WATCHING THE FARMING INTERESTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13886, 25 April 1907, Page 8

WATCHING THE FARMING INTERESTS.

Recall how. throughout tho BallanceM'Kenzie, Scddon, and Ward Governments, tho paternal hand ami (he paternal pocket of tho State have been extended to the farmers. May I illustrate this. In the daiiy division to-day, all the growth of the last 16 years, we have a dairy commissioner in Loudon to watch and secure markets, half a. dozen dairy instructors for farmers and othfcr producers, an instructress wlm goes round tenthiny scientific dairy methods free to farmers' wives and daughters, ami 16 dairy produce, graders and' clerks, all paid by the State, all devoting their energies to assist the dairy produce, and with such good success that our dairy farmcis hold to-day a foremost place in the markets of the world. Need I recall what- an expense tho Sta-fe lias thus gone to to achicvc this': On cold storage alone for farmers' dairy produce tho Government- spent, from 1895 lo August. 1905, no loss a slim than £86,000. You may know, but- few people not engaged in the industry have any conception of the countless eerviccs 10-day being performed al the Slate's expense for our fanners. To 10,000 people in our rural districts I here is regularly mailed from Wellington by a staff of clerks all the bcok, periodicals, and leaflets issued by tho Agricultural Department, containing information and scientific instruction on all branches of rural produce. I wanted lo get, there for the last, few years from Mr Ritchie, and ho told mo it would require a nude to carry them, and I lion asked if' 1 would take them with me;—and it's all Socialism, and Mr Masscy objects to Socialism; but it's farmers' Socialism, not city Socialism. It is orthodox, not. heterodox. Socialism. "What is the dilference between heterodoxy and orthodoxy?" a celebrated bishop was a'iked. "Why, orthodoxy," ho said, "is my doxy; helcrcdoxy ia tho other man's doxy." 1 leave you to see the point, if there is one. It has lieen on the same mischievous principle, for the same class, that we have procured and subsidised shipping lines, and during the four years ending March, ISO 7, the Government spent no less a sum than £101,800 subsidising shipping lines and promoting markets for our produce ill South Africa, Canada, the liar East, and Australia—over £25.000 a year, and mainly for whose benefit? Tn the same spirit wo have established as a further branch of the Agricultural Department a veterinary department, to detcct, treat, and prevent. I lie spread of contagious and oilier diseases amongst farmers' stock, and not only do we detect for him disease in his s.ock, but we pay him a. sha-ra of his loss where, owing |o such disease, stock have lo bo destroyed. To-day in this colony we pay (mainly for the benefit of the. farmers of all kinds) the salaries of a- chief veterinarian and pathologist, an assistant chief veterinarian, and 22 ordinary qualified veterinarians, 14- meat inspectors, 24 assistant meat inspectors, 1 labora-. Tory assistant, 1 laboratory attendant, 4- clerks, and 1 caretaker, and tho whole of this is due lo legislation passed under tho (iovernmeiit of whioli the present Ministry is a continuation, and yet tin's is Socialism — tile work of the seven or eight devils, as the ease may lie, above referred to. I pass by tho enormous sums we have spent under the Rabbit Nuisance Act,. Noxious Weeds Act, and Stock Acts; but do vou know that the Stale is now paying for 56 inspectors ol slock who are also inspectors of dairies and noxious weeds and rabbit- pest. In -v.Miiion to these there arc ten others explcck, who aro also inspectors of dairies 17 as inspectors of noxious weeds,- 39 rabbit aecnts, 6 overseers of experimental farms, 13 nurserymen, 33 clerks, and other officers not to mention rahbiters, farm hands, and other labourers. The sheep tax, which was imposed to defray the expenses of sheep inspection and the eradication of scab, produce?. only £20,000 a. year. It bears so lightly that a man .with. 10,000 sheep pays only £10 a year, a sum equal to the wool, off 30 sheep at present prices, while the Department of Agriculture cost us for the year ending March. 1905, over £124,C00, and is steadilv costing more as operations extend. Pause and ask where your respective fanning industries would be- without these,and other services, and recall what still soeialistically the .State .is doing for the farmers. ... SOCIALISM GROWING. This farmers' Socialism is still growing. In 16 years it, has ei'own and flourished like the wicked and the green hay trco. It is still growing. We afc about to establish experimental dairying schools, where tuition will lie given free, and an ofliceris now on his way lo Canada to obtain information concerning the conduct of schools in that - country. These will be maintained at Stale expense, for the benefit, of dairyfarmers. The Government has established." still in conncction with the Agricultural Department, a biological division, which deals with biological and horticultural matters. The staff consists of, among others, a canning expert (who is a. skilled lecturer), bee experts, entomologists, pomologists, orchard inspectors, inspectors of imported fruits, and clerks. Time, will not per.mit to tell yon all the Government is doing for the fruit industry at Wacranga, Ruakuna, Moinahaki, Wcraroa, ami elsewhere. Government inspectors now visit, the various parts of the colony, giving instruction and demonstrations to fruit farmers, and in every way assisting them to the liest results -and to 'keep down and eradiacte disease in fruit and fruit trees. In keeping with this Socialistic policy, beo experts have recently been appointed to instruct bee-keepers and lo assist them to overcome difficulties and make the beo industry profitable and successful: and to the same end a State apiary was established a little over a year ago at Kuakina, which has , been greallv beneficial as an object lesson to bee-farmers.

GOVERNMENT POULTRY FARMS. Nor have poultry fanners been forgotten. The government has established stations at Ruakura. Momahaki, Burnham, ami Milton. which arc now so well equipped as to meet tho demand of poultry farmers for poultry and eggs of t-l.iu best kind for breeding purposes, and. !o further assist, the industry the Government lias established depots at Auckland, Wellington, Ohristchutch, and Duncdiu.' where poultry is received, graded, killed, pluckcd, prepared, packed, and frozen at uniform charges of hire cost. What lias" been the effect, for instance, of lliis Socialism for the poultry farmer? A few years ago I here was not one poultry-raisins establishment in this colony conducted o:i anything like a largo scale. Now there are many, all up to date, and all conducted on profitable and commercial lines. The Government has recently received a letter from a large poultry farmer in the north sunnuiteein? to ship not loss than 17.000 head of poultry lo tho London markets next season, provided we make provision at the Auckland depot lo handle the nnmhc''. Then, again, instruction is freely given by Stale-paid ■ poultry experts by fretpienl demonstrations of noultry plucking, etc.. at various sKows, the table qualities of various breeds, and.tho requirements of export and local markets.

FLAX-GROWERS AND MILLERS. If any of you arc flax-growers and millers \ou know what the Government has done since 1901 hy grading and Government instruction at. T.he mills as to tho proper method of preparing fibre. Nor have State aids been confined to any class of farmers. All classes have benefited. For example, v/e hear now and then of railway conees-

sions. bill is it ;it. all generally' known that ilio farming and pastoral eomniunity has fUrocily benefited by special railway concessions lo an amount of nearly £500,0C0' since 1895 by reductions in rales for frozen meal. live. stock, butter, cheese, and other products. I have no time to oven mention the ninny oilier directions in wnich the Stala. has sought.. at the expense of (ho colony, lo help wiili land, money, communication, free siora-gc, and free inst-nic-tion fho farmers of New Zealand. No 0110 can deny that it was Socialism, hut the farmers have always shown a groat, relish for what, if called by ils nrope'v name, Mr Massoy says .-hoy now condemn. The fact is that for 1 ho. last. ]fi years, over, since Messrs IMlniw nnd M'lCenzic took office, (armor--' Socialism has brcn so constant and increasing thai its I rue and essential nature is not aporoc'aled. for so long as il is farmers' Socialism, and not city Socialism, il seems as orthodox a policy as onc-man-one-voto.

COUNTY v. CITY SOCIALISM. But lot us transplant some of this country Socialism to tho cities. a|d you will sec how different, how revolutionary, and absurd it is in ils now soil. Suppose wo pass a eity J/inds for Settlement Act under tlio title of " Tho Shops for Tradesmen Ant.'' ruder the former act a man says to the Government : " I am .1 farmer,"hut I have no la:-d and no capital to buy kind, not enough even to litiv stock," and il,-"! Government generously lake? land from somebody else nml says, "Here, my good man, is land for you. It has cost us £1200. Take a lecse of it for 959 years and Inrm it. You haven't enough money to work it, but as you improve it we will lend you money on your improvements:. we'll teaeli you how to farm, provide cool storage for you, etc.. help von rn market, give you concessions on the railway, and srenerallv a'Msf. you by all Ihe mentis in our power."' That is under the land for Settlement' and similar acis. ''Now, wo lran.-,plant this to the city, and under i'bc Shops for Tratles-

men Act. a tradesman comes along and says to (lie Government, "I a-m a good tailor, or bootmaker, but I have no shop or small factory, and I have no money to buy one, scarcely money to buy plant and stock. You have helped' the farmer. I want you to help me.'' Then the State, at (ho expense of the whole colony, takes him by tlie hand generously, buys a .'.hop or small factory at an outlay of £1200. gives him a lease of it for 999 years, and starts him as a tailor or bootmaker to make clothes or hoots, and shortly lends him money at a minimum rate of interest to carry on his business. Not only that but the State seeks markets for him, pays a. small army of instructors to teach tiie host cut.'! and the best. fits, (he host methods and _ the latest fashions; gives him railway carriiuje and a cheap or frco store for his manufactured goods; furnishes him with expert informalioii, and. as it. were, enter:! into partnership with him its a'working hut gratuitous partner, of course. Tlijs is an absurd case, but extreme cases often point a. moral."

TIIE LAND BILL SOCIALISM. Proceeding to consider the Socialism they were told lay in the Land Bill, Dr Eindlay said if he were asked to say what were the main, the paramount purposes of tlio Land Bill lie would reply that the most important elf if all was; the limitation of estates, both present and future, and next in importance tho reservation of our unalienated Crown lands as an endowment for old-ago pensioners, oharitablc aid, and education. These were the two great features of tho hill. If they agreed that endowments should be established for the purposes mentioned, then clearly they could not sell the Lands comprising these endowments. \ They cculd not have their cake and eat it, too. Tt must be carefully lxmie in mind that if the time bad arrived for the creation of such endowments, the riuesticn of freehold or leasehold as regarded the Crown lands could not arise. Hence their opponents nnu'jt not only uny tliev should go on selling Crown lands, hut also that the endowments were not desirable or meded Tims it was dear lliat the first, and most important question was: Should st.th endowments be created? To decide this let them first remember that it was the duty of every just Government to run the country and its assets not. in the interests of any class, however large or powerful, hut in the interests of tlio people as a whole. Secondly, it was its duty to ligiv lale not; for to-day alone, but for 'the future, for th-at policy was best which was best .in the long run.

THE INTERESTS OF THE FUTURE: Tin- interests of tho yea-vs to conic, tlie needs of rising of coming generations, must be rot against ,any selfish or pre.=sii:i: interests of (he hour. Now, what did llic future promise us? It told us th.it \vc should bccomc a populous people: (hat if we advanced as we hoped to do the child born today might son in these islands lwforc ho died a population, of three or four limes our present numbers. This meant that the population growing thus would increasingly press upon the (sources of subsistence; that, accompanying our advance in settlement and numbers must go more roads, more railways, and increased public services generally. The story of every progressive older country must icpcat itself here. Improved land values must rise, and the landed people of this colony would, apart from any efforts of their own, become richer as the vcavs passed and population arrow, while the landless, if wo took the lessons of older lands, would, unless they increased their efforts, grow poorer, 'lhc process was too plain for any candid mind to deny. In years to come our aged poor, largely these who had passed their lives as workers in our cities, would increase in number v.-iLli our population. This must bo so even if the present proportion of old pensioners remained lb? same. An increase would arise in claims for charitable aid. for hospital treatment, for education. Tho Land Hill contained Ihe socialism which would think of this and make some provision for these future needs. Wo could not all bo farmers. Tho number of rural freeholders holding five acres or more was under 50.000. • Tho number of Crown tenants of all kinds was. 16,500, while tho number of voters on lhc rolls _at last eler-tic=.i was 476,473. Ho mentioned these figures merely to jive a faint- idea of the- relative interests of freehold farmers, Crown tenants, and tho rest of our adult population.

THE ILLUSTRIOUS PAST. Dr Findlay quoted the opinions of sonm of the colony's leading slntrs:iicn in the past. Mr Rolleslon in 1882, Mr John l!allanee in IE9O, Sir John M'Kcnsic and Mr Seddon, that it was in the liest interests o? tho colony that no more Crown lands should lio sold. The late Mr .Seddon had had "h;s back' to the door" on Ibis point, and these men and every map. who, as a, statesmen, had adorned our Parliament, had said I,he sale must stop. This marked the way in which the tide was flowing. His Government- hoped to try and do what Mr Ballancc's Government tried lia.nl to do and failed. They would try to reserve for tho purpose of the people's estate the remnant- of lhc lan'.! that was left unsold for closer settlement. This was tlto main underlying principle of their Land Bill. ' HAWKE'S BAY. 'l'noso who bad not. been in Hawke's Bay knew really nothing of the evils of largo ■hvldintjs.' He would give them a few figures which would set- any responsible man thinking. The return wss dated 1903, tho last reliable return lie couid get, though lie was having one compiled uy lo date. The list of proprietors who owned more than 10.009 aeres was nearly 200. They owned live million acres—that was to say, about 7800 square miles of good country in Hawke's Bay. Sixty persons held' 1,200,250 acres—an average of 20,503 acres each—all, or nearly all, o;ien to railway and well loaded. This land properly sub-divided would settle 4200 settlers. The enemy of lhc small settler to-day was the man win held liis 50,000 and 100,OCO arrcs wiih an iron hand for flic purpose of sheep runs, who, if they had any philanthropy and patriotism, would have opened up their land, wbic]i would scon be covered with smiling, prosperous homes. In Taranaki the population averaged 13 persons per square mile, whereas in Hawke's Bay, with much bct'.or land, the average was only nine persons. Tho Government should push on willi the work- of breaking up lb we large estates, so that sheep would give Way lo men, women, and children.— (Applause.)

THE STATE AS BUYER, lie asserted that, many of the his blocks of freehold held privately had been obstacles to progress, and ho illustrated this by pointing to l.lic fact. that, when the Stale acquired land it had io pav six'timos as much as. Iho seller had paid for it. Of £5,000,000 .spent in the purchase of private estates, fully £5,000,000 was for unearned increment: They had to pay (lie landowners £3,000,000 for what, thev had never earned. The State had parted with 16 million acres of land. How much had they lost, of that, if £3,000,000 vvetc lost on a million acres? Besides that 16 millions, nearly another two million acres had passed away for ever practically in 999 years' leases. Hoiv much was left for set Moment? They had parted with more than half the lands in the colony, o'' jw'wd on the test of productivilv. probably throe-quarters or even five-sixths of it. The population of the colony to-day was under a. million, and, as they v/orc proudly looking forward lo the | day when New Zealand would have her four or five millions of people, it behoved tlicm to see that, some lands were reserved for future settlement. THE FREEHOLD, lie ventured to -say, passing from the Land Bill itself, that, there would be for iho small settlers of this colony more freehold during the next year or two than there had been during tho last 20 yen re. Firstly, if _ they had their way, there would ho an effective and prompt subdivision of the great, .estates in such a manner that it would not take the form of re-aggregation. This would open up laud for settlement, in many parts of the colony. The whole of the unsold Crown ' lands of the North Island was mainly poor and of second class. Did I hey know that within the next two or three years there would be two million and

r.-half of ;rood Native laud rendered available for Kurcrean settlement? He luid been told by his Honor'the Chief Justice that already 120,000 acres had b eon mode available for European settlement. While bo said that the large landowners of Hawkc's Ray and elsewhere hail driven (ho small settlers back. Ill" way in which tiio Native lands were hold for the last 50 years, particularly during the last ?.0 years, had bad the effect of driving settlers back too. Why -should this land have Keen held in idle hands? Why should the Maori be allowed bis leisure, and waste the productiveness of rich areas, whilst the while man had got to take himself and family into the remote areas of their bush land? They must do justice lo the Native, of course, and llicy could relv on this being moted oui to them by Sir Robert Stout.—(Applati.se.)

On the motion of Mr 11. O'Neill, seconded by Mr W. Robertson, a vote of thanks was passed to .the Minister for hn address, and the resolution further espres™'.! confidence in the present Administration..