the National Government came it did not know what it had to do. They were told that they wanted a Cabinet of business men, but in the Government they now ha 3 Experts in farming, in business, in finance, ano. every Member of Parliament and Min-

ister of the Crown wanted to do his very best, if only to retain his,;posi. tion. There were 1 difficult flicting views to fight against, but. so far as the Government was conceJKed, he and his colleagues were trying to obtain the views of all the' people in the Dominion. They, had been accused of weakness, but they were, striving to get the real opinions of the » people and to establish confidence^*

with the people so that they could get the very tbest for the whole country. Right from the beginning people had one great view in mind;.'.that.was to WIN THE , ; WAR. Their men had gone out to fight,, but women had come in were .doing,, the work that the men had left. .■ Only those who had lost sons and relatives in this war .are the only .ones that have really suffered. -Sedition-mon-gers were at work, going throughout the whole country; he warned the people to have nothing to do with them. Because everyone could see that we were in the darkest pages of our history they realised the Government had need of all help and power available to carry on at the present time. If the people cannot keep firm and strong then their Government cannot be strong. When men had met their obligations it was not for them to discover how they could exploit; it was for these men to see how could give for the war. learned to-day that the "Wimmera" which left Auckland on Tuesday, had been sunk by the explosion of a bomb inside the ship. The vessel went down in ten minutes, but patrol boats were quickly out to render assistance and search. Let us all be fair so far as this war is concerned, and in so far as our products are concerned. The conference to discuss the' Government purchase of wool should realise that every ship on the water should be running between France and America, but we also wanted ships so that we can get our produce away. The matter of shipping must be in the control of the Imperial Government. There was a cry about prices being ruled by laws of supply and demand, but there was a shortage of wheat in this country which would quickly result in disaster if left to the laws of: supply and demand. One of the greatest tragedy ies of the world was Jbeing enacted at the present time ,and any good strong healthy criticism is helpful; all with complaints should come right to the fountain head. As we go through the world we should take, road, then we shall the strongest force any man can use is the truth- He fully recognised ihe terrible trials we were going thrown-, but he had one strong and sure conviction, and that was,- that we were. GOING TOWIN.oThe work of Government.- Departments had greatly increased; In six months they had Use"d .2600 tons of newspaper, 100,000. telegrams and letters were going backwards and f orwards_ It was 1 marvellous "that with all that submarines , and mines were doing our Boys received* (their letters and packages with so few losses. After a strong appeal for unity of purpose, Mr. MacDonald resumed his' chair amid prolonged and hearty applause. In fact, the whole address was profusehly ; punctuated with applause. On the motion of Mr. R. W. Smith, M.P., a very hearty vote " of thanks was carried by acclamation.