THE PREMIER AND THE FARMERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1507, 1 August 1912, Page 8

THE PREMIER AND THE FARMERS.

e . LAND POLICY AND AGRICULTURESPECIAL ATTENTION PROMISED. The Prime Minister (tho lion. \V. F. 1. Massey) paid a flying visit to tho Dominion Conferenco of the New Zealand I'armors' l.nion yesterday morning, the , t Hon. T. Mackenzie and Messrs. Guthrie land Hanan, M.l'.'s., also being present. The business of the moment, tile rjues■s tion of reaffirming the union's platform on tho land question, was postponed, and e the chairman, Mr, 0. AY, Deadley, exci tended a hearty welcome to the Prime Minister, amidst loud applause. Mr. Massey, in thanking the chairman for tho welcome, remarked that lie felt t. sure the kind remarks' he liad received f would bo appreciated by his colleagues in Parliament and his friends outside. He ■' l v r *i s . l' r<!S( !nt as Prime Minister, and as '• Minister for Agriculture, but he was alio a farmer—(hear, .hear)—and a member of i the rarmers' Union. One of the first t organisers of the union in New Zealand 0 (J' r - Glass) had stated that he , (Mr. D . Massoy) was first officially enrolled - iiieinhsr of the Farmers' L'nion in New , t Zealand. (Applause.) He could add that ; no had not lost any of his interest in • agricultural matters. lie did not propose J to give away the policy of the Government, and he knew they did not expect him to, but their policy would be laid beloro Parliament next Tuesday, he hoped. Tho Financial Statement was now in the hands of the printer. When it came along they would see that special J attention was to be given to land settlement and matters connected with the agricultural industry. (Hear, hear.) lie thought that when they saw what the Government proposed to do in regard to land settlement, security of tenure, and tho encouragement of pioneer settlement, and what they proposed to do in the way ot promoting the prosperity of the agricultural industry, that the Farmers' Union and every farmer would be perfect- , jy satisfied with the Government's intentions. 110 hoped the conference would be 1 very successful indeed, and that what might be called the "Farmers\ ' Parliament," and the Parliament of New Zca--1 land, each in its own way, would bo ablo to promote the prosperity of tho country to which we all belonged. . (An- ' plause.) ' Tho chairman remarked thnt the conferenco would 110 doubt take the opportunity of calling on tho Prime .Minister before the members left Wellington, and bringing certain matters and suggestions before him. The Liiie Prime Minister. 1 The Hon. T. Mackenzie remarked that the people of New.Zealand were gradually beginning to realise tlmt it was to the 1 agricultural and pastoral industry that , dominion was indebted for its success. .If m the future he could be of any assistance they had his assurance that every i assistance would be forthcoming. After i referring to the Agricultural Department, i of which he was until reeentlv the head, Mr. Mackenzie ijaid ho felt lliat he was leaving the Department in a little better • condition than it was in when ho found it. lie was Massey far the most suitable"man in the new Cabinet' to take over tho portfolio of Agriculture. (Hear, hear.) When he (Mr. Mackenzie) took charge of the Department, it was not a popular Department, but it now Steod well in. tho opinion of the public. . (Hear, hear.) Tribute to Mr. Wilson. Before leaving tho conference, Mr. / Massey expressed regret at the absence'' of Mr. J. G. Wilson through illness. Ho had worked with Mr. Wilson in tho House and outside of it, and no man had had the interests of the farmers of New Zealand more at heart than Mr. Wilson, and ' no man had worked harder for the farmer than'thnt gentleman. He hoped that Mr. Wilson would bo in his a'ccustomcd place ' before the conference closed. (Applause.)'