The Daily News. MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1914. COUNTRY WORKERS' HOMES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 33, 29 June 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1914. COUNTRY WORKERS' HOMES.

"Tii(! .system of workers' homes lias been extended to the country districts. H is intended to submit legislation providing that the area of land attached to workers' homes shall in such cases 'be regulated according to its quality or producing power, the object of my advisers being to give as nianj',' workers as possible an opportunity of owning their own homes at reasonabl/ prices and on easy terms, with lam surrounding each home appropriate j the locality in which it is situate.!,' Such are the words in the Governq jj Speech delivered at tile opening of B 1 liament on Thursday last. This is i the first time by several thai the q/" ( tion of homes for country workers, a reasonable amount of land I has been brought before ParliaAt. The fact that it was to form ps the Liberal policy in no way mtytes . against the proposal; r»tlier d ( it ( suggest that any practical meas! <le- ' signed to carry out the prineipl/f a 'l j classes of workers being passed °f s their own homes with a fair ot land attached thereto should fe the , unanimous support of both sid°f the '■< House. There is really a < necessity for providing countijWorkers with an inducement to settl/own on . their own freehold than iithe case of the town workers. There of the . town is ever operating tdlraw the ' country workers citywards/nil where they have no ties or inters to hold them back it Is mostly onli matter of I when the exodus occur To pro- J vide country workers witl/ house they j 'can call their own is of' ae l£ a good { policy, but to add theretis much land I as they can profitably v.tf is a far bet- { tei proposition. Apart' l ' o " l the fact j that the workers will,/' such means, j have a stake in the Jntry, there is the additional inducemf to thrift, and a direct incentive to i/ke as much as possible out of their lUmgs. It may be that in some fewises the scheme will be a failure, but/iat is no reason why the opportunity ould not be plac- . Ed within the reach j the many. The experiments made in/'igland in this direction have excedf all expectations, and it has been foul that the cultivation of plots of lane>y the workers has a decidedly upliftif tendency, making the people happy jnd contented with their lot and addirj to their prosperity. There is no great< curse than lack of occupation, and p best citizens are those who not onl'work for profit, but for pleasure as ill. In reality, the scheme is a form'f peasant proprietorship which, if prierly carried out, will result in a grea increase of the productivity of the bminion. It is simply marvellous howjreat are the capabilities of small Jildings when the skill I and the will ofthe owners are rightly used. The fu? essential is that the land must be gained at a low price, and the next (at the terms shall be easy. Both tese points are stressed in the Cioverrt'ent's proposal. If the scheme is to bfaetually carried out, and not made to a( merely as a "vote catching" promise, hen the Government will be entitled toall the credit which such an excellent foposal demands. Unfortunately, it frequently happens that such proposae fail to eventuate, or, when passed; into law, hang fire for want of fumj. It is for the Government to alio}?its bona fides in this mat- ■ ter and set lie scheme on foot at the earliest opp(jtunity. Whatever money i-> involved-find there should be no niggardliness in this instance—should be fortheomiig. It is not like sinking ! thousands iijbuildings that produce no , return, for every penny expended on ; these horned will be reproductive in a : double meas re—directly by the repay- ( ments of tie workers, and indirectly ] by the produce raised on the land at- I tached to thj holdings. The great need . j of the comity districts will be met 'by j giving facilities and inducements to pco- i pie to settle down into a life of activity ' and contcntklness, therefore tlie pro- j posal is one that should meet with universal support as being in the best 'interests of the Dominiort. f