MR W. A. MURRAY AT HOME.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2241, 18 November 1886, Page 2

MR W. A. MURRAY AT HOME.

News of our old friepd Mr W, A. Murray, late of Annandale, Piako, reaches us through the medium of the Berwickshire (N. B.) news. Mr Murray was one of the guests at the luncheon in connection with Lammermoor Pastoral Society's Show the at Ellemford, ou September 30th, and enjoyed the honour of being specially toasted. We clip the following report of the speech of the proposer of the toast and Mr Murray's reply from the New* :—: — The Croupier asked the indulgence of the Chairman and meeting 1 for a special toa-it in honour of a Berwickshire gentleman who had been absent from the country for thirty years. He alluded to his friend on the right, Mr William Murray, of Auckland, New Zealand (formerly of Marygold), and formauy years Member for the County of Bruce in the Legislature of New Zealand. (Applause. ) Amongst the many names which held a distinguished place in connection with the agriculture of Berwickshire —including the Hoods, the Bertram-", the Darlings, the Wilsons, the Thomsons, the Logans — none, perhaps, enjoyed greater reputation than that of the Murruys of Marygold. (Applause.) On behalf of the Chairman, he had therefore to ask them to extend a cordial welcome t"> Mr Mur: i\\ and to drink with al honours to his health. (Cheers). Mr Murray, who was vory cordially received, said that after 28 years' absence from Scotland it was difficult to express the feelings* with which he revi.sited the scenes of his youth and the county of his birth. While Scotsmen were everywhere true to the land of their adoption, they never forgot their native place— (applause) — and therefore he had come there at some little inconvenience to be present at the annual meeting of the Lammermoor Pastoral Society, in the hope of being able to meet some of his old friends. (Applause.) He found that changes had taken place in places as well as in faces, and that many of the friends of his early days had gone over to the great majority ; but he had been pleased to renew acquaintance with the sons of those departed friends, and with the few remaining old friends of former years. Scotsmen in the Colonies always talk of the old country as home ; since his return he had received here, as well as in other parts of Scotland and England, such universal and unvaiying kindness that really it seemed that on all hands people wished to make him feel that this w.is still his home. (Applause.) He regretted to find that in Berwickshire as elsewhere grnat agricultural depression prevailed. He might tell them, however, that if farmers in the Colonies could get for their butchermeat such prices as were current here, they would be highly satisfied. He had seen in Dundee ewes sold for 24s to 255. In the Colonies they would bo satisfied if they could get the 4s without the 20<. (Liughter.) B*it the prices Colonial-} got for their grain Svere very little less than was outlined here. It cost Colonial farmers threepence per lb to send their butcher-meat to London, the a3tu.ll value of which was one penny per lb, and which had to lo>e one penny per lb in the London Market for prejudice ; giving altogether tivepence per lb, of protective advantage which the farmers in Great Britain possessed over the Colonies. The cost of sending grain from the Colonies to Great Britain was less, than 0110 farthing per lb, and from America I«hs than half a farthing per lb. Colonial butcher-meat landed in London was inferior to that pro- . duced in Britain ; but the gr.iin produced in 1 the sunnier climes of the colonies was superior to what was grown here. These facts together with the uncertainty of the British climate for grain production, pointed irresistibly to the conclu-ion that it would pay the farmers of Great Butnin much better to grow more b itcher-meat, and less grain. (Applause.) Before xittin* down he begged to thank thorn all very cordially for the honour they had done him — kindne«s which was not due to him alone, but to pleasant memories which they entertained of his family. (Applause).