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Pantiy Ploughing Society.…

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Pantiy Ploughing Society. I Forty-Eighth Annual Meeting. j SPEECHES AT THE DINNER. The dinner in connection with the 48th meet- ing of the Pan.ly and Monnowside Plougiling and Agricultural Society, which, as reported in our last issue, took place in a marquee on Old- castle Farm, was attended by a good company. The catc-ring was excellently carried out by Mr. R. H. Stevens, of the Dorothy Cafe, Aberga- venny. The President, the Mayor of Aber- gavenny (Aid. Z. Wheatlev, J.P.) was in the chair, and was supported by the vice-presidents, Col. Robinson. D.S.O., and Mr. Warren Davies, Mr. Allen James, Mr. Gilbert Phillips, Mr. John Lewis 'lion, sec.) and the judges. Before the dinner, Mrs. Attwood-Mathews presented to the winners the prizes she had given, as follows :—Silver spirit kettle to Mr. Lane for the best pair of plough horses, and silver cake- basket to Chas. Watkins, the winner of the ploughing competition for boys under 18. In making the presentations, Mrs. Attwood- Mathews said she hoped that peace would reign once more in their midst, after the last five sad years of war. She believed in hard work for all, and in everyone helping Great Britain to hold her own amongst other nations. She was very glad to see the care taken of the plough horses, and the careful and exact furrows the young farmers had ploughed. She wanted them all to support the Daylight Savings Bill. She greatly enjoyed the daylight of the evenings, and though there was clew on the grass in the mornings, they profited entirely by this new arrangement. A vote of thanks was accorded to Mrs. Attwood Mathews, on the proposition of the President, seconded by Mr. John Lewis. The loyal toast having been honoured, Mr. "Warren Davies, C.C., submitted that of The Imperial and Spiritual Forces," and in doing so paid a tribute to the men who had maintained the traditions of this mighty Empire. The clergv and ministers of all denominations had played a great part during the years of conflict. He coupled with the toast the name of Colonel Robinson, who he was sure they were proud to welcome as a friend and neighbour. 1, The President remarked that Col. Robinson had won the D.S.O. and the French Croix de Guerre, and they were lucky to have a gentleman of such distinction to come to live ia their neighbourhood. I jar Britain's Part In The War. I Col. Robinson, in reply, returned thanks for the hospitable way in which he had been received into/the district. It gave him great pleasure-to come amongst them and live amongst their mountains. The scenery was what brought him there, and he now found that the scenery I was not the only attraction. Their hospitality and friendliness had been a great pleasure to him. It was an honour to respond to the toast of the Imperial Forces. Those of the Imperial Forces who had been fortunate enough to return would not, he thought, in the least bit grudge what they had done for their country. They realised that the war was bound to come, and it was touch end go who won it. He thought that he could say, without flattery, that it was the British soldier, British money and British credit that gave victory not only to themselves but to the Allies. If it had not been for England there was little or no doubt that the war would have gone the other way. A soldier admired not only his allies, but his enemies. There was very rightly a great deal of feeling against Germans, but at the same time he would pay them the tribute of saying that they were fine soldiers. They were hard fighters, and no one had a greater reverence for our soldiers than the Germans themselves. They realised from the moment they entered the war that they were up against a difficult situation, and that the war was touch and go and probably lost to them. They had a great deal to be proud of as Englishmen. With regard to the spiritual forces, he met many clergymen and ministers out in France, and they did their duty most nobly. They all worked together hand'in hand, and there was very little difference between one sect and another. It was a great change to what one saw in England.. There was, after all, not such a great amount that divided them, and it was a pity that they could not form some sort of collective worship which would meet with the approval of many. (Applause). Col. Robinson proposed the health of The County Members and the Members of County Councils," coupling the names of Mr. Warren Davies and Mr. Gilbert Phillips, as representing the County Councils of Monmouthshire and Herefordshire respectively. Both members, he remarked, took a great interest in their local affairs, which was one of the most important duties of a County Councillor. .u Land For Ex-soldiers. I I Mr. Gilbert Phillips, in response, said that since their last meeting they had had many ups and downs to make them change their opinions. If the County Councils carried out the duties which devolved 011 them there was no question but that it would be very unpleasant to most of them, for they would have to pay a lot more money than they were doing at the present time, and there were many of them, who got very little for what they paid now. They must not forget that they had to have law and order and that they had to support the Government. Their first'duty to themselves was to stand up for law and order at home They had a legal means of redressing grievances, but he thought there ought to be more direct communication between the people and their representatives before the latter supported the things they did. There could be a referendum or some other simple means. It was a difficult matter to cultivate the land nowadays. Those who had to deal with the land knew that if they could make both ends meet they were doing very well. The Government had promised that ex-soldiers should have a certain amount of land. There was no spare land. and where were they going to get it ? It must be obtained from those who had it. These men wanted useful land, on which they would have a fair chance of making a livelihood. How was it to be got ? Were those who had land going to say Take a few acres of mine." In Herefordshire they had! sent round, but not one had offered to give any land. Now thev had got compulsory powers. If they had acted as they should have done most of them could have said Here is five or ten. acres." He hoped thev would not blame the Government when the compulsory powers were put into execution, because they were bound to have the land. Where a man had two or more farms, thev might take the suitable by-tacks off, and that mig"ht help them to solve the difficulty. With regard to education, he did not believe in child labour, but if they did not put a boy or girl to work when they were young they would M take to it when they were old. Were their children taught as well as when they took their 2d. to school every week ? What they- wanted was that the children should be taught in a reasonable wav. Was it right in a country district that a child should be sent from 2-V to 3 miles to school and that the parent should be summoned if it missed an attendance ? If the school teachers had to walk Û- to 3 miles they would see how long they would put up with it. Thev were paving a great deal more money for education. What for ? The roads would have to be substantially strengthened, because of the motor traffic. Before the war it cost about ir 000 1 mile to remake roads to-day it cost some*'M i" like £3.000. They all agreed in having good roads, but it was only fair that those who used tl,.eti should pay for them. The fairest svstem was the turnpike gate. It was unfair to make n-n-users of roads pay for those who did use t'-ci" Referring to the danger of driving on rends which were tar-sprayed, Mr. Phillips sai(i tiact it was not an unusual thing when travelh* to Abergavenny for horses to fall down There was plenty of gravel about, and if gravel and sand were sprinkled on the roads it would make them safer. Air Warren Davies thanked the electors of the Llanvihargel division for placing him on the Coun-, ouncil. He considered it a great honorr and he should endeavour to carry out his duties to the best of his ability. When he accepted office he thought that if he was elected on one or two of the agricultural committees he might bo of soecial service to them. He could assure them that the County Council had been most generous to him, for he was not only selected as one out of eight members to serve on the Wieultural Executive Committee, but he was also elected on the Small Holdings Com- mittee, which had closed negotiations for some- thing like 15.000 acres, besides which they had a number of small and large estates in hand. He had also been placed on the Main Roads and Bridges Committee, and the Agricultural Edu- cation Committee, on which he was nominated as chairman, a position which he could not accept, as he felt it should be given to someone j more competent. If they were mis-represented in the I-lauvihang-i division, it would not be the I fault of the County Council, but the fault of the j representative whom they had appointed to I watch over their interests. The Oldest Industry. I The Mayor proposed Success to Agriculture and the Pandy Ploughing Society." He said he had attended those gatherings for 25 years, and remarked that the president at their last meeting, in 1913, was his namesake, Mr. J. L. Wheatlev, who was the other day made a freeman of the city of Cardiff in recognition of his services. He (the Mayor) attended that ceremony, and invited Mr. Wheatley to De present on that occasion, but he asked him to make his apologies, as he had another engagement. Someone at that meeting in 19 1:3 said that he would sell a field of swedes for 6'd. He (the president) put the money down, but lie had never had the swedes yet. (Laughter!. The President paid a tribute to the officials for the manner in which the society had been managed, and which had enabled it to go on for 48 years, and they were indeoted to them for the enthusiasm and time they had put into the work. Agriculture was the oldest industry, and everything came from the land. Those who worked on the land were working on the most valuable asset in the world. He was struck with the excellent work of the competitors in the ploughing calsses, and also with the promising horses which had been shown. They wanted the men who had come back from the war to show the same enthusiasm in helping on the work of reconstruction as they had shown in defeating the enemy. He coupled with the toast the names of Mr. Allen James and Mr. Warren Davies. Mr. Allen James responded in his inimitable style, and remarked that he would not sell swedes for 6^d. this time, but he would sell two acres for -1d. His son was unfortunate enough to use the same field for roots, and he had a good portion with not one leaf on it. Referring to the facilities for the weighing of stock at Aberga- venny, Mr. James said that last Tuesday week he never saw such a muddle. Several cars and motor lorries were held up while the weighing was going on at the machine in Lion-street. He suggested that the Town Council should see the weighing machine at Newport, which was a pleasure to look at. He had judged ploughing at 67 meetings and had himself taken 117 prizes, and he could assure them that the exhibition that day was first-class. Agriculture and Eight Hours System. I Mr. Warren Davies, in responding, said. that the Government policy in regard to agriculture had had the eftect of driving some of the most practical agriculturists to sell up and get out of the business. There was no doubt that the cost of production could not be less than the rate of wages. There was an idea among certain sec- tions of the Labour party that they could get more out of production than they put into it, and that this happy result might be accomplished bv Labour control of politics as well as trade. He thought they would agree that there ivas a limit to the power of the 'Labour dictators. No dictator could get a quart out of a pint measure. The eight hours enactment as applied to agri- culture was one of the most iniquitous measures put upon the Statute Book. They would all admit that labour deserved to be better paid than it had been in the past. The labourer was as worthy of his hire in the agricultural industry as in any other industry, but still agriculture could not be worked on the eight hour system. It was a great hardship on the small poor farmer. He could not pay more wages than the land would produce. It was up to them as agri- culturists to do all in their power to increase production and pay the labourer every penny they could. because he was the backbone of England. They had been told that the nation was on the verge of national bankruptcy and there was only one way to re-establish them- selves, and that was for everyone to work hard and put all the enthusiasm into their work they possibly could. The Mayor, referring to the weighing facilities at the Abergavenny Cattle Market, said that the Town Council bought a machine which did not act. At the Royal Show at Cardiff there was a clock dial machine put up by Avery's, which was reckoned to be the very latest type, and Abergavenny not only went to see it, but actually bought the machine, as they were de- termined to get the best that could be produced. An order was given on the ground for the delivery of the machine direct to Al ergavenny, but by some unfortunate circumstance it caught fire and was damaged, and had to go back to the works to be reconstructed. They hoped be fore long to have this machine in the market. He hoped they would wait patiently a little longer and they would have a machine worthy of the market. Beef For The People. I Mr. Joseph Griffiths proposed The Donors I of Prizes," and specially mentioned Mrs. Att- wood-Mathews, who had usually given one prize and had this year given two. They were asked to produce more meat, but the farmer, when he considered the prices, had to think what he could do. The price of store cattle was very low and the price of beef was 79S. per cwt. Was it possible they could go on feeding their cattle, when hay was /15 per ton, straw f*8 per ton, and the price fixed for the root crop was £8 per ton. There was no man who would attempt to produce beef at 8os. per cwi. when the price of feeding stuffs was so high. He trusted, however, that whatever their difficulties might be they would show themselves loyal subjects and stick to it, if they lost money. It would be better, from a financial point of view, to sell store cattle at the price they were than to produce beef, but that would not be showing themselves loyal citizens and true men. Let them produce meat for the people and show that England was still going to be a self-supporting country. The Mayor and Mr. R. J. Nott responded, and the latter proposed the health of the President, the toast being accorded musical honours. The President appropriately responded and said he appreciated the kind reception he had always received at Pandy. Mr. Edgar Sayce proposed the toast of The Judges," and Mr. D. Bowen, in responding, said that the ploughing in every class was very creditable. In the class for boys under 18 the work varied so much that the competitor they originally put first they placed third, after going over the field, and the third was placed first. In the open class he regretted there were not more competitors. He had seen as many as 21 in that class in the days when he used to compete. The winner in the farmers' sons class was the best ploughman on the field. I Mr. Baynam, who also responded, said there were as good roots in that district as were to be I found in any part of Monmouthshire or Here- fordshire. They'were clean and well cultivated. In the horse classes there was much credit due I to the young men for the manner in which they turned out their animals. Other toasts honoured included the vice- presidents, secretary, owner of the land, etc.

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