FARMERS’ EXCURSION

Grey River Argus, 11 April 1928, Page 3

FARMERS’ EXCURSION

CANTERBURY TO SOUTHLAND. The 730 Canterbury farmers who visited Southland recently were well pleased with the excursion. On the Saturday they returned home, those from Ashburton and northwards, numbering 500 odd, travelled by the farmers’ special, arriving in Christchurch at 6 p.m. The train 'was a light one as it ran into the City about half of the party leaving at the various stopping places en route. The 200 odd visitors representing the districts from Orari south to Glennvy were conveyed home by the ordinary express. “It was a great week.” This was the verdict of all who were asked ‘‘how they liked it.” The hospitality was ; unbounded, and the varied and highclass character of the country passed through presented a never-failing subject of interest. The transporting of 1000 people (which included over 200 motor-car drivers) and their provisioning required a fair amount of organisation, but the loeal committee representing the Farmers’ Union, and the various A. and P. Association of the province, rose to the occasion, and there was no hold-up or accident during the whole of the two days’ motor trip. The increase of the original estimate of visitors by nearly 50 perl cent, rather perturbed the Committee but the Invercargill office of the Farmers’ Union was acquainted with the position by 5 o’clock in the afternoon, and the telephone was worked overtime to arrange car and billeting pro- 1 vision for the influx. To such good purpose was th? position dealt with| that, at 8 o’clock next morning cars were in attendance from cuch far-away I points as Balchitha and Tapanui—7o miles from Invercargill—to assist ini tb.e transport problem. A unique spec-! taele was presented by the five mile length of ears wemling their way at uniform intervals over the highways. At the tail of the procession came a repair car. manned by mechanics, and when any of the machines developed sickness or burst a tyre it was only a matter of a few minutes before experts were dealing with it. Southland may be the Cinderella of the provinces as far as area, population, and accessibility are concerned, but it cannot learn much from the others in how to ‘‘get things done” in enterprises such as that of last week. The average fare worked out at about 55s (including the Stewart Island boat, charge of 5/-) so that the gross revenue to the Depart-1 m?nt shoißd have reached quite £lBOO.

It is a certainty, moreover, that but for trips such as these few Canterbury farmers would ever have the opportunity of visiting the real Southland. The party was too large and unwieldy to allow a close inspection of points of interest and farming methods as the parking of 200 cars requires some space, but a wonderful panorama of farm lands was unfolded in the 400 miles covered. All classes of farming were embraced in the tour, and as a result of it Southland’s stock stands much higher than it did. Even with an expected complement of 500 visitors, nothing apparently was done at Omaru to deal with the rush, and many passengers had to wait until they reached Palmerston or Dunedin before obtaining even a cup of tea. The mistake was remedied on the return journey. Nearly 100 of the party going down detrained al Gore, the annual races at Invercargill taxing accommodation, but all the visitors were comfortably housed, a number of private residents offering the hospitality of their homes.