THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1906 THE FARMERS' UNION.

Otago Daily Times, Volume 13694, Issue 13694, 10 September 1906, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1906 THE FARMERS' UNION.

The New Zealand Fanners' Union exhibits unabated vigour, and is' evidently not disposed to take its responsibilities other than seriously, for the subjects dealt with at the recentlyconcluded colonial conference were of astonishing variety, ranging from free places in. secondary schools to sheepstealing and from the small birds' 1 nuisance to Mr Tregear. There is good reason why farmers who represent so important an clement in the colony should unite for their own interest and defence. The Fanners' Union can certainly not be accused of undue aggressiveness, but in the seven years or so during which it has been in existence its opinions have commanded merited attention. The address delivered to the recent conference by the president (Mr '.I. G. Wilson) was abla and interesting. It was cheerful in regard to the success of the past year and in regard to future prospects, and though the point of view, of the farmer naturally .obtained special prominence, yet the wider application of t'.ie colony's welfare was not lost sight of in a regard for the interests of a particular organisation. Rural education, for instance, was one of the wide and important subjects touched upon by the president, who expressed' gratification at the substantial advance that had been made in this direction. It is certainly satisfactory to think that at last rural education is to be carried on

ill a way that should give practical results, thou»h it will he impossible to. judge, of these for some time yet. Thn subject k nut one which « young and progressive country would >bo expected to ucL'k'ft. ]iy the same token the soundness of Mr Wilson's arguments concerning the dosirability and tlie, need for a greater activity on thn parj/of the department of Agriculture in tho study of advanced agricultural methods, a multiplication of the experimental farms, and so forth, can hardly be gainsaid. It goes without, saying that the quostion of land tenure appealed to the conference as in the patt as of special importance. There is no question to whicrt the limners' Union attaches greater moment than that of the necessity of securing a satisfactory system of tenures. Nov is' there any lack of definiteness in its programme on this point, and it is consistent in what it asks for. It approved last week, once more, of the vigorous prosecution of the agitation for tho option of the freehold. Hie contention of the Union is that the present leaseholders should linvo tho right of purchasing the land they occupy at the original price together with an amount which would make tliat pries equal to what it would be had tho land' been taken up under occupation with tho right of purchase. While the Union has been lighting steadily for the concession oF tho principle of thn freehold, its policy respecting the terms upon which tho freehold should he granted has not our unreserved support. The argument that, if the Crown tenants were allowed to acquire the freeholds of their land at the original value, the State would, in effect, be making a gift to them of a very large sura of money has not really' been answered by those wno advocate that this should be tho value upon which the transfer of tho fee simple should at any time in the future be based. There is no; injustice in tho proposal that for the privilege of acquiring tho freehold of the land the present valuq should be paid, provided ample valuation is allowed for iuiprovemonls.' It is not surprising,that the Union is greatly disappointed at some features of the land proposals announced by the Government, which were described ns a capitulation' to tho Socialistic element in the colony, the chief crumb of comfort rosting in the acknowledgment of tho importance of security of tenures. The deputation to the Premier received the assurance that its representations on the land question would be very carefully considered, and it was also reminded— apparently by.way'of a hint that its premises were not necessarily soundthat farmers at the conference were speaking in the absence of the detailed information which, would■ ho comprised in tlic Land Bill, though we should have supposed that Mr M'Nab's speech on the Budget debate disclosed the intentions of the Government somewhat fully. The Union has certainly made a timely indication of its laudable intention in the matter of future agitation. In his presidential address Mr Wilson spoke resentfully of "those in towns who are always clamouring for fresh taxation on the land," and asked, "Are we to sit quietly by while tho townspeople demand that this or that duty shall be remitted because of the high price-of the commodity?" No doubt he represented .accurately the views of tho fan/iino; community in protesting against the attitude of those who demand a reduction of duty on articles which tlip farmer producos and an increase on those which lie, in common with others, consumes. Mr Wilson at least showed that there are two 'sides to this as to other questions.