ASSISTING FARM WORKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 167, 2 December 1912, Page 4

ASSISTING FARM WORKERS.

Mr. Massey is apparently convinced thai the shortage of farm labor is not to be Met toy immigration; but that men must be encouraged to take up country life by the conditions being made more attractive (remarks the Southland News). Replying to an Auckland deputation, the Prime .Minister said that "if any local body or organisation of farmers showed that there was any room to do so, the Government would take over land and provide for each worker a residence upon a suflicient area of land for profitable occupation. All that would be required would be a guarantee that interest and sinking fund upon the outky would be forthcoming." While the idea is not entirely new, even so far as New Zealand is concerned, Mr. Massey deserves every credit for advoca-ting it. It is certain that the tiue solution of the labor problem lies in some such action. The trend of population to the towns lias long since been considered one of the greatest disadvantages to the Dominion, and nearly every economic trouble may be traced to this desire to be where life is most evident. In Denmark recent legislation gives facilities for the poorest class of the population—hired men on the farms —to become landowners. The Government lends nine-tenths of the price of the farm—provided the whole amount be not more than £4so—and allows a lifetime and more for repayment. Under the terms of this excellent law more than four thousand tiny farms have been formed, with an average of seven and a half acres. Moreover, as private servants are not voters in Denmark unless they own property, some four thousand hired men have thus obtained the franchise. In this way has Denmark settled the labor difficulty and increased productiveness in one operation. We have, been slow to move in this matter in Xew Zealand; but many years ago Mr. Seddon proposed labor colonics on lines similar to those existing in England. The Marquis of Lincolnshire has let a portion of his estate in small holdings to farm laborers, who keep cows and ofcher- , wise supplement their earnings. They exist on areas as small as 'en acres of land of such moderate that its rent value commercially is 12s an acre, the rent in the country for good land being generally about 30s. The application of this system to the Folution of the labor difficulty in the Dominion is, apparently, left for Mi'. Massey, and we believe it will be a success provided there are provisions which compel a man thus assisted to keep up a tolerable home by what he can earn in the busy farming season and amplify by the produce from his own holding. There should be no restriction placed upon such a man becoming a small, farmer and an employer of labor; but there certainly should bo a complete understanding between the Government and himself that he is not to be satisfied with a more pittance while time and opportunity for work offer. Discretion will have to be used as to who shall be assisted in this manner, and altogether vdry strict regulations will have to be put into operation to keep the scheme from proving a failure. Still, there is no reason why, if care be exercised, the proposal made by Mr. Massey should not succeed, and there seems every reason to anticipate (concludes our contemporary) that it, will mitigate to a considerable extent the present labor difficulty.