DECAY OF "NATION'S PRIDE."

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 62, 13 March 1915, Page 6

DECAY OF "NATION'S PRIDE."

RURAL ENGLAND VANISHING. MR RIDER HAGGARD'S XJUCENT - (Times cud Sydnej Bon Serriccs.) (Received 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, March IC. Mr. Rider Haggard, in a letter to the Times," saye that if the cost of farm labour increases he will ba obliged to dispose of ihia dairy farm, a* iU economic question is of the finst importance. He says: "Englishwomen wont return to the old habit of farm work, except under actual want. With few exception* the wives and daughters of email holder* ■help their menfolk. Occasionally the wife in the case of the better dam awiete, but the daughter won't." Personally, Mr. Rider Haggard doe* not favour the employment of women, except as dairy maids, or in tending poultry. He points out that young women arc scarce in rural districts. Moat of them can marry, and the rest go to the townfi. The men follow, thus causing depopulation of the country districts. "The colonies," cays the well-known author, "want women between the ogee of 18 and 30, who arc prepared to work until married to a young man reared on the land. These clauses in Great Britain are almost exhausted. This » a grave menace to the Empire. We arc trying to hold nearly a-quarter of tho earth with abont sixty million Anglo-Saxons. Tho task is now as much as we can do. If the number shrinks it will soon be more than we can do." Mr. Haggard suggests an immediate and competent investigation into the whole land problem.