LAND, UNEMPLOYMENT, IMMIGRATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 135, 9 June 1926, Page 16

LAND, UNEMPLOYMENT, IMMIGRATION.

Cto the Editor.)

Sir,—After the Ne.v Zealand Natives' Association had been successful in bringing about a conference, chairmaned by the Prime Minister, regarding unemployment and distress, I had the opportunity of conferring with the Minister of Lands, Mr. McLeod. I pointed out as politely as I could that the failure of ihe Government's land policy was the root cause of unemployment, and that the immigration policy, which was overstocking the already overburdened labour market, failed for the same reason. I probed him with questions to find out what he proposed to do in the way of land settlement and land finance. He frankly said, "Nothing," till land values came down. I then asked him was the Government not responsible for this inflation, seeing that they had raised the unimproved value in a few years so inordinately? And further, why he did not raise the graduated land tax on the higher levels, as this was the only weapon known to economic science to deflate land values to normal. He replied, "Oh. you're single tax." 1 pointed out this had nothing to do with single tax. It was obvious he did not know the difference between single tax and graduated land tax. I pointed out that John Ballance framed his land settlement scheme and financed poor men on to the land under similar circumstances to those confronting the country to-day. He clearly showed he. had no intention of bringing forward any land policy whatever. I pointed out the secondary industries could not absorb the young men and women after leaving school and the townward drift from the country was seriously augmenting unemployment in our cities. His reply was they would have to go back to the country. I then asked the pertinent question: Can you tell mc where there are any avenues of employment open in the country. He evaded this question, which has become a cat cry with all the Ministers. T told him the agrarian class were utterly ruined. They had no employment and could not give food, shelter and clothing to our city unemployed. I asked him then, did he not think it wrong to be pouring out i immigrants when neither immigrants nor our own people could find employment? I pointed out that in 1918-19 year, when we had thousands of soldiers to repatriate, our primary and secondary industries had 66,910 employees. The Govern, ment figures showed that on April 1, 124, we only had 73,662, employees. Where were the 60,000 immigrants, the returned soldiers, (lie thousands of boys and girls that had left schools since? They were among the unemployed or irregular casual worker class, that class which from every social point of vfew should be kept at the lowest possible minimum. Thus ended the interview with the Hon. Minister of Lands.. T came away sayin<r to myself. God Help New Zealand. This is the Minister of Lands without any policy, without any economic knowledge on vital principles , on - the land question. Xo wonder we ( have agrarian depression, land inflation, j high rental high cost of living, depressed j purchasing power of the sovereign, un-1 employment. After I*2 years of begging I praying, urginsr in the Press and on the j platform, at last the public conscience j seems to be aroused, when we find the president of the Employers' Association urging such strong language against the Government's utter failure in handling land problems. Let the public beware, tlie present Minister has no intention of bringing forward any land policy, and taus we will drift from bad to worse.— T nm. etc.. A. HALT. SKELTOX.