NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XII, Issue 2374, 2 June 1906, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

By Scrutator,

Tiie great event of the week, as far as Pahiatua is concerned, was the Wellington provincial conference oi the New' Zealand Farmers’ Union. There was a great gathering of the pillars of the organisation, and the “Macs” were strongly in evidence, especially the genial energetic McCurdy, the secretary of the Union, to whom tho representatives of the Press in attendance were indebted for much information. especially as to the political and other proclivities of the assembled delegates.

Hi, references at the conclusion of the conference to the debt the deleg; tes owed to the representatives of the Press—not only for reporting the utterances of the speakers, but for omitting “things better left unsaid, as ' Punch' w ould say - were appreciated by the delegates as well as by the members oi the- Fourth Estate. Air McCurdy spoke feelingly not -only as a delegate but as a writer for tho “Farmers' Union Advocate.” A’c-a. verily, it m tlie province of the reporter to make good speeches for bad speakers.

The smoko concert held in honour of the visit ot tiie delegates afforded an opportunity to some speakers to air •their eloquence, and to others to weary their reatlers u ith ancient history. Political platitudes in stainedglass attitudes. The freehold, the whole freehold and nothing but the freehold was the hattie cry ot the Farmers Unionists m s deum conclave assembled, and the same sentiment found utterance at the smoking concert. The chief toast ot tiie evening bad been entrusted to AL U. H. Smith, and lie did justice to it. Wit and logic in liappy combination. His remarks as to the land policy ot the Farmers' Union being t ie land policy of the great majority ot the people met with a hearty response from those present. He was at a loss to know wby it was not the police o! the Government- and so are t :e Crown tenants at Pougaroa and other places, in view of the finding t ‘ nevei >--bc-foi otl ( nni s-ion, •t up Ily Mi Heddo . i- o- o: tiie most striking featmes of the isiou was the hearty liter in • • ; toast ol “the Fa Inu rs Uuioit was received. There was a t-tr.i 1:i the history i f the colony whtn t e Farmers' Union »a. not as p< paid.; tie. Mr Seddon do his utmost to strangle the infant ill the very earlie-t •stages of its existanc-e. and at hi- be- | loved Pahiatua, too? Hut even with r. • a-'i'tance'ot certain partisans who he nameless, lie slid not .succeed, aru it has grow n into "a fine, bonne- I m_ be. ii 1 mav be pardoned tor j Us - g the simile. **» „ . ! i •• Mon. lain Duncan say- “tael Uniet: lias come to stay 1 ' This r--mark was decidedly signiticent. al- | though it did not require a political prop et of the Duncan calibre to tell | tie- audience this. How different is the attitude of the Hon. Tam Duncan towards the Union now to that i 1 ; the Premier adopted not so long ag He hated the Union and all its w e ... and we all know how Mr Seddon can politically bate as v. ell as politically love. His e i :• vernation, however, should soon Ir‘ c niple-te. now that Hi- colleague his solemnly and philosophically asserted that “the Union has come to stay !” Mi Duncan Im- promised the country a new Land Hill. Will he make P vi-ion in it for the freehold under i c .editions specified by tin fari I - Union? \\ c shall see. Ti propo-al to bold shows at Paid- ‘ and Woodville. under the utisp. • el ti..- Woodville Agricultural 1 a I !’. tnr.d A- - latlnll ha s fizzled (ill Mi \V. I i Hawkins I i • gaim-d an lilts' moral victory. He letter to: tiie press turned the current ot ft cling i i lavour of W oodville. I tend* r liiti hearty congratulations. Hip it wa> the unkinde-t cut ot all for Mr I! Smith a Pahiatua man al- ! m-rst to the backbone, to assert that I tie- •.;ly agitation tor a -how a: Pahiar a was on the part of a body ycleptthe Ciiaiiiher of Commerce, which v.'-uld he taking charge ot the <onnt: ii Mr Seddon did not i-iinn e, iekly. Thi could neier he. There i- only one n.an fit to lit ii this democratic country, and that is the present v.-r- - ,

satile occupant of the office. And if Mr Seddon should retire on his laurels, tin-re is one man above all others on which his mantle-should fall—according to a prominent Farmers Unionist - and that man is Mr J. G. Wilson. 1. fancy I hear the Farmers’ Unionists say: “So mote it be.”

Although the Pahiatua Chamber of Commerce' is so far from being popular in Woodville, local gas consumers owe that body a debt of gratitude. It views with pain and anguish their lengthy gas-bills, and lias decided to ask a reduction from the gasworks owners. But why not municipalise?