CORRESPONDENCE.

Waipa Post, Volume XX, Issue 1179, 8 December 1921, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Re “ Doubtful’s ” letter in your issue of the Ist instant, it makes me feel doubtful as to the origin of it and other letters in your paper recently, and leads to the supposition that they were written by advocates of a Thursday sale day. You, sir, have so frequently urged the fanners to unite, and the very first time they record a fairly united vote (re sale day), which, by the way, was against your paper’s campaign and promptings of the Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce, you cry out, “ It’s not fair! Let us have it over again!” and make use of the old and still familiar political battle cry of country versus town, when in reality it is the country folk against a small section of the townspeople, who played their own game and lost, and take their beating badly. As you suggest, “ the way they went about it” was partly responsible for the result. Your suggestion that a Progressive League should be formed embracing “ the Chamber of Commerce, the householders, and the farmers,” when that insignificant body of men become united enough to deserve representation, is a good plan—that is, from the Chamber of Commerce standpoint. Most farmers will understand that their interests and the interests of the Chamber of Commerce lie wide apart. True, there are some issues upon which they may join, but, generally speaking, the commercial men naturally strive to buy our produce at the very lowest figure, while almost every article the farmers require most, the things that are necessary, are charged for at top -’prices; while on the other hand the farmers strive to get the utmost for their produce, and buy in the cheapest market; so that it is easily seen that our main interests clash. The commercial world is welded into numerous strong rings which are detrimental to townspeople and countryfolk alike, and unfortunately the farmers have no ring to combat these. To make a long story short, those bally farmers united on sale day, and will unite again; and I can imagine the joy you will feel, sir, at the fact after your repeated appeals for them to unite. I hope there will be a sale day when the next ballot comes off; but honestly I believe it will not be the farmers who are sold. In closing, sir, allow me to wish you the compliments of the season.—l am, etc.,

ERORET. [Before the ballot proceeded Mr Heywood, on behalf of the auctioneering firms, stated publicly that “ the auctioneers had not been influenced by the townspeople or anybody else”— a statement which should have disposed finally of the silly suggestion that the ’fhursday sale day proposal was (as our correspondent styles it) “ the prompting of the Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce.” Whilst we agree with our correspondent that it would be impossible to perfectly blend all opinions on social and industrial questions, we certainly believe that reasonable co-operation between those whose interests are interwoven would tend to minimise differences and remove the misunderstanding which are often the real barriers to community goodwill and progress. Hence we advocate a Progress League as providing the means for an interchange of opinions and for concerted endeavour. —Ed.]