THE BASIS OF PROSPERITY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2648, 2 July 1889, Page 3

THE BASIS OF PROSPERITY.

to nil'. i:i)iToi:. Sil; - V successful and prosperous agricultural c.iiiiiiuuily is the only solid foundation in,, n which ;i Million can n-st. This .fact I -,s always b.r.n uc.ll known by the few, hut llii! many were ..fit dill'oio'il opinion. !i, iviiii believed ly them I lull manufactures Miwl commerce were tlio fiiiimlatinii of a nation's prosperity, lint thanks l.i the Kwc.icl .if Kduealion, and 'the dilTiisiun of knowledge, through that powerful and mighty instrument, vi',., tlib press, it is being recognised anil understood, that un]f:,s a nation lias :i broad, deep, and s'.rotig foundation based upon a prosperous and contented agricultural population, her manufactories and commercial establishments) will decay. Ifnr artisan* nnd laboring men will seek •employment in vain, and there will be deep and loud lamentations in her streets and lanes. The very fact of Us being almost universally acknowledged that prosperity depends upon the produce of the land, more than nil other occupations, is a great help indeed towards solving the great problem that has so long been wnitiiifl solution viz., the few becoming iiutiien.-e.ly rich while the many arc. becoming daily poorer. It was very "(Morally believed even a short time ago, and is believed by many at the present time, that a large population herded together in cities and tawns and a sparse • population cultivating the land, was the most desirable position for a country to be in ■ this, on the surface, looks plausible and reasonable, but if probed to the bottom will In found to be foolish and absurd. Labour :,j,plied to hind is the source of all wealth, then of a necessity must it follow that the more that are employed directly or in-d-reetly on agricultural pursuits, the more prosperous will that nation be. l'oi , the siiUc of argument we will take it for granted that agriculture is the basis of all wealth in this colony. Is it reasonable to suppose that less than twenty per cent, of people , tilling the. land, that i.--, the foundation, are able to support eighty per cent, living in the towns, that is, the .superstructure? This ponderous weight that agriculture is now carrying is crushing and destroying it, and if we destroy the foundation the whole fabric will collapse. It is possible to keep a rickety building up for a long time, if the foundation is not completely destroyed, by buttressing, screwing and bracing, but all the time more weight is being added to the foundation. The towns are growing and extending, _ while agriculture is almost stationary. This must c.mic to an end ere long, and if_ we are wise we must earnestly enquire into this matter for ourselves, it is of no use looking to mir wj-calbd statesmen to alter this '"" state of things. Shall we not be foolish if •i we look to them to pull that down which * has been no much to their benefit in erecting? Think you that those would ' I be the "richest who" have done the least '",'amount of work, if wo had just and ' lT'hteou.s lawn? The wealth that has and is""being produced by our agriculturists! lias iind i.-i being concentrated in the cities, or \v -iiotild ii'.t now behold their magnificent emporiums tilled with costly goods of every df..-cri|)ti.pii, not that the farmers may go in ,-iud purchase, but the merchants', proieisional men and those who arc fortunate in holding slices of city lands. Those have palatial residences filled with ali kinds of luxurious articles, whilst those who urn mainly instrumental in producing them in many cases have not the wherewithal to provide sufficient of the absolute comforts i»t modern civilised life. It is only necessary for one to go to some of our farm houses to sec that what I state is trin , , f.nd in many instances these same farm.-iv. are producing sullieient food to !;.,.p lifty or more people annually. Now if one man and his family can produce sullioiuut fouii to keep so many people, if they only got un equivalent for the food they supply they would be well off. The question arises where is the leakage? I should be glad if this was discussed in the coluins of your paper, which is ever at the service of the community among whom it CUClllatM.— Youts, &C. FaIIUUX,