LAND, LABOUR AND MORTGAGES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2718, 8 April 1924, Page 4

LAND, LABOUR AND MORTGAGES.

COURTING THE WORKING FARMER, The socialist Labour Party of New Zealand evidently lakes the working farmer to be a country lass who can be one with many soft words and most fulsome promises. Of course, if the promises are incapable of fulfillment, no action for breach of promise can lie against this unscrupulous wooer as the party is responsible to none but himself. The first promise made is that the Socialist Party will supply a systehr of land tenure which will relieve the working farmer of all his trouble. Here it is from the party’s l programme: — “A land tenure based on occupancy and use, which shall secure to the working farmter the full fruits of his labour and exertions.” What the word “exertions” there means, no man knoweth. W hen asked if this tenure is a freehold or leasehold Mi’. H. E. Holland, M.P. and his colleagues decline to say. “It is a tenure of occupancy and use,” is all they will answer. Farmers know that both freeholders and leaseholders occupy and use—what,, then, is thus new undefined tenure? It is promised to give the working farmer “the. full fruits of his labour” but- how. is he to know that it will do so unless it is explained what the*’ tenure means? If the conditions of holding are those set out in other clauses of the programme. The state to fix the price of all land, prohibit all private sale or transfer, and only allow surrender to the State at its own price—what sort of tenure is that?

. No attempt is ever made to show how such holding will ensure to the working farmer the full fruits of his labour. In order that any one may get the full fruits of his labour from land he must do more “than occupy and use the land. He must have working capital; he must have implements and machinery of production; use judgement in his purchasing and in the application of his mental and physical powers and even then, the conditions,of markets outside his control may deny him the full fruits of his labour. This fulsome promise of the Labour Party is seen, on examination, to be mere political cant and humbug.

Another promise being made by Messrs Holland, Parry and other Red speakers, is that if their party is only supported they will relieve the working farmers of I heir burden of mortgages. They ignore the fact that tlie mortgagor has. the benefit of the money which the mortgage represents and could not otherwise have obtained it. This promise of general release from mortgages is wickedly cruel unless the party can show definitely bow it is going to be done. There is absolutely nothing in the party’s platform which defines any plan for such release. The nearest approach to any tangible proposal is in these general terms “The elimination of exploitation of the working farmer by the institution of a State Bank.”- No bank however, State or otherwise, will lend money on land or chattels without a mortgage. We observe that the speakers for. this party make a good deal of Australia having a State Bank, but they fail entirely to show that Australian farmers arc any belter off than those in New Zealand, nor do they suggest even that there are .fewer farms mortgaged in Australia.

Whilst we recognise that many farmers have heavy burdens to carry there is still a good (leal of nonsense attached' to the declamation of the Red speakers who recites the total number and value of mortgages in the Dominion with the suggestion that all such advances are a burden and a curse upon the working farmers. There are thousands of persons in town and country doing well to-day who get the money for their first start by way of mortgage.

The question of cheaper money and greater advances where needed, are practical issues to be handled on the basis of actual facts. What is most reprehensible in the Red Party’s proclamations is the fact that there is nothing but promises and class diatribes. Its programme consists simply of generalities and its appeal is only the political claptrap of “trust ms and we will give you all you want.” The working fafiner is talked to as if he were a country clod who knew nothing arid particularly on the land question. Contributed by tlm NZ. Welfare League.