“A POOR COUNTRY.”

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4592, 30 July 1923, Page 4

“A POOR COUNTRY.”

♦— . HARDSHIP IN TARANAKI. ——■— i The prevailing opinion regarding > the prosperity of Taranaki was some- : what disturbed by views expressed by i the chairman of the Taranaki Hos- | pital Board (Mn M. Fraser), in a | speech as a member of a deputation | i that waited on the Prime Minister recently on the subject ct hospital subsidies. “We have a population of 30,000, | and a large number of wasters among I them,” said Mr Fraser, “ We have to keep them and their wives and children. We are not allowed to call it charitable aid, but it costs us a couple of thousand a year. Taranaki is prosperous, but it, consists of very small holdings, with poor men, loaded to death with mortgages,, and with I having to pay land taxes. On account I of the nature of the country the roads I are hard to keep in order. Farmers are perishing under the taxation the 1 / have to pay for the upkeep bf the roads. Last year we went behind £7OOO, and we had to borrow it. When we struck a rate of 3d extra, we had 16 county and borough councils at us like roaring lions. They said they could not stand any more taxes. AlI though we send enormous supplies T butter away, we think that, thougn Taranaki is prosperous, they bought the land too dear. When we ask for necessaries for hospitals, they ,say, ‘ For God’s sake, leave us ! ’ ”