TO MR BUST.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 258, 31 October 1890, Page 4

TO MR BUST.

(To the Editor.)

Sis,,— So Mr Bust has bid me a last adieu. I am very sorry he has pat himself to so much inconvenience hunting up eucb reliable (?) information. Ha might have spared hiiESfcif the trouble, aa I can assure that gentleman 1 was no more writing to him Shan he was to me. No doubt he will quite understand me no far. lam invited to toy lumping coal. Well, sir, that would be, as Mr Bust says, " very cheerful, invigorating and inspiring work,'' if they split a ton into seven parts. In reclaiming a bush farm we have to take lifts equalling nearer seven times seven tons in extracting the stumps which Mr Bust so truthfully (?) informs the public are still to be aeon on my farm. One field of 15 acres I laid down in grass last April had 300 days of one man's labour expended on it before it was fit to plough, and to give you an idea of the danger connocted with the latter, 1 broke a bone in my hand whilst engaged in ploughing it. I imagine were those parts left to men of Mr Bust's etamp, the bush would etill be standing las ib was 16 years ago, when purchased by me), where now are smiling tields of grass and corn. If Mr Bust has any desire to see what can bo accomplished in 16 yeara on a bush farm he will be able to do so by paying Pukftkohe a visit (nob Waikato, he is still out in hia locality, bub made a great hit in the wheat business). It' Mr Bust had asked the Mangero Farmers' Club, at the time ho Cold them "he knew they were producing at a loss," what it costs to grow wheat, he would not have made himself the laughing stock of tho whole community, but would have been told from £2 15s to £3 3s per acre, and that the prico realised this year was from 2s 6d to 2a lid per bushel, say 2s 3d, and an average of 18 bushels per acre ; and Mr Bust will see that instead of £400 profit on 200 acres of wheat I would have suffered a losa. Ife cost mo 24s per aero for seed wheat and manure this year, What lovely wages Mr Bust would have me pay—four shillings per acre less than nothing and the man find himself in food. It does not surprise me in the least, though, for I observe that Mr Bust is good at figures ! ! No doubt, he would find a way out of it, when, as he st:ifcea, " a man is defrauded by the rich of three parts of his earnings, outthird rcmaina for himself ! 1 "

The whole produce of tlio soi 1 truly belong to the men producing it, ■provided Cht capital employed in the same belongs to him, but if Mr Bust' were to invest two thousand pounds in a farm and pay o man tho wages demanded by the average mechanic, he would havo to work

very hard himself to get i.he eamo wages out of it, throwing his two thousand pounds into tho bargain. The country cannot pay tho wages demanded at present, and thtit is why I challenged Mr Bust's letter to the " aristocratic lumpers" and asked him a straightforward question, which he iias nevor attempted to ftnswor, so that the labourer could understand ; but he has referred me to tons of statistics, which proves that he has not the necessary information himself, or I should have been referred to book, chapter and verse, ivnd then would have found timo and ovory inclination,, to seek the evidence.

And now for a few parting words. Mr Bust profos&cs to want the equal distribution of 'wealth, but I want it in earnest, and ask in all fairness, " If the land ia the source of all wealth, what right bag any roan to demand ft higher wa«p fciion can be earned oa the land?" Mr Bust professes to be able to inako things " hum for the farmer, ,, ha can raiao the price of wheat to 3s 6d per bushel —on paper. Tho farmer ; however, cannot get it; he sold his at an average Qf 2a 9d last season. Mr Bust cau put in a crop of wheat for 20a per acre, covering all expenses. The farmer cannot do it. Is Mr Bust a relative of Bellamy ? The presienb rate of wages waa settled whon everything was at an inflated value—beef, 50s; butter, 2a 6d ; wheat 6a or 7e ; but now produce is down to a valuo which we are told is likely to remain, and everything will have to be regvilated by those prices, so wages must come* down. I am very glad Bust thinks 200 acres is enough land for any man. If so,' then why tell us all aboub those vast estates that we are given to understand he condemns— rather contradictory, looks as if two men had a hand in writing that part at least. In winding up this correspondence, I would tall Mr Busb that I have ro-read ray letters and fail to ccc anything either "bitter or illogical" in them. I have supported all my assertions with facts and figures which even his ability has failed to upsot. Oaae point I have misued yet. The sheep I quoted were the returns from a flock of over 40,000 of medium sheep. I have be«;n offered 7s each for Qeeces on some of my sheep this year, and can show some that have clipped fleaces valued at 10s, but that, is not the question. What will a quantity produce? and I again repeat ib will take nearly 2,000 sheep to give a return of £287 worth of wool. Mr Bust made a grave mistake in making the statement thab one man can look after the lot—-that is where the rub comee in. How many will he have to look after, and what will his returns be on a run without capital, if thoae are the true figures ? The outlay here represented includes thousand a of capital earned before either Mr Bust or I was born, and I have never nor shall ever lay claim to what Mr Bust's father earned. I have gained my point—that was to secure the hearing of the working tnasses, and leb them know how hard we farmers work for such little remuneration. Thab is the sole reason I addressed my letters to Mr Bust. I have never made a single inquiry with regard to that gentleman in any way, but if he wishes to know anything further aboub me than that he has already found out, I will refer him to very much reepecbed personal Mends of mine residing in Whangarei, also Ponsonby, well known to Mr Bust.

Thanking you, Mr Editor, for your courtesy in inserting all my communications re this subject (so important to farmers and the public in general) in their entirety, without recourse to the very frequently-used erasing pen,—l am, etc.,

J. Allen.

Hillside, Pukekohe.