AN OPEN LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 14626, 24 July 1911, Page 2

AN OPEN LETTER.

(Addressed to the Minister of Agriculture.) Dear sir,—l am sure that you will bo glad to hear from me again. The last time you hoard me speak you said that you were sorry I stopped, because what I was eaying was so interesting. 1 am sure that was very nice of you, and I hope that you will take the same view of what I am going to say to you now. First, then, the remark at the Hawera dinner about the Dairy Regulations having "changed, the face of Taranaki," being really non-existent; that, like Mrs Harris, there was really "no sich person." But surely you, could never have made this statement in anything like real earnest. If you did I have a. few questions to ask of you. First, what were those 80 men doing in Wellington in squads of 15 or 20 for weeks at a time? Who were they, and what what were they doing? Why was Mr Quinnell, the Chief Stock Inspector, your humble servant, and all and sundry invited to address them about the duties that they were engaged to perform? 1 ask you: What were those men in Wellington for? Did you and your colleagues merely give them a three months' engagement, and bring them to bo "schooled" simply for the benefit of their health? Was that the reason,- err, that these 80 men were fed and pampered for three months at the expense of the State? Methinks, sir, that they wore not brought down here for the benefit of their health, and that no one knows this better than you. The fact of the matter is, sir, that the "Dairy Regulations" were one of those blunders which have been described as " wor?e than a crime.". Bo that as it may, they Joet you all the Taranaki seats, and they lost you, too, Mr M'Nab. Now, if you want to buy them back you have got 'to do something. Fof you mufit remember i that ''talking butters no parsnips." And the tronble with you, sir, is that you do noti'ing else but talk, talk, talk* talk. Now, there is another election coming on, and it is time you bestirred yourself. Where, for instance, is that experiment etntion, run by a competent scientis* ? Where is your scheme for dealing with the by-products of the dairy industry? These are at present running down the factory drains. Where is the railway round the Mountain? Of you and your colleagues can't or won't 'make this much-needed line, why do you not come out with a workable scheme by which it may be made by private enterprise? Or you might spend the £16,000 a year that the dairy inspectors were to cost in advertising New Zealand butter and cheese in the Old Country. This suggestion, or something akin to it, is made in the ' Dominion,' but I suppose you will not see it. The idea, however, is excellent. It would, besides, meet with the approval of every dairy farmer in New Zealand, which number exceeds the enormous total of 25,000. Just think, sir, what a scheme this would be to "dish the Tories" with. It would knock Mr Mae<soy'6 plank of the " town planning" scheme into the proverbial i cocked hat. Why, sir, if you put this idea oa your platform for the coming election the battle would be over almost before it was commenced, and the great Liberal party would be secure in the possession of the Ministerial benches for another 20 years. Or you might buy the patent rights of the great separator firm, and present them to the dairy farmers of the Dominion. Any or all of these suggestions might be carried out. Or you might offer a bounty for the manufacture of the first 5,000 tone of casein, or the first 2,000 tons of milk sugar. Anything but this ceaseless flow of talk, talk, talk, talk. Just fancy, sir, bow yon, would sweep the polls with a few of these proposals. You have a precedent for buying the separator right* in the purchase of the cyanide process, and the value of the mining industry is not a circumstance to that of the dairy industry. Or, finally, you might take up the question of the exchange on England for the dairy export trade. The half per cent, on Z£ millions means a present to the banks of over £I,OOO sterling per month. Just think what sort of a reception your candidates would get if they were able to say : " Gentlemen, we axo going to give you the £I,OOO a month that the banks make out of the exchango on the. English drafts, ..and with this you will be- able to have half a defer Home agents, and half a dozen other' men with workless jobs, all at high salaries? Why, sir, i am beginning to think that it would pay your party to give me a thousand pounds a year just to find bright ideas to tickle the electors, but whatever you do, drop all reference to the dairy inspectors, and stop thi6 eternal talk, 'talk, talk. Get busy, and do something.— ' Farmer and Dairyman.'