The Land Campaign.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXI, Issue 6208, 2 March 1904, Page 3

The Land Campaign.

MR LAURENSON IN EXPLANATION.

The following letter appears in this morning's " Lyttelton Times."

Sir,—ln your issue of to-day there is an account of the meeting of the Ashburton branch of the Farmers' Union on Saturday. It is there stated that Mr John Studholme says that he thought it a pity that the champions of the leasehold were unwilling to face the farmers, while Mr Leadley was of opinion that I had done my best to pro vent the holding of a meeting of farmers. What Mr Leadley's opinions are is a matter of precious little moment, but (for the sake of Mr Studholme and the other members of the Ashburton Farmers' Union, I would like to point out the facts. We had intended to start the land compaign immediately after the harvest. Mr Fowlds, however, could only be in Canterbury at the end of January, and to secure his attendance we agreed to hold our opening meeting in Christchurch on January 28. This was done, and neither Mr Taylor's business nor my own will permit of us going on with the movement until after the beginning of this month. Now, because we cannot go to a meeting on March. 1, at Ashburton, and will not go to a meeting at 2 o'clock in

the afternoon, we are told that we are afraid to meet tho fai-ruers. What non sense! Mr Leadley knows if no one else does, how erroneous this statement is. About a year ago I pointed out that a resolution reported in the newspapers as having been carried at a meeting of the Ashburton Farmers' Union was really carried at a meeting composed of five men and a dog. The secretary of the Union at once rushed into print to say that I was wrong, as there were eight men at tho meeting and no dog. A meeting held on Saturday was, I hear, attended by seven individuals. In other words the average attendance at the afternoon meetings of the Ashburton branch of the Farmers' Union is 7.5. Audiences of 7£ freeholders may be very fair to Mr Leadley, but you really can't expect people to travel sixty miles to address them. We want to put our views not only before the 7.5 holders of large estates, but also before the seven or eight hundred small farmers, farmers' sons aud farm labourers of the Ashburton county. To enable us to do this we will address a public meeting in Ashburton on the evening of a market day wher> there is a good moonlight. Tuesday, March 29, answers both theso requirements, and on Tuesday evening, March 29, Mr Taylor and I will, if all goes well, speak to an Ashburton audience. Need I add that we desire to extend a cordial welcome to our friends from the Farmers' Union. We will see that chairs are provided on the platform for the whole 7-£ of them.— I am, etc., March 1. G- Laurenson.