COUNTRY NEWS AND NOTES.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13160, 6 July 1908, Page 8

COUNTRY NEWS AND NOTES.

JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS. I

The weather has been very coU (writes a Hawke's liay correspondent ot tho "New Zealand Tunes"), and w. it after the splendid open winter wiaw iher we have had. i'ue ranges are * now wearing their winter mantle, »_£ " this brings with it- cold, bracing 'daw.- : The fall in the wool market is be_» keenly felt here. In some ca_e_ the« -r has been quite a fall of 50 per cent. <& : " the x values of lust _ea_on. Clips thai" '" brought Is Id not, last year have only grossed this year about bid in Other stronger wools that brought lift. to lOd last year are only worth oid tha* year, and so on. This natuiaUVfcs.' sens the spending power of the poopfe and the disagreeable part comes where, say, Bd, 9d, and lOd has base' ' drawn against tho clip, and it onb realises about 6d, and the banks call" ° up tho deficiency. If this is not fortJ... " coming they squeeze the merchant, and- * the merchant his clients. The wool»< * grower cannot produce more, co he _ •- called upon to lessen his expenditure"" and cease his improvements and reduce *■ his cost of living. Stock also shoir"_'■ * fall in sympathy with the fleece, as _) *' sheep skins, but the price of living I the cost of government and the tasif ; still go on. ~" The Wairarapa correspondent of %' t Wellington "Post* telegraphs that $$ >• demand for finer wools at Home is «n- X ?* denced by the exoellent prices recoil J by Mr J. O. Bidwill, South Wairarapif _ at tho May sales in London. Pri«t' ~ for most sorts were phenomenally Jsr' * at these sales, but Mr Bidwill socuiwL 'i. for his Romney clip 9Jd 9d. and (_j>,' £ pieces bringing sd. Tlie weight of «_£' ?- from the flock of 7000 averages 10jH_. |* per sheep. \ At a meeting or the Auckland An iand P. Association on Friday (tefe-J if graphs our correspondent) sereMT} ? speakers made a vigorous protqfc.' »• against the Arbitration Act "%i ? applied to the farming community >• Mr Robert Hall, in the course of_«q \- remarks. said it would be quito ~q«|£ i; ficiojit if a farmer could he takeij.'tt? i task for not providing fair ana | able accommodation and food, but ~'@K} define cubic feet of space, partipalafHu varieties of food, etc., for a bush farm was tho height of absurditfeM He noticed toothpicks wore omittim. 3 and finger-bowls had been forgotteff * That, must have been an oversigH?;' * (Laughter.) Farmers ought to..££i = grateful that there were no restriction; about their sons, being permitted:fl work on the farm, and that neighbors, were not debarred from assisting caif other at harvest time. Good workna* wero not in sympathy with tho moTs£ - ment; they were quite - present. If some of tho agitators _». to work as some of the men who I*4 -- tho foundations of this conntry, would hold different views. Anypj*, would think to re'adStlio recomraeiKff! tions of the Ca'ntferbnry ■ Conciliafiof> '- Board in tho farm labourers' dispats* , that all farms were covered hv a TOSjK ir. Major Lusk, referring to the K&fs f. Country, remarked that it would M', ; impossible on a new bush sectionvfg provide "tho accommodation and'Uf.' food and delicacies required." r '3fc ■?