NO BANQUETING.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIII, Issue 3073, 31 October 1929, Page 5

NO BANQUETING.

WHEN MINISTERS VISIT DISTRICTS.

A FARMERS’ UNION DISCUSSION.

The opinion was expressed at last Saturday’s meeting of the Te Awamutu branch of the Farmers’ Union that when • any Ministers of the Crown visit To Awamutu it was no occasion for promoting and holding a complimentary banquet in their honour (states the Waipa Post). The secretary, Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce, wrote re (the proposed visit to the district of the Minister of Justice and Defence, and conveyed a suggestion by Mr W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., that the Minister be shown the country between Te Awamutu and Arapuni, with a view to his being) asked to confer with the Minister of Lands and the Minister in Charge of Native Affairs in pressing the district’s claims for a closer settlement scheme under the Government’s proposed land settlement policy. The Union was asked /to cooperate with the Chamber in entertaining the Minister at a social function. Mr G. O. Jourdain, secretary of Te Awamutu Chamber of , Commerce, attended to explain hi more detail the idea of his Chamber. Mr West expressed surprise that the Waipa County Council had not actively championed the closer settlement project. The county would benefit greatly by closer settlement, and they should drop politics and act in the interests of the ratepayers. Mr Millen said more ratepayers in the county and improved farm lands would make the taxation and rating burden easier for all. The chairman said the subject was very important to the whole district. The Union should co-operate with the Chamber in doing everything possible to show the Minister round the district, but he did not see the force of banqueting any Minister. A Minister’s duty was to foster increased production, and by assising closer settlement he would be doing it in the best possible way. The secretary concurred, and held that a conference of representatives of those closely identified with closer settlement should be held. That would bo more useful than a banquet where flowery speeches were made. The Minister should see the lands himself, and surely he would then realise his duty. Mr Hodgson said a banquet or other such function would have a political significance, and that should not be necessary. If it was necessary it was high time that the political party in power should be turned out of office. Mr Clarke thought tha/t whatever party was in power results were obtained by entertaining a Minister on visiting a district. Human nature was an important consideration. After some further discussion Mr Hanna moved that the Union cooperate with the Chamber in arranging a visit to the Te Awamutu district by the Minister (the Hon. T. M. Wilford), and inspection of lands suitable for closer settlement. The Union favoured convening a conference of all local bodies during) the Minister’s visit to the district to confer with him on matters of importance.—Mr West seconded. Mr Millen thought it advisable to 00-operate fully with the Chamber, inclhding the tendering of a banquet, or v other form of entertainment. The motion was carried, .