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Hokitika Guardian, 10 February 1928, Page 2

Accouiiixo to an exchange, every Imrden (hal is added to the load carried by the primary producer is n direct reduction of the margin upon which be lives, and Is a discouragement of ■irima rv product ion It is to (bis inleasing cost, and the resultant curtailment ol the primary producers’ means ot extending his »'s>erati(Mis, that one must ascribe the fact that orimary pmduotin has not expanded as.- in a country like ours, it ought to have done. How important it is to maintain primary production may he ■indcrstood from tin' fact that wind keeps the Dominion going is the 60 millions sterling that we got from our aistornl and agricultural products. The surest wav ol ensuring an expansion of llic return from labour and capital used on the land is to I'odnoo the burdens Upon rural industry, and the Dominion's policy ought to be mainlv directed to this end. Nothing else, from the economic standpoint, is half so important as this. Admitting this to be the case (and it is stated by a Reform journal) it would iippear flint "e are tiaclc to- the old starting point ol a definite land policy jo increase the volume of production. Mr Massey and his Ministry broke away from the Liberal Land Policy. In that (hey were consistent, because the land policy of the Liberals had been opposed at every stage by the then Opposition. Put the alternative or substitute which Mr Massey attempted, has led the country mi from bad to worse, till the land policy of the Government of to-day. is in essence a negative policy, t-reat praise has boon meted out to the present Minister of Lands, who is regarded as the strongest man in the Reform Ministry. Vet Mr McLeod has failed to grapple with the situation, and has even confessed his inability to- do so. Vet there is no more important question facing the country if it is to escape with any assurance from the slough of difficulty in which il finds itself. There is the need for n vigorous land policy not only for more production, but to relieve the unemployment problem in the most practical form possible. There is the complaint that teo many people have heen brought to New Zealand of late, but if land were provided for settlement the very liest class of settlor would come, and be a producer and employer in one, without going into rivalry with those already seeking employment in this country. Land being the source of all wealth should lie ivtilsed to produce that wealth in the most practical way possible.