SOUTHLAND ITEMS CROPS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 26, 31 January 1908, Page 2

SOUTHLAND ITEMS CROPS.

INVERCARGILL, This Day. • Despite the prevailing absence of moisture throughout Southland, teports com© to hand Qt" some very fine crops. Fine displays of oats, barley, turnips and potatoes are to be seen in different places. Light rain fell here yesterday afternoon, and the sky promises more. There has been great heat lately and a good deal of. gusty, wind but theee things notwithstanding, t'ho prospects of the district are far from gloomy. POLITICAL VIEWS. - At a meeting at which it was decided to form .a branch of the Political Labour League in Southland, tho chairman (Mr. W. N. Ell), complained of the apathy of electors throughout the Dominion. He thought it was due to the prosperous itate of tho country, and ' the palliative legislation' of recent years. The trades union movement ecemed to have taken a lot of "fight' 1 out of the workers who apparently erroneously concluded that trades unionism was socially and economically the acinc of attainment. Personally, he was cf opinion that the formation of a progressive association distinct from party, politics with the object of, educating llu electors by distributing literature, and oy giving and encouraging debates tvpuld at present be the most advanageous course to pursue. He thought that the time was not yet ripa for the formation of a party organisation. William Morris, another speaker, in advocating direct laDOUr representation, said that ho had no confidence in the present Premier and asserted that generally speaking acceptance of a title meant forfeiture of tlemoiT;itic ideas. He advocated a shoit eiicclive platform and ; strongly urged tho necessity of bringing ; it under the notice of the electors on every possible occasion. Of necessity the majority of commeicial pien opposed progressive legislation. Mr. M. J. i'ord, a, young man of considerable attainments whoss voice has weight with workers locally, made soi.ie protty definite statements in supporting tho motion for tho formation of a b-anch of the league. Since the death of Mr. Seddon, lie said, dissatisf-ction with tho Liberal Labour alliance had been on the increase. The present administration had lost the confidence 1 , of tho workers and a continuation of the .present state, of affairs wn6 impossible. After giving the question much study he had arrived at that conclusion. The speaker asserted that the movement was general throughout the Dominion and he prophesied that after the noXt election there would be an Independent Labour I ' Paity in Parliamout-.