THE LAND QUESTION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1808, 27 October 1888, Page 3

THE LAND QUESTION.

Mr N. Wood, an Audklander, "writing from England to the Auckland Herald, says -.—There is nothing itrikes me more forcibly as the price of land and -rents in England as compared with New Zealand, and •specially Auckland. This is what giTes such solid comfort and stability to England. Eents »r? as low in the Bull Eing, Birmingham, as they are ' in Queen street, Auckland; the former with its 500,000 population, not counting the teeming thousands which pour in weekly from' surrounding . country towns, the latter with its '60,000 more or less, and its position at the outside of the world. The mere comparison is absurd, and the inflated values we hare been pleased to put on land cannot be sustained; they'must come down. The competition in trade will not allow the profits to pay exorbitant and extortionate rents, whether in town or country. Prime farms are being let about seventeen miles out of Birmingham at 26s per acre, and nothing to do but go in and crop. Eight miles out of Birmingham the freehold of excellent farms can be purchased cheaper, than they ean eight miles out of Auckland. Farmers on small lots can do better at home than in the colony. It's no use lecturing there on emigration, unless much greater attractions can he offered than at present. No matter.what a man has to dispose of there, he has a market at his doors, at -i some price. There are thousands of acres of land in the Waikato lying, idle-—and likely to do ■ so, for if a purchaser comes along, such a price is asked as will not allow him, if he buye, to get salt for his porridge out •f it. It will pay the Government to gi?e Mr Dixon's Emigration Society free Grown grants if it will bring ■terliag men aid English capital into the country.