BACK TO THE LAND.

Otaki Mail, 1 August 1923, Page 3

BACK TO THE LAND.

THE UiUFT TO THE ClTlEts. WELLINGTON, July 3). HpeaJiiitg at tlie Fanners' Eriiou Confei'efice Hits niorniug, the DoiiHniou President, Mr \Y. i. Poison referred to tlie drift oi population to tile towns He said: "No very accurate figures are available because', as tlie New Zealand Year Bouk puitns out. lor population, purposes dependent town utstriets have their figures itic.mded in tilt' counties in which tbey li-e, While itulependerit town districtx j find boroughs are excluded. Lndar i the old rneiiiud of computing urban j £i[td rural population, however, both* classes of town district are ElCluded in i the county t; f '"“‘., as n, the following j 'Hu.e showing the percentage oi tu ■ i bail and rural population at each ten- ; sus since is-sl :

The deficient fractional percentage is due to those travelling on board Blip on census night. Actually, the figures do not theiefoce represent, the true situation, nut the steady drift to tlie cities is sufficiently apparentW Gentlemen, one of the objects for which this I'nion was formed was to stem this tide. There is ctily one weapon w'nicb we con employ—the weapon of closer settlement. Our slogan should be ‘-.-fettle the Land.’ Bui it is not enough to stand and :iy ■nu in the tnnfket place. NVe must see -hat all the machinery,for closer se-t-Beinent exists. Farming must ltd made a. popular calling, its science must be fully imparted to our young men ■ greater opportunities uniM he gfv&n to these who w ish to work tho land: the iarge hold mg must place to the small. Tho i. those quest tons pronOsaß as formulatf* verv - jh c- lecLoik minimum dmiirJnL -!-- , TEN’S Garbadine Bam Coats, great [ [ ' vf-l’jc, 32/fi, and Sf>/'6, a*. BIIL -t i AND MOORE’-’- SALT.,

Pen:outage ol Cells Us Population. veal. C'juiuies. Borougiia. 1881 59.4 38. y 1886 1)6.6 1891 86.1 43.1 1896 1901 55.7 5-1.0 43.7 45-3 1906 1911 51.6 49.4 . 8 50.1 1916 45.6 53.3 1921 48.6 56.0