INTERESTING TO FARMERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1917, 16 July 1889, Page 2

INTERESTING TO FARMERS.

There is a little matter to which we would like.to direct the attention of farmers. Sir Harry Atkinson in his recent Financial Statement said: "It ia satisfactory to know that the quantity of wool locally consumed in our , mills has increased from 2,001,1551 b in 1887-88 to 4,079,5631 b in 1888-89." Thus the amount of wool consumed locally during the 8 or 10 months that the little protection we hsye got was in existence increased by more than double; that is, by 2,078,4081 b. This is really extraordinary, and far more cheering than anything we have met with recently. Now we ask farmers to realise the full effect of this. First of all the loeal demand must improve the price of wool; second, they and their fellow colonists are wearing their own wool now instead of foreign shoddy; and thirdly, the manufacturing of this has given a great de*al of employment. The employment of the people affects farmers in two ways—first, it gives the people greater power to purchase the products of the soil, and secondly, the fact that the people are thus industriously employed relieves the farmer of paying taxation to find "unemployed" wages for them, or pay charitable aid rates for them. Let the farmers remember that if those extra hands employed to manufactured the increased quantity of wool cony sumed were not at that work they would have been perhaps unemployed. There is not at present enough work for all, and they or others would be amongst the unemployed or receiving charitable aid. They are now earning their own living, and instead of being burdensome they are useful to the farmers. t There is another question which we would like to ask farmers. Why is wheat 5s 7d in Yictoria, while it is only 4s 3d to 4s 5d in New South Wales? This year Yictoria has had plenty of wheat of her own, while New South Wales has had a wheat famine, yet wheat is by Is 3d to Is 5d dearer in the former than the latter. Wool is also much dearer in Victoria, which is a protectionist country, than in freetrade New South Wales. Why ? Because the Victorians have had the good sense to protect themselves from competition with the whole world. Then we would like to ask the farmers what harm has the protective duties of last year done them ? Is there one amongst them who has felt the slightest difference ? Do they feel the tax ? We feel certain they do not, and* that being so, now let them ask themselves Who are their friends ? They have been in the habit of regarding protectionists as their enemies, but let them think over the matter, and we have no fear of the result.