TINUI.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8510, 13 August 1907, Page 3

TINUI.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

TINUI, August 7. On the 3rd inst., Messrs H. A. Nevins and J. Wingate delivered interesting addresses on the Farmers' Union Conference and Early Settlement respectively. The attendance was only fair, owing to the unsettled state of the weather. In the course of his remarks, Mr H. A. Nevins said, "I wish to refer briefly to the reasons why the Union should be supported by farmers, and point out what it has already done. Socially the Union has drawn a scattered population together to discuss matters of mutual interest, and in many districts in consequence annual social gatherings have become established. The Union has lowered the rate of insurance. Farmers were told their fire risks were bad and could be done no lower. We started mutual insurance. The companies came down 33 per cent. Of course the Government claim to have done this. Now our Mutuals do their risks at 10s per cent. In the Wellington Mutual there was only one small loss —I think £6O out of nearly £90,000. Taranaki had no loss, and Otago £B. The mutual system is spreading all through the country, and a reserve fund is being formed. By special arrangement with the South .British Insurance Company, farmers' accident insurance is done for 9s per cent. At one time 12s 6d was the rate.. Now it is generally at 10s in the other companies. The members of the Union can save greatly by pooling their orders for manure, sacks, twine, wool packs j etc. This has been done in many instances. A circular was sent round about wool-packs, but was not largely taken advantage of. Still I believe that an order for some 5,000 packs was sent. The Whakataki branch, and also our branch, sent in a remit to the Farmers' Conference at Levin re the abolition of the sheep tax. This remit was spoken to by Mr Barton and myself at the Conference, and was passed. The Government now propose to repeal this tax. The Union has always advocated rural education and through their representations the Government will probably allow a certain number of boys to be placed on the experimental farms as cadets. In some districts the Unions have been able to get. lectures delivered by experts. I regret that we in this district have been unfortunate in that respect. I had got a promise for a demonstration to be given' in spraying and pruning i

Bn orchard, but unfortunately Mr Wayne has been, and is still, I believe, in the hospital, and I have heard nothing further in the matter. I hope to be able to create greater interest amongst the school children in gardening. I think each branch of the Union should do something in this respect in their district. If we Want the farming community to take its proper stand in the country we want to keep the best men in the cjuntry, and let them learn when •children that it is the best life to follow and opens up good opportunities to them. The land question is one that there is plenty to say about from the Farmers' Union point of view. The Union has always maintained that the welfare of tiie country was to get the greatest number of owners of land in the country that was possible, and also that an owner of land was so tied down to the land that it meant that he would stick to his land through many trials and troubles whereas a leaseholder would not. The Union, therefore, advocated the right of purchase to leaseholders, a"ways recognising „that the lease was a most excellent means of letting a-man with little money get on the iand. While advocating the advantage of restriction in the amount of land that a man could hold, the Union thought it most unjust that men who had taken up large blocks of land, and who were in many cases pressed to do so, should be compelled to sell their lands within a stated time. 'The Union also thinks that making a distinction between town and country p:operties is an injustice. The Union takes some credit to itself that the addresses given by sorre of its members through the country recently have brought some weight to bear on the Government. The present Land Bill is decidedly preferable to that brought down last session, still we hope to have it still further improved, notabiy in the proposal to give the right of purchase to lands for settlement leases. The Endowment Bill is also opposed by the Union as the land proposed to be set apart for this purpose is mostly only land which will be let on pastoral lease, and as rents so received are now paid into the Consolidated Revenue and as Education and Old Age Pensions are paid out of Consolidated Revenue, it is difficult to see where the benefit to the community will come in." Mr Wingate, who is a very old settler here, gave a most interesting and humorous address. Humorous incidents in connection with the days

of his youth in Scotland kept the audience in roars of laughter. The speaker explained the condition of leasehold in the Old Land, and the hard restrictions in regard to shooting game. Although the tenants' crops are eaten by hares and pheasants, they are not allowed to shoot them. In one instance the pheasants were pulling a corn stack to pieces, so Mr Wingate, boy-like, soaked some barley in whisky and sprinkled it about the stacks with the result that two sacks full of intoxicated pheasants were secured, but Mr Wingate and his parents were afraicl to cook them for fear the game-keeper would walk into their house at any time. The speaker gave some thrilling experiences of travelling from his farm to Masterton and back during d southerly gale, when there were no roads or bridges. One trip from Masterton tcok three days and was full of danger. The speaker went on to. explain how the early settlers had suffered years of hardshiD for their freehold. The hardships did not end with 110 bridges and bad roads, but there was no market for their produce after it had carted over rough country. A little money could not then be borrowed, like it can now, by ringing up on the telephone. In .fact, the

settlers then resembled the Maoris, they simply grew food to keep themselves alive, and waited for better days. Both speakers received a hearty vote of thanks.