THE Western Star AND WALLACE COUNTY GAZETTE PUBLISHED Tuesdays and Fridays TUESDAY, OCTOBER l3th, 1908.

Western Star, 13 October 1908, Page 2

THE Western Star AND WALLACE COUNTY GAZETTE PUBLISHED Tuesdays and Fridays TUESDAY, OCTOBER l3th, 1908.

Mr W. C. Buchanan, of Wairarapa, recently offered the Government the sum of £6ooo for the establistlcncnt of an experiment farm in that distinct. It was a ■ magnificent ofiiei, but it was 'declined, as Mh Buchanan refused to wainfe the proviso tfrlaiti the farm must be in the Wairarapa. The reason why the offer could net be accepted was because the proposed farm would halve to be established, in comparative proximity to another of exactly the same description. ,At ■ present there are fully equipped experiment farms in the North Island, but there is not one such .institution in the South Island. It would simply lead to unnecessary expenditure if the Government were to accept tWa offer, because it is not the initial expense so much as the upkeep that runs away with the money. For instance, sup pose the £6ooo were accepted, this’ ils how tfctei matter would pan out ; —Say four hundred acres at £'6ooo ; permanent improvements, £4OOO ; stock and' implements, £2,3oo;—dotal £12,j000. Annual expenditure—lnterest at five per cent, on capital, £620 ; general expenditure (wages, etc), £lsoo| ; special (maintenance), litLSOd ; —total, £3625, less ■ receipts, £l4oo ; net estimated total, £22£|s. Thus, if Mr Buchanan’s offer were ■accepted, the Government; would be committed to an initial outlay of £6500, and an annual expenditure of £2225 and all this for aj locality; already well served by an experiment farm.' It is certain that if the Government had given way, the chances of an experiment farm in the South would have teen more remdtje tl/an they are.

In the annual report of the Industries and Commerce Department the Dominion is congratulated on the stability of its trade and commerce. There is evidence of a better demand for wool, and hemp, and there are evidences In this district that flax-milling wiil have a revival. Itepo) ts are to hand of a bountiful har vest in the United States and Canada, and the effect of this on the financial condition of those Co.unIle ®, wlll havc a beneficial influence on the wool and hemp markets., It is well known that the world’s output ol .wool i. s not increasing i n the same ratio as the population of wool - consuming countries, and therefore, there does not seem t Q be any possibility 0 f the supply being 1,1 <* *0 demand in the \Z “s, 0 rr- *• ri-Knrd *0 tra<i„ " l 't"""' I '*. ‘ho Minister. i„ report : In tb a snl.stMitial quantity „t tl» conn, try s exports" which is finding its nay into the eastern ports' of Canmia, chiefly via Lojndon, ft arn , coniident that a very good traded to be dene with the western po r,fe 01 that country i rl butter, H ozen meat hemp, wool. etc., when mQ ro suitabiCn shipping facility able. Unfortunately, tlle . subsidised steamers between New Zeal and and Vancouver are not provided with reir.-gerafor space, but R is hoped that, this drawback ma v l)e Mmed tod later, Thl Canadli steam service has been running regularly every alternate month between hew- Zealand ports and Vancouver and vice versa. The steamers now to those first employed in commission are much superior

Flic; Secretary of the Department considers that more attention is necessary in making known the value oil our produce, and nfore extended.

the markets. Much has been done by the Department through the High Commissioner’s office, and! this work is proving of great value, but it has taken up practically the whole of the time of the commercial staff attached to the office. Much work is required ip. the way of extending a knowledge of our produce and in seeing as far as possible that our goods reach the consumer as New 'Zealand produce. It is very well known ttlat our butter, cheese, and meat arc fraudulently sold in very largo quantities as the produce of Great Britain, or other countries ; and money expended in checking) such practices would, in his opinion, be well spent. He also recommends efforts being made to procure a more speedy and frequent steamer service with West of 'England ports and that the question of a direct service to East Coast ports, such as Hull, West Hartlepool, MiddleibcTOugh, and Tynemouth should receive attention. The port of Hull (according to, official report) serves a population of over ten millions. He considers that the cabled market reports from, the High Commissioner could be made more valuable' if they were sent with greater frequency when marked fluctuations in -‘Jhe market take place, or when any special conditions are operating for or against the market.

The Heavy Traffic Bill is needed to safeguard the interests and the pockets ofthe general public. It'is time that persons who think it right to carry as ’ many tons ■ as can be packed into a vehicle* running upon narrew-tyried wheels Ijvterci brought to a halt, 'anti made t:o un. derstand that if they unreasonably cut up the roads they must be, specially. taxed to help pay for repairs. At the same time it seems fto ns thjati the hill does not go far enough by its differential, charges, in emphasising the principle sought to be carried ouc. The concessions {suggested to vehicles with tires of substantial width do not appear well thought out. With increasing width of tire there, comes a time when vehicular. traffic fiends! to conserve and bind a road rather than destroy it. Hence a good plan, it seems, would be to hold out a bonus for the use :of extra pride ■tyres, by reducing the tax upon vehicles provided with such tires to a merely nominal figure. By the 'way, the bill does not' taW into; acx count the destructive character of motor car traffic. lb this an oversight ?,

But a few weeks ago, speaking, in the House of Lords with a solemn seriousness that suited the occasion and the theme. Lord Crom.er expressed the fear that a .wairi between Britain and another Power was or might be imminent. Lord 'Cromer may not bo a Solon. As an expositor of Adam Smith and Cobden he 'has his ,defects. As a man of wijVic expedience, vigorous intellect, and wide outlook,, his viqjvs upon Britain’s foreign relations' are at least as worthy op acceptance as any tiling can bo said under that head by the Right Hon. Lewis Harcourt. This gentleman, carried away by an ardent temperament or by his own fluency, arouses distrust in. his papacity to dogmatise on the momentous subject ho has been speaking of, by his (very ipsisrfcance, he proves too much and ignores more. He thinks ho knows better than Lord (Cromer, better than /Sir Cyprian Bridge knows, why Germany i s risking social disaster and national (bankruptcy in order to get a fleet “able to try conculsions not unhopcfuliy with even the strongest naval Power.