AN OBJECT-LESSON FROM SPAIN.
To the Editor. Sir, —The British Parliament is gencr- • ally regarded as the model Parliament of the world, but, judged by its fruits, the present Campbell-Baunerman Ministry, backed by a huge majority, hardly deserves so high an honour. For wise progressive legislation our statesmen at f llomc might leuru n lesson from the policy inaugurated by the Conservative Ministry of Senor Maura in Spain. 111 the short session just drawing tp a close some valuable measures will have been ' placed by the Cortes on the Spanish - statute-book. Amongst these two are 1 of espeeial interest to all students of ; political economy. One provides for the interior colonisation of Spain—that is to say, it proposes to settle on the sparsely-populated portions of the soil people chosen from the more congested districts, the object being to check emigration and to repeoplc those portions of Spanish territory almost deserted. The lands of the State where population is thin will be divided into holdings suDicient to maintain a family; a credit fund will be opened to provide for the new colonists until their farms become reproductive, and after five years those who satisfy the conditions of the law will become owners of their farms. A co-operative organisation is
to be formed amongst the new settlers for mutual aid in working their farms and in disposing of their produce. The land of Scotland, Campbell-Bajn Herman's own country, is said to be in the hands of eleven men, and in England it is owned by one hundred and fifty. No wonder the people migrate from tile rural districts to the centres where many eventually gravitate towards the slums. In Ireland W e sei\ the popualtion forced to eke out an existence upon the hillsides of Donegal from a soil not rich enough to feed" a Snipe; or hemmed 111 amongst llie mountains of C'onnemara or Kerry and compelled to live in huts not better sometimes than a Maori whnre. Wliv does not the Government, following the good example set, by tile Spanish "Ministry, transplant the people from those birrcn congested district, 011 to the rich and fertile portions now devoted to the roaring oF cattle and sheep? No wonder discontent prevails, and 110 wonder
the tide of emigration goes on increasing from year to year! 1 Docs not such i a state of affairs liriTi<* to our minds I the famous linos of Goldsmithl
"Til fares the land and to hastening ills a prey "Where wealth accumulates and men decay." And again "A bold peasantry their eountyr's pride"Where once 'destroyed can never be supplied." —I am. etc., OBSERVER, j
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Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 30 September 1907, Page 2
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437AN OBJECT-LESSON FROM SPAIN. Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 30 September 1907, Page 2
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