FARMERS' INTERESTS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 114, 10 November 1934, Page 23

FARMERS' INTERESTS

OLD LAND" AN"b NEW

LORD. BLEDISLOE'S ADVICE

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

CHEISTCHVECH, November 9.' • -In his address at' a luncheon given, in his,honour at the Metropolitan Show today, the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, : emphasised, that New Zealand.' farmers,^'should.; .endeavour}. to maintain .' friendly and" close contact with the farmers of the Old Land. His Excellency' ' expressed ;the ;'] confident opinion- that any differences among farmers in the Empire could soon be adjusted. . .-.'' '.'.'.■'.'. '.."' ';:'";

'' What has the future in., store for you?'' his Excellency asked, when speaking of the courage and'resourcefulness shown by New: Zealand farmers in their recent difficulties. "You have the pick of the ~ Empire territories— Nature's richest gift. Your sample df humanity—British and. Native—is unsurpassed elsewhere. .Your destiny, is 'what you choose to make ii,; with the help of industry and an., improved knowledge, with, a; caref.d.',,eyeV, to economy,.and, a.bbye all', vnih : breadth of yisioh^—a quality difficult "always' to exercise in- such . insular. ] countries as New Zealand and Great Brriainl feut there 'are two friendly contacts or links Of knowledge and sympathy which, as your friend and I would urge yoii^ to maintain as ;essentjai . to your lasting welfare." .One is contact with your: urban pbpulatipn and their reasonable ambitions,-and the other ii contact with the farmers of the Old Land.. ' . -". : . '. ■-";

'' Whereas the Ottawa . Agreement tended to emphasise the^ identity of interest between' all Empire farmers, outside economic forces have; threatened to neutralise them. As rthese forces abate (and evidences of abatement are appearing in America and Germany), all pretexts for controversy within the happy circle-! of- the, British • family of nations will, let us hope,' subside. 'Indeed, I' am perfectly certain that even, under present conditions adjustments can be effected without economic injustice or injury to any experienced and enterprising primary: producer in Great Britain.or New Zealand."

His Excellency added'that one reason th at he had declined ■an invitation to prolong his sojourn iri New Zealand was his desire, knowing the agricultural conditions in both .countries, ,to take some small part in the task of reconciling those differences.