BALFOUR NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 17348, 20 May 1913, Page 3

BALFOUR NOTES

(From Our Own Correspondent i. And what weather it is ! Knongli to make a man iron prey in spite of his youth, especially if his harvest is not finished. There is plenty of it yet in the stook. and some will never get that far. A disastrous year do you say. Can yon point back to its equal? Spring wet, and farmers could not get their crops in. Floods followed, and swept away a lot that did grow, and rain that prevents others from getting theirs in. Do you wonder the shoe pinches? I don't. There- is not half the crops. If the crons . had been good prices would nave been down to what was ruling 12 years ago. Arbitration Courts can't fix the price of the farmers' produce. They are subservient to the world's market the law of supply and demand. The sheep market is 'good. Therein is seen the bright lining to the black cloud for the farmers. They can grow the less crops, and they will. The Presbyterian Church congregation have been very fortunate in their selection of the liev. Mr Oulliford. I am sure lie will do good work here* Some of the progressive spirits among us have started a debating club. A large number of young men have joined it. Their first night consisted in a mock sheep stealing case. Their second was impromptu speaking. Their meeting of Tuesday next is to bo the election of mayor and councillors for Balfour. In connection with the debating .club is a gentlemen's club, where young men can meet in the ante-room of the public hall, and have use of the library, and where they can have a game of cards or draughts. You should come out into the country and see the methods the Southland County Council adopts in making roads and spending the farmers' money. You would then be able to write a leading article about it. which might make you famous for all time. But, fearing you would never get no this far, Jet me give vou a few facts if you have courage to prim them. The County Council does a lot" of road making during winter, and instead of making the roads better they are made worse. Anyone can testify to that who lias seen work done here or elsewhere. Take for example, their work being carried out on the road from Gienure to, Balfour, whebb there has to be put down as maintenance 500 yards of broken rock, and some of it to be carted over —already a bad road a distance of » miles. dust imagine what tlie good parts will be like, not speaking about the parts that are already nearly impassable. If all contracts could not be finished hy the end of February it would be much'more saving and sensible to leave them over to the following summer, than go on with them as they are doing now. Farmers are doing all they can to dodge the Work. Ploughing is out of the question unless on lea ground. Sheep are not doing so well as they should owing to so much wet. So what can the farmers do but grumble and look at it raining.