That State Farm.

Manawatu Herald, 27 June 1896, Page 2

That State Farm.

We are awaiting for the reply to Mr J. G. Wilson's question aboufc the financial part of the Levin State Farm, but have aa yet to wait. We notice, however, that an attempt to white - wash the management ha 9 been made by Mr Morrison in Parliament who spoke in high terms of the farm. He apparently laboured under the idea that the value of the land was contended, und he expressed surprise that a large crop of potatoes wa3 ob'ained therefrom. This is just the point which causes criticism, the land being so good and the returns so poor. We will not now go | into the question of how badly managed the farm has been, if there has been any management shown whatever. Ifc is a year ago -since we pointed out the incomprehensible position of the labourers employed thereon. Men were encouraged to get credit irom the local stores, to erect houses over which, when , erected, fche builder had no claim, nor even the persons who supplied fchemafcarial wherewith to erect them. Then it appeared a matter of favouritism as to who was taken on and how long they were allowed to remain on the farm. Last year the Hon Mr Reeves visited fche farm and stated he iutended having a greafc alteration made in the working and the labourers would have to go into co-oparative farming or would have to leave. They did neither. Who is fco blame for setting the Minister's orders aside ? As to the fact whether the farm pays or not, has, we claim, been admitted in the negative by fche Department; answerable for ifcs control, reducing the men's pay by one shilling a day. If this was necessary the manager must have found out that the farm was nofc paying at the original sum paid, thus endorsing our assertion, tor if there was not this excuse why, under such a liberal government, were men asked to work for four shillings a day ? It ia likely enough that the labourers cannot produce, out of the farm, an equivalent more than four shillings a day, and we shrewdly suspect they do not even do this, rich as the ground is, but that is the very reason why those who understand the management of land contend the present system at the State Farm wants re-organising and the occupiers placed on an independ ent footing. Until then fche colony will have to pay the piper for a very expensive fad.