ORGANISING THE FARMER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 80

ORGANISING THE FARMER.

TO GIVE A CHANCE TO MIKE MALONEY. " What dhance does Midhael Moloney, on his JitUe ten-acre farm, have with has pats of home-made butter, with a new and original flavour every week, when he faces organised nations "like Denmark?" asks the Irish Homestead in a remarkable article on the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society. "Will the fact that he is buying out hi land help him much in bringing up his family under the-e conditions'' Unless he is a member of a huge organisation which will "buy for him, sell for him. manufacture- foi'him, and which can fipht on equal terms wstih his rivals, lie i.° bound to ;cro under. He will leave his land to his creditors and go to same other country, o. else be c 'in desperately come new "agitation to free himMJlf from at least a portion of his obligations to tho State, and he will find advisers ready enough to tell him he urns swindled wihen. he paid 20 years' purcnaee for his land. — To Avoid National Disasters. — "We cannol affoid to risk euch national disasters. We know the way past the spot where they lurk. It is by the powerful and complete organisation of farmers in trading societies ; and this path, if taken, will not only enaible us as a people to escape from another century of unihappiness and social disaster, but it wiß lead us far on our way iato a con-

ditipn of true happiness in a social order where people will work together and know that they depend on each ohher for soiccees, and out of this recognition of mutuality as the only basis of a prosperous community wiW flow incalculable good results in character, affecting both private and public life. Whatever else may be dark and uncertain in our national life, this at least eeems cleaT. — Organise the Farmers. — " Nobody can forecast the end or the result of the demand for political independence. There all is mystery, and we can only hope or fear, but cannot know. But this thang 16 clear and proved, that wherever countrymen have worked together in any land they have made themsalves more prosperous, and have strengthened the national character. So, wiidle each of us may hope or fear, as he will, the coining of leg_islative freedom, we may be certain that in helping on the organisation of the farmers we are taking a course where success is certain, and ' adopting a method of life which wall con- ! flict with no future solution of the other I problem. We recommend with confidence the appeal of the 1.A.0.5. to the consideration of all true patriots in Ireland. . "As the subsidy from the department , ceases at the close of this year, the 1.A.0.5. is making an appeal to the public and the old subscribers to the work to come in again and help. The societies are supporting the central body with more enthusiasm than at any time in the his- | tory of the movement, "but if the work is to be carried on with real effect it will need aid from othen sources for a few yeare. The demand for organisens is increasing so rapidly that the staff is unable to cope with • the work. Ten years ago the energetic organiser toiled in an unfriendly or indifferent oouantry cramming co-opera-tion down the throats of farmers who were not unliungered for the new doctrines. — An Appetite for Teaching. — "'Now there is a genuine appetite for the teaching, and even the enemies of the jrork are coming round and admi-ttiniw its necessity. There are ,hardly any public ln-en now, or newspapers, who do not admit the absolute necessity of the work ; ay.d besides the gigantic and all but impcasMe labour of overlooking^and keeping in touch with nearly 1000 societies, -She unorganised) districts are clamoring for speakers. The work grows more instead of less expensive, and this must continue until the whole demand of Irish farmers for expert aid in organisation is met."