New Zealand Band Jobbing.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 25, 30 December 1884, Page 4

New Zealand Band Jobbing.

-» {London Mark Lane Express) It is desirable, not for the first time, to point out that land-jobbing has been the curse of all new coun, tries. In New Zealand more than any other country, the evil is intensified by the introduction of the landlord— and- tenant system, which ought to be avoided as a pestilence m all new countries. It may appear advantageous to the individual farmer sometimes to hire land instead of buying it, but m the long run it must prove a great mistake. A landlord is, almost by necessity, a parasite who draws the life-blood of agricultural iudustry, unless he is made a rent-charger pure and simple, without power to raise rent or to interfere m any way with the tenant's enterprise. All letting of land except by the State, should be prohibited by law m our colonies, and all owning, too, except for occupation — If private ownership should be allowed at all. Whatever may be said about Land Nationalisation m this country, it is admitted by many of the most thoughtful of adverse critics of Mr. Wallace and Mr George that it \ would be highly advantageous for our colonies. If it had been adopted m New Zealand when the country was colonised, the whole of the people would have shared m the prosperity that has been monopolised by the great land-jobbers and the great run-holders. Stfll, if occupying ownership alone were allowed, to the exclusion of dummyism, a great step towards the prevention of land-jobbing would be taken. There must be something rotten m the conditions of society when a fertile island like New Zealand cannot keep its whole population m comfort. The island produces more than the people require, except a few manufactures and articles of luxury, which can be exchanged for exports. It may be that there are more distributors of commodities than the colony requires, which accounts m part for the commercial depression. .There are also loafers from England who would not get a living anywhere ; but it has been chiefly the speculators m land, including the great bankers, who are kings of land-jobbers m New Zealand, who have taken the gilt off the gingerbread.