“ON THE" IN ENGLAND.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 7, 8 January 1914, Page 8

“ON THE" IN ENGLAND .

TARANAKI FARMER’S VIEWS. NO SYMPATHY FOR TENANT. Mr and Mrs’H. 11. Jenkins, of El--liani, whose return from a trip abroad vas chronicled in yesterday’s issue of :he “Evening Post,” embraced Anieria in their travels and stayed for some ime with friends in Monterey, Calii'orda. Previous to that, they did a real deal of motor-touring in the Oh! .'ountry, and Mr Jenkins, whose reord as a dairy farmer in Taranaki is .ell known, had some fresh views re;arding conditions on the land there o express to the London correspondnt of the Wellington Evening Post, s for the much maligned landlords, ir Jenkins considers they are gencrlly “real gentlemen in every sense of he word,” being generous to a fault. Uthough Conservative in politics and ot agreeing with Air Lloyd Cleorgv ;enerally,‘he does see eye to- eye with he Chancellor in regard to the wages aid to agricultural labourers, which. .0 considers “scandalous.” lint ho is acliucd to lay the blame at the door f the tenant’ farmer, and ho writes’ varmly on the subject: “I have no ympathy for this individual. He rarely akos off his coat to work; in fact aerial work seems to he far beneath ini. He lives well, drosses well, ocps his cellar ,well stocked with ales ml spirits, smokes good cigars, and ponds liis time, visiting markets.'When here his time is spent gossiping and Linking at the village inn, while his ■mployeos work his land for the mis rahle pittance of from 12s (Id to 18s >er week and find their own hoard, dso cottage rent. This means that he land is really loaded with two landorcls instead of one. In the colonies he farmer, or landowner—as he is in | mst cases—is the hardest worker on he land, and he leads his men to work j n the fields. He dresses no bettor I ban they do, and lives no better, for n most cases’ the labourer lives with he farmer and hoards at the same able, hut ho gets from 25s to £2 per rock and his entire keep. The above ■mnnrks are facts, for I have spent ix months of my time in England Muongst tenant farmers, and I know vhat I say to he correct.” THE COST OF LIVING.

o,n til? 1 evergreen question of the omparative cost of living in England iml in Xew Zealand, Mr Jenkins says: : ‘W!ien in Xew Zealand I always nnIcrstoof! living was much cheaper in England than in my own country, hut ince visiting it I have found things rather the reverse. It is this way. We in , Xew Zealand produce everyhing. Wo can liny the best of fresh neat from 4’d to 6d per pound; in England it is anything from 10d to Is; frozen meat which is shipped front Xew Zealand half of above price. In ■egard to bread, England lias an ad-] vantage,of about ; l ;l per lb. Good but- j ‘■or, winch wo get in Xew Zealand for J ’s, is rllmosf unknown. Margarine is I from 6d to 8d per lb, but margarine I i- not ImtteV. Vegetables are all cliea- j ner in Xew Zealand, also fruit. Oat- « ueal. rice, save, flour, eggs', sugar and ma are about the same. Bacon in New Zealand is about half the cost of bacon \ hi England. i “Clothing is a little cheaper ; hut j then again Xew Zealand produces her | own wool.and manufactures her own i dothing; and if we in Xew Zealand i 'Wild ho satisfied with that wo could j Boss for about the same as in Eng- j land ; but we must have our Irish, Eng- j lish and Scotch tweeds, and these, of j "oursc, cost us more ou account of freight and duty. Boots are fully 40 per cent, cheaper in England. On the whole, T have fonped the firm opinion that living in Xew Zealand is quite 10 per cent, cheaper than in Great Britain, hut wages arc 100 per cent, better, so why, instead of trying to force . rhe people on the land here, not en- : < oarage them to go to the colonies.”