Kawhia South Notes

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume XXIX, Issue 1553, 3 October 1930, Page 2

Kawhia South Notes

|own Correspondent]-.

This io probably the coldest Spring beginning we have had for many years. Gardens and grass are very backward and fruit-trees are very chary of coming into flower. Those that have been hardy enough to risk it have been received harshly. Cold weather, with showers of hail giving them anything but a kindly reception. Lambs that arrived early are now experiencing wintry conditions. Cur little friend the pipiwhararoa, arrived in numbers on tbe 26th, an odd one being heard a week previous. The cold weather muet make them imagine their compass went wrong’ Stock markets are very quiet except tor cows near profit, and buyers for them must be imbued with great optimism. With butter-fat at its present low-price and the future anything but promising, there seems no warranty for euch i prices. There is no question relative to our present economic conditions. There is an overproduction of butter, yet there seems no serious movement to co-ordinate the various ends of the business, to lower its manufacturing and distributing coats in order to reaoh a larger circle of consumers. Each little factory thinks the final end of 00-operation was reached when their Boards were formed. After that each might fight the other. Why not take a leaf from the nitrogen manufacturers’ book, who with the Truets-in Germany and the Chilian Nitrate Co. have agreed not to sell below a fixed prioe. We have the same peculiar position in New Zealand with timber. While this state of things exists and worse the farmer allows bis wife and children labour to go to subsidise all forms of Labour that sheltered behind the Arbitration Court, until now it takes two bales of wool to pay a debt that one bale would pay for a few years back and 201bs of butter that ten would suffice for previously. Still we go from bad to worse as a people. I wonder what the crowds of economists think of their Arbitration Court now. It has wrecked Australia. There is no doubt there has been an overproduction of economists, geologists, etc. This army, along with our Agricultural Department, valuers, etc., might be set to the more useful though strenuous, perhaps less profitable occupation of growing potatoes. Even I then there would be enough Government hangers-on to build the pyramids. If allowed to go and pursue their several ways they will leave New Zealand a sorry wreck. I see we have had a visit from one ’’Sir Otto Niemeyer, who with an economist or two has been seeing the sights. And as I lay on the wood-heap to have my morning nap while my wife cooked . dinner with two chips and her brains, I had a vision I saw Nehemiah, the cup-bearer to the King of Persia called to remedy the deplorable conditions of Judaea. The people were sore oppressed'like unto our own* and oried to Nehemiah (Niemeyer) Some said : “We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards and houses that wo might buy oom. We have also borrowed money to pa y the King’s tribute and that upon our lands and vineyards. Some of our daughters ars brought into bondage already, neither is in our power to release them as strangers own our lands,” And so Nehemiah the Jewish Governor, was fillsd with sorrow and reduced the taxes and restored to them their lands, their vineyards and their olive yards and one hundredth part of their money Nehemiah s—ll.5 —11. No so with our Sir Otto Niemeysr, When I awoke J. heard he left his kind rsgards and his Bill, whiob those whose interests are already filched must pay.