The Land Question.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 27, 13 August 1887, Page 4

The Land Question.

;To rax Editob.;

Sib, —There will be in the near future a terrible struggle between the land* owner and the poor, and now is the time to strike the blow at Land monoply for the sake of our families and ourselves, and it must be done immediately. Where are the Political Societies, which were to do so much ? Have they gone to sleep, or have they sunk into oblivion ? By these Societies) and through no other channel, can the noor get justice, and i trust that they will think before they cast away their birthright to the dogs. We see the Emerald of the Sea (Ire* land) sunk in poverty and degradation, through what? Through the landlords monopolizing the country and letting the land to farmers at prices that, work ever so hard, they cannot pay the rent, and so it will be in New Zealand. Let us just look around us here in this little corner of New Zealand and count the number of farms from Te Karaka to Gisborne, the number of owners, the acreage and the distance, the number of hand? employed during the year, the outlay in paying these farm servants, the profits after the new year has come, the amount of foreign capital bor. rowed, and the amount of interest sent away to foreign countries. Let us say the distance from Te Karaka ii close on twenty miles. The numbei of farms as we come down the bi| river on the left bank is nil. Ther calculate the number of runs. The;

are five in number, held by five runholders, The whole of these employ only about one man each the whole year round, and as they can get boys cheaper than men they frequently get them instead, and only in sheep shearing time do they increase the number of hands. "What are the profits of these great Lords of the Manor? "Why, nil. But how can that be, considering they employ no labor and get a good crop of wool? Because they cannot employ labor and improve their runs, so these large holdings are unproductive and the little returns that are coming are hastily shipped away to pay the interest which, perhaps, is long overdue, and so this beautiful district is closed up, and instead of supporting fully 5000 happy and prosperous families, and bringing a large revenue to the country, they are absolutely ruining the ?lace and keeping the land closed, tis a glorious thing to be a sheepfarmer ; living on the fat of the sheep, certainly not on the fat of the land. Let us know your opinion as to the best candidate to pledge for ; one who will work honestly for the settlement on the land by the people at large and not have it remain in the possession of a privileged few.—l am &c, Bonus.