PREMIER TALKS TO PLOUGHMEN

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 3445, 19 March 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

PREMIER TALKS TO PLOUGHMEN

FARM WHERE BRITAIN'S FRIME MINISTER WORKED AS A BO?C

"DO YOU STILL YOUR BURNS ?"'

The Prime Minister of Sngland recently recalled-the days of his youth when he presented prizes at the annual: pjkwsghing, match of the Drainie, Daffus,. and New Spynie Ploughing Association, held'.a* Muirton. 'Farm, a couple: q£ miles from his Lossiemouth home..

The farm lies..' in the parish of Drainie,, and there. Mr Macßonald attended, sahool and. began thet- struggle of life as a farm boy. Now that.he • is. Prima' Minister it is there, .in a field, adjpining the- one used< for the ploughing; match, that he starts or alights by aeroplane on hfe - flightsbetween. London and. Lossiemouth.

Wseariag a mackintosh over his golf clothes, the Prime Minister arrived, at.the ploughing -ground while, heavy, rain iwaa falling. With him .were his daughter,. Miss Joani MacDonald, and M£gpr Ralph M.P., one. of his Parliamentary private secretaries. "iEogether they trudged across the muddy fields and Mr MacDonaJd spent two hours moving,,about chatting : with farmers and farm workers, and re<newing acquaintance with some with whom :h& had gonort© schooli:and with others who were> at school ■at the tir.ae Ms Mad Donald was. a. pupil teacher.. The Prime Minister,merrily cracked, jokes with, these friends, of old.times.. Darkness had set in wheiinthe time came for the presentation; i of the prizes. This took place on a farm wagon in. front of the barns which Mr MacDonald had known as a boy. The prvze list ha&.to be read.out with the aid of a storm lantern.,.

The Prime Minister said:." One of tile, attractions in coming: to. Muirton is, that it. is the farm on which I worked myself.. I hope that for many, generations to> come there wilhbe horses on . Harms and ploughmen behind r horses.. I hope-, that She will take a gipeati interest ia. their work and that associations lice this will encourages you to go. on with it. There.is a great craftsmanship; in the, plough- Don'ft forget .it. > "I. remember thait in thte bams. I here,, when he came in for a 'middle-o'-day* bite, one off the ploughmen, would! take down his.volume; of Burns and, lying oa, the straw, read it to-, us.

" Are you.still reading your Burns? You ought to be ashamed of yourselves if you are not. A man who is abfo to quote Bums from the heart and: in the real spirit of Burnsf is a. man who would not only, be a champion ploughman,, but would win thecup for the third tuna; so that for ever afterwards; it would be his owni property;""