THE FARMERS’ DELEGATES AT TIMARU.

Western Star, Issue 336, 14 February 1880, Page 6

THE FARMERS’ DELEGATES AT TIMARU.

The “ Timaru Herald ” sives a long repott of the proceedings at a dinner given to the Lincolnshire Farmers’ Delegates at Timaru on Friday night last, from which vve extract Mr Grant’s speech in response to the toast of “The health of i the Delegates of the Lincolnshire Farmers, ! Messrs Grant and Foster.” ' Mr Grant said: Mr Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Gentlemen, —I beg sincerely to thank you for the cordial reception you have given us on our arrival in this very prettily situated town of Timaru. You know, gentlemen, 1 need not enter into details as tc the object of our visit to this colony. Wo have come out to learn whether it is a better country than the old one, and wo are going through the length and breadth of the land to judge of its capabilities and adaptability for English farmers. A good deal of the capital of the English tenant farmers is now going into the pockets of the landlords, and they are beginning to question whether they had not better become landlords themselves by purchasing their own estates and farming them for themselves. I have said very little in going about New Zealand, but I will soy this, that I see smiling faces everywhere j I have seen no careworn expression on any visage I have met with. We have looked about to see what progress farming has made, and in my own mind have tried to picture this country as it would appear thirty or forty years ago—before the first wooden house was erected, and when the only resident was the Maori. Having so pictured it, I do not wonder at the joy and gladness I see depicted on the countenances of all. I know the first-comers had great diflii-ul-ties to struggle against and overcome them, had great trials to endure, and endured them manfully. All honor to the men who could found sui;h "a colony as this, and bring it to its present state of perfection. I am sensible that an immense amount of satisfaction must glow in the breasts of those who have turned what was, in many instances, truly a wilderness into smiling fields. I am here not to envy you, but to congratulate you upon what you have accomplished, and if I hare any feelings of regret it is, perhaps, that I was not here to be a partaker of your trials, and thus also a partaker of your joys. What may be the result of our visit I cannot say. I can only sav that so far as we have gone we have been very much gratified, and you may be assured that our report will be a very favorable one. There is one point T will touch upon here, and that is that we appear to be too late in the day to obtain any cheap bargains in hind in Canterbury. There have been gentlemen here with their eyes open to what is good land. I do not complain of this ; we might get good land at second hand, but if we come out you must not charge us too much for your properties. Our friends at Home have some capital, but their capital has been very much reduced, and you must not be hard on them. Amongst them are men poeo»u»inp 4t LO,OOO ~ or £50,000, and I should not be surprised at many such coming out here and investing in property. — (Hear, hear.) I arn sure if (bey come yen will wish them success, and if we come ourselves I feel very sure that we shall meet with a very cordial reception among you.—(Applause.) I beg most sincerely to thank you for drinking our healths in so cordial a manner. , .