ELTHAM.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13557, 7 November 1907, Page 7

ELTHAM.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) November 5. — The Argus has befsij. publishing several interviews with pio CJC J minfent farmers on the subject of tnet child-slavery accusation laid agaiis| Taranaki by Sir Robert Stout aijd others. If the evidence is correct tjhe charges are unwarranted. " Yojur. Own" probably does as much running, round the Eltham district as anybody* and I do not know nor have I heard one instance of ill-treatment of childrfeft by causing them to do hard toil in ijhfe way of assisting in cow-sheds.. \ :• Whilst several farmers are exercising, themselves on the ' butter v. cheese question and sorely puzzling their brains as to. whether to . stick out foif ' cheese or hang oh to butter, others have' quietly dropped out of the dairying and gone in for rearing dry stock and.' sheep. With fat bullocks, store co,wjr and steers bringing capital prices, they are doing well. Ditto the mftn wife' pigs. One Rawhitiroa farmer, who w.as persuaded to save three calves on!*^ from his herd states that it would take very little to cause him to sell themV A rise in the price of' hides Would£cau£e ! him to use the hammer mi the stodkc> He has sixty pigs, and • they, represorft' good solid cash. •• • - •* ,« Reverting to the butter and cheese question — there is very, little sentiment allowed in the matter.. One .prominent farmer near here who' haW gone "baldheaded" for cheese but failed .to accomplish his wish had other views in mind. I now understand 'that 1 he is desirous of selling, and leaving the* district aild in his opiniom < the introduction of < a cheese plant would have added anotbjer £3 per acre to the selling value of His property. The question of meeting the burden of dual plants, depreciation^ etc., matters nothing to this person, afad I am afraid he is not the only one whp, has striven to see cheese introduced, here, not for the purpose of continuing, a supplier but to further" send up the. -price of larfd. EverytHing comes from the land, but the "hoisting uj>" b{ values is surte t,d be w felt; . and, if the writer is any judge on the matter, that time is not very distant. . ' <t , . Eltham and Kaponga cricketers held a practice maich here last week. . Fair cricket was shown. JThe game was won. by 'Kaponga by 13" runs, the visitors; scoring 101 and Eltham 88. Next week" ; the fixtures may commence, but Hawera. is very dull and no move has yet I>een, made in the matter. \ I "* ' • "The Lord loveth fe^heepfui giver,:; but EltHamites are~ having the "cheerful pleader" with a< ve4ge»nce. . After,, beating all records at self-denial collect.-,, ing, the Salvation Army held a sale of i work to raise further sums. The PresV byterians are now arranging for a' car-, nival to build up'fun&y -aitd, this 7 wi\i; be foliawea by a- Fire- BHg^de Bazaajr arid Art tFnion. '*'-■-' '■■ Such is gratitude! *' Ever since the. institution of the 'Eltham Drainage Board, Mr Belcher has been chairman., and during his term of eight years he. has only' missed one meeting. 7 Yet at the 'election on Monday he just managed to gain a seat,, defeating an oprponent by one vote for las% place, an»J that after the high expressions of op.mv ion > pJa&oxl rt hy^i;6Mrades' jof |he retipirig board. / ' t ,* ) t !