THE LAND QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 March 1917, Page 7

THE LAND QUESTION.

To the Editor. Sir,—ln your issqe of the 26th inst., there appears a letter headed, ''The Wealth of Taranaki," signed by Mr. J. B. Simpson. The whole trend of the letter is the important burning land question of this Dominion; especially does it effect-the prosperity of Taranaki and the man on the land, where the uncongenial work of milking cows predominates and a big percentage of the farmers and their families are working fifteen hoi re a day practically all the year round for little more than a bare living. Everything is swallowed up in dear land and big mortgages. And the amusing part (if it were not so pathetic) that in spite of the glaring disabilities and conditions farmer*? are laboring under the majority of them favor the freehold. Evon that highly intelligent and non-progressive organisation, the Farmers' Union,, supposed leader and mouthpiece of the farmer, is strongly in favor of it if it paid more attention to the farmers' circumstances, terms, and conditions he is working under. Then set to work and advocate! a fair rent bill, or some other reform to lighten his liability on the land. It would be doing domething pi real benefit for the energetically keeping a zealous eye on working men's unions. Tinder tlie circumstances I am quite in accord with Mr Simpson's sentiments re nationalisation as a remedy for the ills the average farmer in this country is laboring under. It will do away with the main cause—speculation—that is the root of the whole trouble. Sweep that away and the farmers will settle down as genuine tillers of the soil, paying fair rents for the land they occupy, instead of being rack-rented slaves to the mortgagers all their lives, their only hope being in waiting- for a bigger fool than themselves to come along and buy them out. That is what it amounts to at the present time—selling out. The big majority of farms are always on the market, eitfcer private or public. There is no money made in milking cows, the average fanner will inform yon, in spite of the big'prices for butterfat. Is it any wonder farmers are discontented and confirmed speculators, and up in arms against the butter tax or any other tax! The poor devils want ail tliev can get. Even at 2s a lb buttor fat they would not be rolling in the lap of luyiiry. Reformers farmers' unions arid others—barracked strongly for freehold and a bit more in the shape of bigger mortgages and exorbant rents. Bah! Freehold in this province is a myth and », mockery, a catchword to trap the ignorant and the unwary. The sooner the Government, and the Farmers' Union tackle the land problem and do away with all tlie trafficing in farm land, the better it will be for the Dominion and the man that works the farm.—l am, etc., OMATA. '