THE MINISTER FOR LANDS AND THE OTAGO FARMERS. TO THE EDITOR.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8085, 25 September 1894, Page 1

THE MINISTER FOR LANDS AND THE OTAGO FARMERS. TO THE EDITOR.

Sin,— The attention of many of your former readers h.*3 beca taken to a local in the Daily Times of the 23rd August, giving a. short account of tho opinions expressed by the membcta of the Ulutha and Matau Agricultural and Pastoral Association, while Mr Johu M'Kcnzio's Noxious Weeds Bill Wif^ under discussion. Those gentlemen were of opinion that if John\ Bill passed it would make farmers worse than seifb, and drive them off th« land itlto^ gether. One of their number (a Mr Mosley) thought that an army of 100,000 men would not grub out the wevds in the colony. Yet, with characteristic modesty, he did not state that the spirit of tho Minister breathed in the hard drift of tho proposed enactment, but rather charged the incom* potency to diagnose the cti! in a rational manner to the Minister of Lauds not being a farmer but a shepherd. Now, sir, we in North Otago do nofc doubt tor a moment but the Cluthi gentle men spoke coi rectly, and they have been just saying what every farmer has a right to hay in a malter that so vitally affocta hw welfare. But where, wo think, their liberty or charity has come short is in nob throwing out suggestions or hints to the Minister whereby the evil could be mitigated in a possible and less crushing manner than contemplated by the eaid Act. Let mo heie refer to ouo of many ways that might bo adopted, and which posiibly have beneficial results in other respect*. It would appear tho Miutstcr of Lands has *, great taste or itch for trading in laud with the national credit, i.e., the people's money. Supposing lie gave his attention first to acquire suitable areas of land in various parts of the colony, and let to his unfortunate friends to raiso genuine Heeds for tho farmers. Take, for instance, in the flrnfc place, grass seed, a pure sample of which is of tho utmost importance to the farmers, many of whom cannot raise their own seed, and have to be supplied by the seedsman, and iv many case 3 seeds of the dreaded couch grass comes homo in tho sample Couch grass getting into a farmer'u land puts tho set on him sooner than almost any other adverse circumstance. Its roots spread and ramify aud nuke the surface as a. loathor-web. The properties of the couch act in the vegetable kingdom somewhat in the same mauuer as New Liberalism does in the political kingdom. Whore it gets a footing no good tiling gets a chance. Some arrangement of this sort would have tho following advantages — Ist. It would give tho Minister's friends and others sighing to be under the wing ot the Government a chance of being aolfsupporting. '2nd. It would give soma evidence of the Minister being intelligently and practically the itU'inor'a friend. 3rd. It would iteud to .shake the belief that the Minister's incumbenoy is a misfortune to tho colony. As the matter stand* at present between the farmers and the Minister, the wisdom of tho Olutha s-iy he is not a farmer but * shepherd, and tho North Otago farmer doubts if he is a good shepherd from the cl tss of btock being put on tho land. Neur Zealand, therefore, refers the matter to tho Waihemo electorate for an explanation, also of the incre ised burdens under the new land administration. —l am, etc., J. Gajbrow.