FARMERS' TOUR.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20083, 12 November 1930, Page 17

FARMERS' TOUR.

NEXT YEAR'S EMPIRE VISIT. AN ATTRACTIVE PROGRAMME. A. Canham, secretary of the British National "Union, a farmers' organisation, "who accompanied the Empire party of farmers to New Zealand early in the year, has written to a friend in Christchurch giving some interesting information regarding the plans that are now under way for another comprehensive tour of Great Britain by farmers from the Dominions next summer. "I should like to mention," he says, "that we are pushing on our plans for next year's tour of this country by delegations of farmers from each of the five Dominions. Colonel Pow has this matter in hand and i~ endeavouring to obtain for us from 20 to 25 New Zealand farmers. We havo drawn up a provisional programme commencing on June Ist and finishing on July 31st. The first week will be spent in London when our people will be introduced to some of the biggest people in London and incidentally will attend Epsom Races on the day the Derby is run. All the principal markets will be visited and a reception by the Lord Mayor of London will take place on one of those days. We shall run the party right up to Scotland immediately afterwards and show them some of the beautiful Highland scenery and bring them back to Edinburgh in time for the Highland Show. Thereafter they will travel southwards and at Bradford will be invited to attend a conference with wool manufacturers and others, and then go on to Warwick where the Royal Show is to be held this year. One party will afterwards travel through the Midlands to the South Western Counties, whilst the other party will travel via Oxford and then go through East Anglia and Lincolnshire, where some of the finest agriculture in Great Britain is to be found. A warm welcome will be extended the party at every stage, and travelling under our auspices they will be introduced to places and people which money itself could not buy. We want this visit to be a veritable demonstration of Empire unity and your farmers will never have a better opportunity of seeing England and Scotland at their best. Those who want to extend their visit and go to the Continent will be able to do so under the arrangements we are making in this regard, but the Continental visit will be quite separate from our own tour. We are leaving the steamship arrangements to the farmers themselves. We think this will be un advantage as members can then come whichever way they like and by any class providing they arrive not later than June Ist. They can also return when and how they please.

"A regards our recent visit to New Zealand I am sure you will be pleased to know that not a single unkind word about your country or its people has appeared and where criticism has been made it was of the most trifling character. Everybody was apparently impressed by the remarkably efficient character of your farming conditions, and I have constantly heard it said by members of our party that if they were only a little younger New Zealand would be the country they would go to. There is no doubt that as soon as the |>resent cloud of depression is lifted a great future awaits your people."