REPLY TO MR CHEAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 214, 9 September 1891, Page 5

REPLY TO MR CHEAL.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,' —Kindly allow me space to reply to Mr Ci'ieal's letter upon the exodus of population, in which he "entirely dissents from Dr. LaLshley's assertion that want of land for small holdings is not a reason for people leaving - the country."

Mr Chsal, by a number of misleading statements, endeavours to give the idea that a cause of the exodus is the inability of the people to sret suitable sections fco settle on in l\ew Zealand, on account of the bulk of the good land being practically locked up.

I quit? agree with Mr C. that there are large areas of unimproved first-cl&ss land still in the hands of the natives, which, if available for settlement, would soon he taken up. Bub that any appreciable number of mill hands thrown out of employment through the stagnation of the timber trade, or any other unemployed, are in a position or anxious to take up and live upon these or any other lands, i;< a delu-ion. How many of them have cither the experience or capital to do so ? It is a popular delusion that anyone with a few pounds, if he takes up a piece of land, can become eventually a prosperous farmer.

In blissful ignorance men contemplating farm life say, " When a man gets a piece of laud, he can r/roir almost all ho wants. Ho cat) grow his own vegetables and fruit," they say, "make his own preserves, milk his own cow aiid make his own butter, while all the clothes he requires is a pair of moleskin trousers and shirt, and a pair of strong boots. If he has a wife and family, so much the better, they can rear a lob of poultry, look after bees, etc. And so in the delightful freedom of a healthy country life, they can live contented in a iand of milk and honey. All the farmers need be anxious about is to see that they get sufficient money together to pay their rent." But let us follow this delightful dream to its practical issue. Suppose a married man decides to leaso 200 acres of land, at Gd per acre rent, having £50 to start with. His first expense is six months' rent £2 10s, taking lsase £1 10a, total £4 ; it will Co3b him another £3 ab least getting on to his farm, total £7. Ho must build a wbare, for which ho will have to engage outside help, so that if he gets a whare to hold himself, family, and stores for £12, ifc is cheap; total £19. He must buy storoe at the rate of £1 10s worth per month —£9 for six months ; total, £28. Garden tools and £2; t.-ital, £30. He now probably } aba a cow and calf, £4 10s. After matting- the cow she probably rambled off iu:;o the hush, and two hours per day are lost looking for her, or else she gets into the garden and eats all the vegetables. So that a cattle-proof fence has to bo erected round the garden, and a couple of acres fenced, cleared and sown to keep the cow in. Tools . for this job would cost £2 ;'total, £36 10s. Time, singlehanded, to get fences up, six months. When the fence is finished grace seed must) he bought—cost £1. Seeoiid instalment of rent will be due, £2 10s ; rates and taxes, £1 ; total expenditure to date, £41.

A year passes before the grass grows. Meanwhile the farmer has many troubles. His cow goes dry some months before calving and cannot be kept at home, perhaps ramblea into the bush and is never seen aguin. Since starting he has invested, (.■ay, £4 in poultry and bees ; the poultry get into the garden and do a lot of damage, and they rausfc be enclosed. Meanwhile stores have had to be bought, the storekeeper's bill amounting to say £10 ; total, £55. The farmer i 3 now £5 in debt without the prospect of a singie shilling's return from his land without further outlay. If he can now borrow ha does so. Possibly he can get a bank to advance him £20 at 8 per cent., and so the land, or money invested, instead of being private property is baukalised, vrhen, if the bank were State property, all mortgaged property would be nationalised without the individual feeling the difference. Out Of the £20 borrowed, the farmer pays hia storekeeper £5, and with the remaining £15 purchases a horse, harness and plough, gets the storekeeper to advance him seed potatoes and puts in a crop. Say he puts tM-o acres in potatoes, which , yield 14 tons at £3 per ton—£42. His store bill comes round again, say £12 ; interest on loan, £1 16s ; rent and" road rates, £3 10s ; total, £17 6s. He must purchase fruit trees, say £2. By this time the family are in want of clothes, etc., £10 ; total, £29 6s. And so only £12 12s remains to keep "the pet boiling" until next cropping season. Meanwhile the farmer wants food to at least the value of £20; clothes, £5; tools, £1 ; interest on loan, £1 16s; rent and taxes, £6 ; other expenses, which it ia easily seen I have omitted to save space, say £4; total, £37 16s. So thab, to keep his head above Stvater, he will need to get a crop worth at least £50. And this is the farmer's position after a three years' struggle. I think I have, by the foregoing figures, in which all expenses are pus at the very loicesl, conclusively proved that it is folly for men to contemplate settling- on land. with less than £50 to start with. And to be at all sure of success £100 at the least is really needed. And if Mr Cheal thinks that the majority of the unemployed and those leaving New Zealand have this amount, together with the desire to take up land here, he is very much mistaken. There is really no lack of good land open for selecting from the Government or purchase from private individuals. To pub this assertion to the practical test, if Mr Cheal wishes to invest £500 in land, I will guarantee to lease or purchase a piece of land within a few months, from which I could make a fair living after paying 6 per cent, on the £500. It is not delay in getting land, but want of capital that is retarding the settlement of Now Zealand. In two reports of the Bay of Islands district in the "New Zealand jfarmer," written by myself, I mention several parts of the country where land can be got at a reasonable figure. lam not yet acquainted with Dr. Laishley's remedies for checking the exodus, but I have a practical schema which 1 intend to submit to the consideration of the worthy editor of that very popular and valuable agricultural journal, the "New Zealand Farmer," in which I show how the large areas of Government) land etill open for selection, and well adapted to the raising of stock, though nob for agriculture, could beimproverl and young men without capital given opportunities of making homes, to the mutual benefit of themselves and the Government. —I am, etc.j A. P. W. Longdili.. P.S.—The facts stated in this letter are notfrom hearsay, but gained by practical experience and observation. ■ Parnell, Auckland.

Richard Reeves, a debtor, under examination, made a sworn statement ab the office of thd Official Assignee to-day. Ib was to the effect that he was a butcher by trade, and had formerly been in business on his own account, but had for the last 15 months worked as a journeyman at 4'2s a week, oub of whiqjt he had to support a wife and four children. One child earned 12s per week, and tho rest went to school. His present! liabilities were £171 16s, contracted prior to going out oi business. Beyond his furniture, valued at £10, he had no assets.