The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Squal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 1892.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3065, 8 March 1892, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Squal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 1892.

Mr Ballance has expressed the intention of establishing "Industrial Farms." The idea stated broadly is to give employment on these to men during the time they may be out of work. He does not give any details of the scheme, further than that every facility is to be given to the men to leave at any time and take ordinary employment when it offers. Ho pointed out that the evil to be mot is not the absonce of employment altogether but its uncertainty. Tue result being that men during the frequently recurring periods of enforced idleness get into ilebt and have a lot of lee-way to make up when they get a job. The theory is an excellent one if the details will work out. In the first place there would be no excuse for men to remain idle, and those who have the management of the Charitable Aid sjstoin would have an uaiinswerable poser ready for the class which will not work if they can exist, no matter how uncomfortably without submitting to the consequences of the sin of our first parents. We, however, see what appear to be sorious difficulties in the way. It is understood of course that the pay on the Government farm would be considerably lower chan that otherwise obtainable for the same work. Again the produce of the farm must not compete in the market with that produced privately, this would prevent the system of working which appears to be most feasible, considering the mixed class of the labour that would be at the disposal of the manager. That would undoubcedly be the growing of vegetables for

the supply of the neighbouring towns. The industry is already dome what overdone and as a natural consequence the prices realised are riot a i'air return for the labour employed. This, however, is the only lino in which the prices depends upon local markets, that of imperishable farm produce will depend for many years to come on that prevailing in the markets of the world, so that no objection to the growth of such produce could be raised. One argument in favour of the scheme is that it might probably have the effect of giving the unsuccessful townsmen a taste for a country life and lead to their taking situations on farms so soon as they had served their apprenticeship on the Government land. The ovil the proposal is meant to remedy is unquestionably a serious one. It is imperative that each farm shall pay its own expenses, and it should do this if too high wages are not paid in order to gain popularity for those who will have to pay them in the name and out of. the pockets of the people. We confess that we are unable to suggest a practical means of carrying out the scheme on tho lines we have laid down, if Mr Ballance can do so ho will have our cordial support as he will that of the great majority of the people.