Levin State Farm.

Manawatu Herald, 27 February 1896, Page 3

Levin State Farm.

" One of the Straggling Settlers of Levin " writes to the Post pointing oat that in the course of his speech to the Chriatchurch electors the Premier advocated an amendment of the law providing that the current rate of wages must be paid by contractors. " How can the Premier have the front to proclaim that statement," asks our correspondent, <• when here in Levin the wages that the Government pay on the State Farm for cutting firewood are not ourr^ -wages in that district for the same work ?" The State Farm the writer states, is a curse to the settlers in the village settlement block adjoining, because the Government is competing against them and selling wood to the wood and coal yard 3 in Wellington for less than those can do who pay the current wage. It is also costing the colony more to cut and load a truck of firewood than any of the settlers. Another thing, the horses from the State farm which took a prize at the Palmerston Show are being hired out to a farmer (presumably of the " right colour "), thereby taking bread from the mouths of settlers who have horses to hire, and who have to pay indirectly for any loss incurred in the experiment of the State Farm. The straggling settler concludes with a hope that the day of reckoning, when the existing so-called " working man's Government " will be no more, will speedily arrive.