TOWN VERSOS COUNTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 146, 20 June 1906, Page 8

TOWN VERSOS COUNTRY.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—When I wrote in answer to Mr. Winks on the ab'dvc- subject, I stated that Freetrade in Britain had not had the effect of driving the population from a town to a country life. I dou't think that requires any arguing, as it is patent to anyone who will take the trouble to look at the growth of -the cities at Home, therefore as a remedy to fill our waste places here it is worse than useless. Now a correspondent writes to tell mc I don't know what I'm talking about, and sends in a lot of stuff that looks very like one of Tom Mann's socialistic speeches, which, with all their wild whirligigs of words, haven't done anything for the " Horny-handed sons and daughters of England," in comparison to sufh an Act, for instance, as the Workmen's Compensation Act. He should really have signed himself Jeremiah, for a more pessimistic letter I have seldom seen. I have lived longer in Britain than I have in -Miis country, and know something of itu landlordism; perhaps more than " Bara Fostiw," and am quite prepared to admit thnt the system is rotten; but it will take an awful wrench to shift it, as it is so deeply rooted, and time as w-ell is required if it has to be done by education and evolution, or perhaps my friend would make the happy day : he speaks of dawn by revolution.

In the meantime, I should like to see the "horny-handed sons and daughters" get a chance to earn their living, and stay at home if they want to without being starved out; and the way to do that is, to buy less manufactured goods from the foreigners. Germany has just imposed a duty of £ 1 per 10CO on cigarettes, and the result is that ono firm in Manchester alone will have to almost close down. This firm exported to Germany 70,000,000 cigarettes per annum ; new it -will export none. It will still make the cigarettes, but it will be in Germany, to where the bulk of the business has to be removed; and I see by Friday's " Star" that alien cigarette makers have to be deported, so the expert maker can't follow his boss if he wants to. What's the use of telling these cigarette makers that the land laws are rotten; it's a chance to earn their living they want. They probably wouldn't know land if they saw it, and have very likely been making cigarettes all their lives. There are ,>O,OOO cigarette makers in England, and unless something is done there wont be a tenth of that soon, besides all the deported are coming to the dumping ground, good old England. Britain at the present time should be the workshop of that modern invention, the motor car, and yet one foreign make of car wls imported to the extent of £3,000,000. A very slight duty and that firm would have built the tars in England and circulated over £2000 per week in wages in the i own selected to build the cars in. put why prolong the list. Some trades have beep wiped oui altogether. The foliy of it all. Importing labour and exporting labourers, And " Bara Postus" offers no apparent remedy* but tells \u It's .because bishops, priests, and parsons own breweries. Was there ever such clap-trap? Then he tells us New

Zealand is prosperous because the Imperial Government has given the New Zealand Government millions of hard cash. When did this take place, ancl what became of tue money? Why, the Imperial Government is that hard'up it can't pay its members. Campbeil-Ban-nerman confessed to that not so long ago. And then he tells us ,New Zea"land isn't prosperous, because he saw I take it for granted he saw them—hundreds of half-starved wretches wandering about the Queen-street Wharf between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. I don't think many readers of the " Star" will believe that statement. Really, " 8.F.," I must quote your own letter "to you and ask that "In common fairness' you know something of the matter whereon you write."—Thanking you in anticipation, I am, etc. W.McM.