WAR PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 249, 9 July 1918, Page 6

WAR PROBLEMS

Sir, —In a recent jsstio you publish ci very interesting letter on war problems over the signature of "Citizen." I'our correspondent is mainly concerned over the problem of housinji; fno families of farmers, who will leave their farms and come into town. But there is another class, and a class representing iu tho aggregate probably greater economic interests. I refer to that nnuierciis class of working farmers who cannot possibly; afford to let their families live in town, under present conditions; nor are they able lo afford io pay a manager, tlio holding .usually being too small or too much encumbered to afford such an err pensive luxury as a manager. iS'or havo they, in only too many cases, a ghost; of a chance of leasing their farms, because the rants of those eligible to become lessees are too thin to go round.. Only experienced farmers havo a chancu of malting a do of it on the farm, and these, in 'the near future, will be very scarce. There.is a typical case in point that will probably be reproduced all over Now Zealand. In a certain district is a. small factory whoso suppliers are nearly all in the Second Division. Several of them have already been balloted, and will havo to go into camp before the iiext season, opens. Of the others, one is a widow whose only son fell in Flanders last April. Siio and a daughter are managing the farm as best they can. Another supplier has recently died, leaving .1 widow well up in years. The only son. is due in camp next month. The only ones now left to manage_ a dairy of W cows and a. flock of sheep besides, ore the said aged widow and a very delicate* • daughter of about 18. There is tlio son's: wife, but she need not stay afld holui unless she likes. JN'ow, none of these can. afford to keep a manager. Some havo had their places in the market without result. Probably all of them have-heavy payments of interest to make. But before next season is over/they will proii- '■■■ ably, unless the unexpected occurs, bei away a't the iront. What is ,to become, of those left behind? Who is to pay their interest? Who is to milk theircows? 'Die separation allowance will probably keep tho families while tlio war is on; but what is 'to happen when • the husband comes back? Is it to bo a repetition of what happened about two years ago to a settler who came back | an invalid to hud that the mortgagee, had foreclosed, and the manager had. sold out the stock and decamped with, the money? Several ways out suggest themselves. Make a regulation that tho last man. must not leave the farm. That is open to the objection that it would make the farmers the moat hated class in tho community. The average man in the street doe's not realise that "General Hunger" is a far more formidable enemy than General Hiudenburg. And that if the farmer goes to tuo front, the people in town will soon find themselves without food. Another alternative is to let tho State assume tho responsibility of paying up the interest. This means, an: expenditure of between one and two million pounds a year. Tho next expedient, 'would 1m to declare a moratorium on., both trade and ordinary mortgages. The last expedient, and by far .tho easiest one, would bo to let things slide. Just go on without doing anything except having a furious donate m the House, like they did about, the cost of. living. The end will then bo that themortgagecs will foreclose and'sell up tlio farms to moneyed men, who will. in. most cases, turn the farms ;rlo sheep and cattlo stations rather than be bothered with decrepit returned soldiers and their wives and' children. Or, wheriS it will pay better, let the farms out to tho highest bidder after the approvod Irish fashion, and in all human proliability with the same unhappy result.— I am, etc, H. C. THOMStfN. Cari'ingtbn, Carterton.