THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1911. FARMERS AND POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10424, 15 September 1911, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1911. FARMERS AND POLITICS.

The presence in Masterton of Mr David Jiones, the organiser of the N<.Z. Fiarmers' Political Federation, will serve a very useful purpose if it diretsts ■ the attention of farmers to the disaWitoties they suffer through lack of oomhinatdon or tlHroughi their allowing parish considerations to stand between themselves and their, country's good. It is a paindhil adnnisisiion to have to mlake, but it is nevertheless a fact that a large section of the farming coonSmiunity in this district, indeed in every district of the Dominion, has not attached that importance to its own interests at the ballot-box which might reasonably have been expected of it. Instead of taking a mian for the broad principles he has enunciated, hundreds of good', and presum/ahOy intelligent fiarroeaiu, liave

been> influenced by local and personal, considerations.- A road here, a 'bridge there, a new Post Office somewhere else hb.& been considered sufficient to entitle candidates to the everlasting and undying gratitude of the electors. Has it ever occurred to these short-sighted people that thje- money expended in> ttose works, .mulch of it extravagantly expended, is theirs by right, and thiat it has been takeai from their pockets? Has it ever dawned upon them thatt the millions of money frittered away in co-operative labour and other votecatching has been almost filched from them in- the way j of taxation ? Have they ever stopped to think that they are selling theiir national birthright for a mess of pottage Had they given these points a more than superficial' examination., had they realised how, by volting. for the Social-JRiadical element, they ware sharpening the weapon with which to out their own throats as a section of the cpmimnnity, they would' surely liiave hesitated. They have beem blind, indeed, if they have not seen the handwriting upon the wall. Is it too late to appeali to' farmers, and towndweMers who depend upon farmers, to stop and think P Clan they not hear the beating of the drum, and see the hoisting of the red flag, which spells dearth to individualism and disaster to enterprise? If they oannot, fcliey are not in touch with the movement of the times. There is only one course open to the farmer of to-d!ay if he wdishies to retain his entity, his individualism, and his rightis; of citizenship. That- course is to vote onfliy for those candidates who wall pledge themselvesi to resist further encroachments upon their liberties. It is to urge this course upon the ibrmiers- thiat Mr Jones is at present in Masiteinton. His platform may not appeal to all Emotions of the community. The cause he espouses is, however,- a noble and patriotic one, for the reason that it is the cause of the peopi© upon whose prosperity depends almost entirely the future of this Dominion. Once the heart is taken out of the former, or his back is broken by taxation, it is good-bye to this fair land of New Zealand.