GENERAL NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 79, 27 December 1907, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

It is reported that a machine for the mechanical separation of wool from dags has boon installed on WaimataStation, Poverty Hay, by Mr. Howard Kenway. The tlags aro dried in tho sun, and then crushed and blown in tho machine. A considerable saving is effected, and it is possible that before long, writes our Wairarapa correspondont, tho-machine will bo in use on all tho fairly large sheep stations. The woather in the Wairarapa on Christmas Evo was very showery, with a moist, heavy heat. Tho recent rains have come too lato to bq of any use to cereal crops, but the downpours aro doing incalculable good to the potato crops. 'iomo Wairarapa farmers appear to have had much tho worst of tho bargain in connection with tho opening-up of some new Government settlements (writes our correspondent). TlrSir boundaries adjoining Crown Lands wero fenced at their own expense Later tho Crown Lands wore sold, hut the settlers havo no claim under the Fencing Act, either upon the Government or upon tho new purchaser! It seems a hardship that an allowance is not mado in this direction, so that the first settler, the man who by his industry is first carving out his destiny, may receive some compensation when the timo comes, for his expense. To the lay mind it appears as if an amendment of the Act was badly needed. Mr. A. J. Faulkner, of Wairakaia, Poverty Day, has achieved a local record for lambs. Four hundred Border-Leicester Komneys sent to Nelson Brothers' works went from 371bs, to 541bs. in weight, and

the price on the average came to 14s. Bd. each. Mr. Ji'aulkncr has sold a large number of ewes for the Auckland market at satisfactory prices. ■..••• ■_■,-. This is how a Bush District's dairy farmer explained the business to our Wairarapa correspondent :—-"If a man is a Britishor, ho ; likes the freehold, even, if it is so small in area that ho can only jump over it. If: a man comes from Franco or Germany, with £1000 in cash, he is not likely to put that into leasehold. 'When settlers put down money for bush-felling and fencing to open up tho lands and make them reproductive, they should have an option. They talk about the farmers breaking the land laws, but it is the Government itself which breaks these laws. Nearly all land laws are optional as regards purchase, but in Now Zealand'the Government forces sales without any : option whatever." • ■ • ' I ' ...... ; ■■■■.•: