The Bruce Herald MILTON, MONDAY, JULY 27, 1914.

Bruce Herald, Volume L, Issue 57, 27 July 1914, Page 2

The Bruce Herald MILTON, MONDAY, JULY 27, 1914.

The address of Mi J G Wilson delivered at Wellington, on Tuesday last, at tlie annual Dominion conference of the Farmers' Union, in his capacity of President, was,as is usual with him, a far-sighted and able one, containing a multiplicity of informa tion valuable not only to the membars ot' the Union, but also to the public. For tiie information of our readers we cull it low of the most outstanding features of the address. An eloquent' testimony to the vast potentialities of wealth in this country, is shown by the amazing fact tnat iNew Zealand, with only one million of in Habitants, exported for HlO year ended bOth .June, worth of produce, etc. Even more eloquent i.s the fact that 85 per cent of tins was furnished by the products of the laud, or in other words Jfc&O,4(jo,(XX) of tlie produce over and above that required for our own use, was extracted from the soil, and' ex. ported to tlie various countries all. over the world, to pay our debts and to leave a surplus over our imports, as suowuig huw the agricultural exports have gone up by leaps and bouud.s, it may be mentioned that in JtSuij they only amounted to 2i> per cent of <4io tutal exports of iNew Zealand, While in eleven years these huve moreasiul by £i<},ooU,oJo. vvnilt), however, our exports have increased at ttus amazing rate—a rate w.iion it is probable is unsurpassed in any otuer country, in comparison witu its population—our debts have gone miead at a stupendous speed, and, inclusive of public and local bodies deot, advances by oanks, and mortgages, amouut to the remarkable sum or Mr Wilson pertinently pointed out "tue export figures snow conclusively JSew Zealand ii dependent on the farmers for her progress, and stability. Her life, in fact,, is dependent upon them.'' .Later on in his address he pointed out the increase .on expoits for the year totalled £1,770,270. This extra amount circulating amongst the people, he stated, had given plenty of work for everyone, und tne whole community had benented. Curiously enough, prosperous times did not seem to make for contentment. "Uae would naturally suppose that in times of plenty all would be so content upon raking in the dollars that they,, would not have time lor discontent," said Mr Wilson. "But we are not allowed this privilege, grievances are maufactured, aud a proutablo occupation follows in tlie spreading of them, So that we must just accept the position, much the same as we have to do in case of tlie various parasites which exist 011 the stock we deal w.th in our ordinary avocations. Uafortunatoly, no 'dip' has yet bedu found to eif'ectually deal with the human kind.'' Mr Wilson wisely dwelt at length upon this folly of labor strikes, and of their danger to tht prosperity of the Dominion. He stated that the great strike "caused no doubt to the farming community a loss of quite a million, because of the steady Btyeana of our produoe faeiug

Interrupted aud the congestion in London later iu consequence.'' lu view of this uurliortit itivo pronouncement is it any wonder tuat ail ovei New Zealand and trado is depressed, aud uiouey is tight? For, it' a million of money was lost to farmers atone, tlien it is safe to that the stoppage of business generally in other directions must have caused the loss of at least auottier half million to the trade of the country. It is a ngiievous fact that this loss of a million and a-half of money was causad by the action of a few brainless agitators holding up the wheels of industry for three mouths, without auy rhyme or reason, or justifiable cause or labor grievance. It is fortuuate for New Zealand that it has an organisation of men, like the New Zealand Farmers' Union, which, when the State failed to uphold law and order, or protect the industies of the country, bent its members into the cities and put down mob rule. May its power never grow less!