TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8157, 11 June 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

Speaking at Huntly, on tne sub jeofc of settling native lands, on Wednesday, the Native Minister addressed a powerful appeal to bis hearers. He wanted thetn, he said, to thipk of their present condition. With what they possessed, and any legitimate aid given them whiob they were entitled to, they could better their condition, and raise themselves in the human scale. He Htood between them aud the encroaching tide, which must inevitably sweep him and them away into oblivion, unless they met the main issues at hand. No one was prouder than he was of their past history, their high traditions, their good traits of character, and their' disposition to beneficent deeds, but he sadly deplored the drawbaoks which were now found ingrained iu their nature. They stood in their own road, and he wanted them 10 realise the utter hopelessness of their present life. They lacked ideals, and they had marked down no broad objective. Aspirations which the individual and the tribe could commonly conceive and act up to,were wanting. Some stimulus was needed, and be trusted it would come out of a spirit of loyalty to their past greatnese, out of the exigencies of the moment, and from an appreciation of the responsibilities that they were beiag called apod to meet. He was there to help them solve these questions. He had both ears open to the pakeha'a claim and to the Maori wants., He relied on the good conscience of the pakeha as well as on the sense of equity in the Maori.

Somo interesting figures relating to the dairy industry of the colony

were given by the commissioner (M J, A. Kinsella) at the annual meet ing of the National Dairy Association at Dunedin. In 1896, be said, there were only 19 hotter factories, and 91 creameries registered in the colony, and on the 31st March, 1906, there were 229 creameries, 89 factories, 556 private dairies, 75 private cheese dairies, and 212 packing houses in addition to whioh there were 451 skimming stations. The number of dairy cows in the colony on Ist October, 1905, was 517,720. Then, in regard to exports, he observed that in 1896 there was exported 60.0660wt of butter, valued at £241,152, and 71,474cwt of cheese, valued at £132,039; or a total of 131,5100wt, value £373,191; whereas in 1906 the figures were:—-Butter owt value £1,696,494; cheese, 121,3220wt, value £376,089, or a total of 435,487}£ cwt, valued at £2,207,591. The inorease in exports in ten years was 303,947 valued at £1,699,400, or over 450 per cent. Daring the 1905-6 season there had been a decrease in butter of 18,074}£owt, and an increase in cheese of 34,4020wt, valued at £158,798, the aotual inorease in butter and cheese, taken together, being 16,3270wt, and the aotual value over last seson was £194,091. He thought it could be said safely that they had produoed not only more butter and cheese than ever before but what had been produoed was finer in quality. There was greater uniformity in quality and make of cheese during last season than was the oase in former seasons. This improvement was due to the factory managers having become better eduoated to one uniform system of manufacture also to the more careful and intelligent preparation and use of a proper flavoured starter.