A STIRRING SPEECH.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 989, 13 April 1917, Page 8

A STIRRING SPEECH.

THE MEN ON THE LAND

THEIR DUTY DURING THE WAR. The principal feature of the luncheon al Ihe opening of the Royal Agricultural Show at Sydney on April 4 was a speech hy the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, Mr W. M. Hughes. His address was chiefly directed to the farming community. The Sydney "Daily Telegraph" reports Mr Hughes's utterance as follows: Mr Hughes, who was accorded a I most cordial reception, said that he came amongst them himself as one who had gone as a man on the land. At that time he was imbued with what he now looked hack upon as inexcusable enthusiasm to become a dairy farmer. (Laughter). Consequently, when men on the land talked to him about tribulations and difficulties, they did not. speak into an unsympathetic ear. He knew those tribulations and difficulties only too well. (Laughter). lie had been compelled to bridge the chasm between theory and practice. (Laughter). He had beeen compelled to contrast the admirable statements of men confined to the philosopher's closet and the journalistic sanctum with the stern realities. (Laughter). He had heard about cows which gave five gallons a day. Some day he should see that cow, and he would be pleased to place on its soft and silky neck a garland. He would crown it because it would be the cow of his dreams. (Laughter). Leaving a Mark. So, as one who bad been chastened by having passed through the "fiery furnace of dairy farming," addressing men representing agriculture in excelsis, let him ask them to put from their minds all their difficulties and triumphs, and confront the present war situation—a situation which concerned their welfare, their future, their very lives—materia], spiritual, and moral. (Cheers). This war had changed Australia, had changed the outlook of the people, and had changed it not for a time; it would leave its mark not only on the future of the people of Australia, but on the future of ihe people of the world. (Cheers). It would leave its mark upon the dynasties, upon the potties, upon the economics, upon the furnaces of the world. This war, as it were, Mr Hughes said, would readjust the whole fabric of mankind. As they had already seen, ii had plucked from its roots the Romanoff dynasty. It had done in the twinkling of an eye that which the efforts of tens of thousands of men had endeavoured to do without success for half a century in Russia. In England, it had; achieved a quite bloodless revolution—;i revolution in the industrial.! social, and political outlook of Britain which was fundamental. This I would remain. (Cheers). Ami as it was with Britain and Russia, and J oilier countries, so it.was and must j be wiiii us. (Cheers). This war had .stamped itself upon Ihe people I of Australia, and when those who; had not yet experienced its effects in some form or other emerged from this miasma, this fog, which now covered them, and were able to see Ibis war and all that it meant, they, 100. would sec thai it had tempered j us into harder steel, that i! was not for nothing that Providence ordain-! Ed that we should pass through the fiery furnace, and thai -if we did not come oul heller men and women no-1 thing could avert the destruction which awaited us. (Cheers). If, with this test, if by adversity and by trial, we could not be made better,: then most certainly we were doomed to destruction. This war, the Prime Minister wen! j on, had reached a crisis, but to-day | we saw coming into the arena—of course, by the blood-stained hand of Germany—the last of (he civilised nations which hitherto had remained aloof. America had now become; a belligerent—(cheers)—and by her! entry into the war two things had been achieved: (1) Hie hastening of,' the day upon which, the death-knell • of Prussian military despotism j would arrive, and. (2) the tearing of j the last shred U-ivw the hypocritical disguise.from behind which Germany had sought to shelter herself, j Germany stood now revealed to the whole world as the pirate criminal nation. By Ihe great republic of America coming into ihe war

the last champion of Germany amongst the civilised nations had stepped down from the rostrum to become her active opponent and enemy. (Cheers). The Panorama of Empire. We must win She war; thai was our concern. Afier paying a tribute to our soldiers who had taken their place amongst the world's best, ami were not outshone in valour, sacrifice, or heroism, the Prime Ministei turned to the man on the land and ids relationship with the war. Our duly, he said, had many.sides. Our young men fought, and we who were here had our duties, no less important to perform. We had during the currency of Ibis war provided much for the Empire which she needed urgently, and without which she could not exist. Britain was now living on the wheal grown in Australia. (Cheers.) That was something to the credit of Australia and to the men on the land, but the men on the land must not forget that not one grain of that wheat could pass from Australia, could find a market outside Australia, but for the omnipotence, for the ceaseless vigilance, for the valour of the mighty British fleet. (Cheers.) The panorama of Empire unfolded itself before us. We, no less than the men on the warships and on the battle fronts, were lighting the bailies of the Empire, and wc 100, must make sacrifices and look to it that those things which were sufficient in limes of peace were not sufficient in times ol war. We could not face the

future with satisfaction if we produced only os much as before. (Cheers.) The only way to bear the burden of debt which would follow the war was to produce to the maximum, to develop the resources of Australia more and more. The function of the Government was to clear the way to the markets of the world, and the producers' part was to produce in superabundance those things which were needed for the F.mpire. vustralia should he made what i! deserved to be, not the home of five millions of people, but a home for such millions as would people it, and, if need be, ensure its defence. (Cheers.) Australia's Danger. Did we realise in what danger we stood in this count ",-? Did we not realise that we must peopl■> this country or perish? We must people i! with the rigid kind of men, and we must develop it on the basis of land settlement. (Cheers.) In that direction our future safely lay. The Government hoped to create such conditions as to induce men to settle on the land: thai agriculturists would not be uncertain as to whether they would find a market or not. It was that which had actuated the Government, in peace or war, slump in the market or not, to guarantee for the next two years 4/- f.o.b. for wheat produced in this country. "I am glad to believe," said the ['rime Minister, in conclusion, "that the man on the land realises both his responsibilities and his opportunities. Roth are great. I feel certain lie will shrink from neither." (Cheers). The following nominations liave been lodged with the Returning Officer (Mr 11. R. Smith) for the vacancies on the various local bodies in connection with the forthcoming elections:—Hospital Board: Mr W. W. Tanner and Mrs Catherine M. Green. Harbour Board (citv candidates): Mr A. Kaye, Br Thacker, Mr C. B. Morris and Mr Chas. Allison. City Council: Messrs J. W. Beanland, J. Butterfield and A. S. Taylor.