LETTERS FROM FAR AND WIDE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1792, 3 July 1913, Page 4

LETTERS FROM FAR AND WIDE.

BUDGET NO, VI.

1. Are the School a in'your neighbourhood training toys and girls satisfactorily for life on the farm? 8. Do the farmers in your neighbourhood get the returns they reasonably should from tie sale of thoir products? 8. tio the farmers in your neighbourhood receive from the .railways and ~ roads .the. service they reasonably should expect? 4. Do the farmers in jout neighbourhood receive from the postal service, ■j rural telephones, etc.; the service they reasonably should expect? 5. Are the farmers in your' neighbourhood obtaining direct benefit from the holding of Agricultural. Shows? , 0. Has the work of the Department' of Agriculture been of direct benefit to the farmers in your, neighbourhood? 7. Are tho farmers and their wives in your neighbourhood satisfactorily organised to protect their mutual buying and selling interests? 8. Are tho renters of farms in your neighbourhood making a satisfactory ' living? ' . 9. Is the supply of farm labour in your neighbourhood satisfactory ? 10. Are the conditions surrounding wage labour on the farms in your'neigh- ' , bourhood satisfactory to the labourer? 13 WHAT IN YOUR JUDGMENT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE THING TO BE DONE FOR THE GENERAL BETTERMENT OF '; COUNTRY LIFE?

Below, appears a further instalment of the letters received in reply to the questions to ; farmers published in the Country Life Issue of The Dominion. EAST COAST RAILWAY. FARMERS CUT OFF FROM MARKETS. Mr. A; .T. Patcliett. of Waterfalls, out from Eketahuna, sends .the following letter:- , v 1. I am not aware that. any' special instruction is given in this portion of the district in regard to : farm life;. .We.have only the small primary schools here.' ; 2. Farmers here suffer many disadvaTitages, through their isolation, being oVsr 30 miles from the .nearest railway sta-' tion, and: therefor© cut off from the best markets and the' freezing u'orks. ' This last: fact alone means an'annual loss of thousands of pounds, especially, in regard to the fat lamb trade. The butter trade , is practically prohibited, two' or three deserted creameries being monuments :of our isolation, nnd the slow mean 9of .transit Under which we' suffer.' 3. We will never, havo a satisfactory. service till we get an East Coast railway; On aceonnt of the scarcity of metal, the roads hnve not been so stTviceablo as they should have.fc|cen. . , ■.'< , 4. We have only had one mail a week here for twenty years, but should at least lie entitled to a tri-weekly mail.-'■ The telephone service, I believe, is satisfactory. 1 , 5. No direct benefit is being obtained from'agricultural shows, or, if so, on a very limited scale. 6. Tho work of the Department of Agri- ' culture has not been of direct benefit to farmers here, or only on a very limited scale/ 7. I am not aware of any organisation for this purpose of buying and selling. . 8. Yes, while the present prices of produce jliolds, renters of farms aro making v satisfactory living. • 9. Good, or first-class labour' is scarce. 1 _ 10. As far as I am aware, the conditions are satisfactory to farm labourers. 11. Tho opening up of the country by railways, and so procure good and cheap metal for the roads.' The coit of living would be teduced considerably through reduction of freights, the ;.-profits of the farm would be much greater, and,'lastly, the comforts and happiness :of settlers would -be -mtich enhanced, through the conveniences of civilisation generally.