THE STATE AS FARMER 109 



question for us to discuss is the adequate 

 means of harvesting all of our goodly fruits, 

 preserving them safely till they are required, 

 and distributing them fairly among the 

 people. We may then give God thanks ; 

 but it is mockery to hold Harvest Homes 

 and Thanksgiving Services under our present 

 system. 



Mr. Harris refers, as I have said, to the 

 need for care in using up all our minor products 

 for such simple but useful things as cheap 

 baskets of all kinds. It is obvious that 

 occupations of this sort provide winter work 

 to many, and the growth of the raw material 

 furnishes an opening for still more labour 

 upon our bleak hillsides. But just imagine 

 the arguments and disputes, the pessimism 

 and vaticination that will be rife among those 

 who set themselves to study ' whether it 

 will pay to grow ' our osiers and poplars and 

 pines ! 



Just noting the most interesting fact 

 recorded in this Report, that our County 

 Councils are here and there giving ' cordial 

 support ' to the idea of providing expensive 

 machinery by co-operative means to farmers, 



