FARMERS' COMBINATION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2774, 24 April 1890, Page 2

FARMERS' COMBINATION.

'i'o THE 101)ITOH. Snt,—" Harapipi " appears to be very circumscribed in his thoughts; he seems to think that I only refer to the combining of the fanners in the Waikato. Such a limited combination would be worse than useless, but if the combination embraced the whole, colony I am bold to say the farmers could then demand a fair and just remuneration for their products, which I think all reasonable men will say they are not getting at the present time. lam not <aying there is not a better way for obtaining their demands, but as things are ab present it appears to be the readiest. We can easily understand that if the market ia bare prices will advance, and as the articles the farmers produce are absolutely necessary and cannot be done without, it would only require them for ft very short time indeed to cease selling anything when their reasonable and just demands would be granted for it is quite impossible for anyone to continue producing at a loss, it must come to an end sooner or later. I think I may safely say that a just concession would be conceded to the producers long before their cattle had time to get lean, or the rats eat up their wheat. 1 know some farmers in the Waikato who kept their wheat 12 months without the rats eating it all up. People cannot live without food but they can exist for a long time without inauy articles that are produced, and yet we know that the producers of these articles that man can do without, even they go on strike and obtain concessions, and yet " Harapipi "is foolish enough to state th it the farmers above all others are the only ones who cannot form a combination to obtain those rights and privileges which have been attained by men in the humblest walks of life, is simply ridiculous. It is very easy for " Harapipi " to say my letter is fudge and arrant nonsense, but Mr Editor, I have never yet seen even one single new idea in all the many letters he has written to your valuable journal. Ho is always growling against the existing state of things, yet does nothing to bring about a change, but on the contrary uses his ability to hinder progress; but let me tell him it is all in vain, for the stately ship of justice and truth moves on in its steady course and all the efforts of those who are opposed to its advance are. utterly futile. That little episode about the turnip seeds lias been of some service, for it has shown us that we have one merciful man in the Waikato, " Harapipi" believes in evolution, and that unaided, it will work the regeneration of mankind, I wonder if evolution would have brought the potato to its present state of perfection without the aid and assistance of man. I trow not, neither will the political and moral regeneration of mankind be brought about without the aid and asssistance of noble and heroic men, who value justice and righteousness far more than the applause of their fellowmen. "Harapipi" talks as if we were only advancing at the same rate as our forefathers did some live or six hundred years ago, he mast be blind indeed, we are progressing by leaps and bounds, invention succeeds invention reforms, by still greater reforms are almost of daily occurrence, while "Harapipi" is sleeping his time away in a remote corner of the globe, and imagines that reforms are taking place as slowly as they did a few hundred years ago. Man is a very different being now from then, evolution has prepared him for a fat higher sphere of life and he will not rest satisfied until he attains to it, and that time appears to be nigh at hand. As "Harapipi" has not yet tried his hand at propounding a solution of the great and complex problems that are agitating the minds of men, perhaps he will favour us through the medium of your paper of what he would suggest to bring so desirable a change about, as the amelioration of the condition of the groat mass of mankind.—l am, etc. John Faub,