The Wairarapa Daily FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 1890.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3576, 1 August 1890, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 1890.

Our Carterton friends are engaged in organising a Farmers' Club, and, we trust their efforts in this direction will be crowned with greater suocess than has been achieved in Masterton, Here we have had to record two abortive clubs, the first which was inaugurated about a dozen years ago, died young, very young, and the second which was formed a few years later, got into a decline, accumulated a few small debts, and then passed away unlamented, excepting by one or two creators, who are, perhaps, tho only persons who still remember that such an institution did exist for a period all too brief. It is difficult to keep a Farmers' Club together in a scattered community. A dull meeting room, with a few newspapers aud pamphlets does not appear to fascinate a Wairarapa farmer. He somewhat resembles Old King Cole of glorious memory, who was wont 11 to call for bis pipe, and call for his glass" and enjoy himself. Life on a farm is no doubt somewhat dull and monotonous, and when a farmer does once a week or onoe a fortuight take a trip to town it is to be expected that he will prefer a little modest conviviality to the colder comfort of even a debating room. Of course in a bigger community like Canterbury, whero there is "a far larger agricultural population, and ft much greater accumulation of wealth, farmers unions and farmers co-operative associations can be carried out with marked success, but it is hopeless to expect any Wairarapu Club to do as much. H o- favmers olub in this district could subscribe a capital of ton or twenty thousand pounds, it might gam hero the advantages which havobeen secured down South, but as yet there is |UO prospect of a sufficient amount of capital being obtainable to justify any considerable co-operative project. There is, however, no reason why small beginnings sohuld not be made, and it is indeed essential to the future prosperity of this district that improved methods of procuring supplies, and of marketing produce shouldin time bo adopted, a that our farmers shall have an equal chance of success with their \ southern neighbours. Mr Buchanan ' Jiu justly pointed oftUbaMlfQ coi)

(tons under which farms are worked are rapidly changing, and that in a ww [years cleared and. dropped land will replace the rata of tioe stumps and; dead timber, which is now so prominent hi some neighbourhoods. Mr Buohanan is a settler who keeps himself abreast with the times, and with men liko him in the district sotting a practical example, the benefits 'to bo obtained" by the atloptinn of new ideas will gradually come home to all classes of settlors. Another reason why farmers' sliould learn to work together now is the recent introduction of a secret labour society, amongst us, This Society has taken root in Masterton, and will shortly plant its foot in other centres. Farmers will have to deal;with men behind masks, and to hold their own they will have to stand shoulder to shoulder. ' ■ ,