VALEDICTORY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2046, 15 May 1890, Page 2

VALEDICTORY.

Mr and Mrs K. F. Gray, with their seven children, left Temuka by the express train last evening for Christchurch, where they will take ship for San Francisco. There was a very large crowd of people to Bee them ofE, and many a tear was shed by their friends as they took leave of them. As the train moved away three cheers were called for, and vociferously responded to. By the steamer on which Mi Gray sails three Temuka young men will also go to San Francisco with the view of settling down there, and thus in one week twelve persons, young and old, will have left us, in all probability for everI We know, also, of a family of twelve which will leave us shortly. In the face of this what is the use of talking about immigration ? Would it not be better to try to keep in the country the people we have in it. This is a very serions matter, and above all others we would recommend farmers to think over it. There is no man more interested in the question than the farmer. He has his land on which he must try to live, an 3 the larger the population the better the prices he will receive for ins produce. There are many products of a farm which are practically unsaleable now, owing to the paucity of population, and it would be*far better for farmers to think over this and set about keeping the people in the country than allow time to go away in this way. We have no hesitation - in saying that the farmers are absolutely the greatest drawback to Liberal legislation. The small farmers follow the lead of large landowners, believing their interests to be the same. This is a fallacy. The large landowner very frequently has shares in land companies and banks, &c, and thus has other interests' besides land. The large landowner also depends almost wholly on sheep, and never haß anything to sell except wool. It therefore matters very little to him what the population may be as the price of the commodity he sells is always governed by the price on the London market. It-is not so with the small farmer, he has to grow wheat, oats, potatoes, and many other things which he cannot export advantageously. The price b£ these will be always governed by local consumption, and the larger the population the greater the consumption, and the better the price. Farmers ought to think of this, and remember that their interests and the interest's of the working classes are exactly similar. If the working classes are numerous and well-to-do, farmers will get good prices for the products of their land. We have earned for ourselves the illwill of many for pointing these things out, but time is continually proving that we have always been , right. Most of our prophecies have *. proved true, and more of them will come true yet. At any rate it must be admitted that it is very sad to see whole families leaving the country as well as its manhood, and really wwp» think it would be better to take steps at once to stop the tide. With regard to Mr Gray we exceedingly regret his departure, he has always been an excellent citizen, and he will be very much missed by all classes.