The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] A Guaranteed Circulation of over 8000 Weekly. TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1908.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXIV, Issue 3751, 7 April 1908, Page 2

The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] A Guaranteed Circulation of over 8000 Weekly. TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1908.

There is probably no class of fraud which is more injurious than selling to farmers seed or manure which is not of the nature or quality stated. Judging by recent exposures this species of dishonesty is rampant in the country. It is not v°ry long ago since a man who was classed as a merchnt was convicted on the charge of .selling adulterated manures, and was dealt with with some severity by the Court. He had not the sympathy of anybody. It now appears that what purports to be genuine cocksfoot is being palmed off upon unfortunate farmers. Analysis showed that the bags in one case contained only 57 per cent, of the genuine article, 29 per cent, being ryegrass, and the remainder waste. A worse case than

j this was related by the president of the Auckland A. and P. Association, i who stated that a farmer had sown a | consignment of what was bought and j paid for as genuine cocksfoot, and only 10 per cent, germinated. It is impossible to look upon such incidents as the above as accidents, more particularly as the difference in price of the genuine and substituted article is ! very great—cocksfoot, for instance, j is worth 17s 6d per bushel, and rye- | grass 6s for the same quantity. If any further evidence were required j of dishonesty, or criminal carelessness,on the part of some dealers.it was afforded by Mr J. G. Garland, who submitted to the meeting a sample of cocksfoot which contained three or four different kinds of weeds, clover, couch grass, ryegrass, and Yorkshire fog—cocksfoot being a small percentage of the bulk. When an evil exists, the first forward movement must be the adoption of some steps to check it. The obvious remedy in this case is to define by law how much extraneous matter may be included in a sample of cocksfoot or other seed; the next should be to compel all the dealers to attach a guarantee to each package that the Teed they are vending is up to .the prescribed standard. It may be urged that this would entail expense and add to the price the farmerj has to pay for his seed. Judging by the illustrations we have, given above,, the

expense would have to be very heavy j to bring the loss up to the level of that the farmer suffers at the present time. In any case serious diseases require drastic remedies. The matter would not be of so much consequ ence were the loss the farmer suffers only in price; but that is only a trivial matter compared with the cost of futile working of the land consequent on sowing reed which was not what it was represented to be.

J Regardless of political leanings, the announcement we make today that Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman has resigned the great position of Prime Minister of the British Empire will be received with regret, for the reason that it is failing health which has necessitated the step. However much a section of the British people may disagree with the views of those on whom rests the responsibilites of directing the affairs of the nation, they are always ready to accord to them credit for sincere belief that the measures they adopt, whether in domestie or foreign politics, are for the benefit of the Empire. The retired statesman has sat in the House of commons for Stirling Burgs since 1868. He first took office as Financial Secerary to the War Office from 1871 to 1874, and has since held several other Ministerial offices. On the resignation of the Balfour Administration in December, 1905, he was entrusted by the King with the formation of a Ministry, and was successful. At the general election which followed he went back from the country with an almost unprecedented majority at his back. There are unmistakable sign?, however, that the Ministry havelost much of the confidence displayed towards them in , 1906. They have lost nearly every by-election which his taken place since; in several huge majorities have been changed into almost equaliy large minorities. Generally in the colonies the party which the cxMinister led is not popular, and Sir H. Campbell-Banncrman's Boer proclivities earned for him an unpopularity which will last for many years after the war has become a matter of history.

Mr Asquitb, who succeeds to office, is one of the most brilliant debaters in the House of Commons, and is generally credited with being the most able member of the Ministry. He first entered Parliament as member for East Fife in 1860, and has retained the scat ever since. When the Boer war broke out, while heartily supporting, at the Reform Club meeting of Liberals in 1901, the vote of confidence in Sir H. CampbellBannerman as leader of the party, he claimed for himself and others full liberty on the South African question, and from time to time to express and act upon their honestly entertained convictions without any imputation of party disloyalty. He supported Lord Rosebery when the Liberal League was formed in 1902, and of which he became a vice-president, lie was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1905, a position which he holds at the present time. There can be little doubt but that Mr Asquith will command more confidence than his predecessor.