MASTERTON FARMERS' CLUB.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2285, 3 May 1886, Page 2

MASTERTON FARMERS' CLUB.

The regular monthly meeting ■of the Masterton Fanners' Club was held tin Saturday, Mr John Hessoy, Vice-Presi-dent, in the chair, and there was a fair attendance of mombers. • The minutes of the previous moating were read and confirmed. '■'.-. Correspondence was read from the Police Department re legal assistance in policd prosecutions, and from the Restaurant Keepers' Association of Welling-: ■ ton re provisions.' The meeting thon diseußßed the question of the annual ploughing match, Tho Chairman thought stubble land might bo used for the matcn, although ho was aware that, turf land made the prettiest work. ■'■'■■ SevoraMtes were mentioned as suitable, and a sub-committoo was appointed, consisting of Messrs Hessoy, Chamberlain, Johnston, Carman, and Guild, to solect a suitable site. : .~ Ballot was taken for H. Phillips, Fraser, and Jas. McKenzie, at&hoyw were unanimously elected, = The Secretary, in the absonco of Mrß. P. Perry, read a paper entitled " Economy as applied toFarjning," being a valuable and interesting article by Mr Thomas Paterson, and read before the members of the Ngaparii Farmers'-Club,. We quote ah extract thorefrom, bearing on tho wages question:—" My next proposition is, that it is wisdom to give sufficiently good was<es to secure the services ot good and efficient men. I need scarcely have noticed this mattor, as I think it is pretty well understood in this district. However, "as it comes in the list of things wherein spending is true economy, I shall give it a passing notice i and 1 may just say my experience is. that one may be a gainer by giving.one man 30b a week, and a loser by eiving another 3s. But here let mo crave your indulgence while I mako a slight digression. It is my .opinion that wages are, as a rule, too high. Far be it from me to decry the working man; many of the most nobkmindeihnen it has been my privilege to know belong to tho ranks. 1 havo been a laboring man myself, and am yet for that matter, only I don't get any pay now, but I think it would be better for everybody if wages were lower. It would be better for the employer, bcJjW) lie, could keep more men and do morfßi the/ way of improving his property,. It wouls bo bettor for the laboring classes, forthey would get more constant employment. It would do away with the anomalous state of matters that at present exists, when ono half of tho working men can get no work while the other half is oariiing more than their employers can afford to give. It would be bettor for the State if only by onhanoing the rateable value of a man's property, consequent on employing mora labor. I believe in the motto "Livo aiid let live," but for tho present it soems to me that tho order of nature lg reversed, and the .omployer is working for the employee." The meeting then adjourned

(To the Editor!) '•• Sm.-Many of our Waitanapa friinds, when visiting Wellington with the intention of purchasing at To Aro House here, have boon puzzled by the close proximity of another draper's shop, to know whioh was which. To prevent 'mistakes* we have had the words "Te painted in black letters on on each of our door-Bteps. If they will only look for those, errors and loss may be prevented. . '■' Yours, &c, James Smith, 'l'eAro.Houso.