MORTGAGE LEGISLATION

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22414, 30 May 1938, Page 5

MORTGAGE LEGISLATION

to the editor of the press. I .<f hould like to add my protest to Australia” and “British Justice in “The Press” recently, about ■r 6 l m ° r tS a S e legislation by the New Zealand Government. “British Justice” seems to me to be one of the old school, who still believes that “an Englishman’s (New Zealander’s) word in his bond.” He can forget it. A Rehabilitation Court has been sitting for months that proves that the same Englishman’s w ord is not worth tuppence. , a view of further awakening the public conscience to this rotten legislation, I propose giving you an idea of how I am going to get poss®ssibn °f my next farm. Some idea of the contracts I am going to sign, tb ® a greements that I am going to abide by—a drayload of them if necessary—and the way I intend farming and making my way in the world on other people’s backs. Of course, I shall be a thief, a rogue, and a liar, but I shall get away with it; and who cares?

I have in mind a gentleman who we will call Mr Blabbs, and who has a nice block of land in the North Woolbury district. Now, Mr Blabbs is a successful farmer, and has always taken an active interest in local politics, and the politics of the kingdom to which North Woolbury belongs. Mr Blabbs took, up his property in the early days, worked from daylight till dark, improving it with fencing,, buildings, draining, getting good pastures established, and planting shelter belts. Everything is ■in great order, all owing to the present owner’s thrift, hard work, and industry. I have found out that the Government valuation is £lO per acre on his property. ‘I intend offering him about double that —say, £2O an acre. It is far more than it’s worth I know; but he will sell, because he knows I will pay—“an Englishman’s (New Zealander’s) word”—and all that sort of rot. A deposit? but the stock firm will tell Mr Blabbs that I am a good man, and will give him a little to go on with. Mortgage contract? well, I suppose I’ll have to give the lawyers a nibble. And there will be agreements to keep the place in good order, fences in good order, and keep noxious weeds in check, etc., etc. In fact I will sign anything. And so I will get possession of Mr Blabbs’s fine property and to hell with Mr Blabbs. For the first five years I intend to crop the very life out of the property, and there ' are sure to be great yields—6o bushels to the acre or more. But I will put, say, 27i bushels to the acre in my return to the Government and mortgage people (the nosey Parkers). It will go down with them. I know, because I can always sell the balance to the travelling merchants and hawkers, who always pay cash on the spot. At the end of five years—but I almost forgot—there will be interest to pav on the mortgage, and there are county rates, and land tax —but to hell with all that. too. The Government will take care of the lot, and eventually screw it out of poor old Mr Blabbs, | make it a first charge on the land or something. And besides, why should I worry about the fraud and dishonesty of the whole thing? In about 10 or 15. maybe 20 years after all this. Mr Blabbs will begin to smell a rat, and go hostile. He will get his lawyers and witnesses, and all my contracts and agreements, and take them along to a star chamber gathering, which goes by the nice name of Rehabilitation Court. There, the experts will prove to Mr Blabbs and his lawyers that I have had terribly hard luck, depressions, dry seasons, frostbitten crops (only 27 i bushels to the acre), and I simply could not pay my interest. . “Ilf fact, Mr Blabbs'” they will 1 say, “you were really very foolish to sell at'the boom price of £2O an acre. We think the property only worth £7 10s.”

And lo! the place will be mine and paid for—all so simple, above board, and on the square. Then poor old Mr Blabbs and his family will never have to worry any more: Why! We have nearly got national superannuation. The above is absolute drivel, and I admit it; so also are the flood of cheap Yankee novels, and most of the talkies that thousands of us, night after night, find entertainment in. Well, I wonder in all modesty if the novels and talkies contain as much dishonesty, fraud, lies, palm greasing, misery, disappointment, and poverty as lies beneath my humble effort And, further, . the characters arc not in the United States, but right here in thousands of New Zealand homes. If this should catch the eyes of those responsible, arid in agreement with the graft in question. I would remind them of a passage in “Henry V” before Agincourt, “We band of brothers.” he says—“and gentlemen in England now abed, will feel themselves accursed they were not here, and hold their manhood cheap, while anv speaks that fought with us upon St. Chnspens Day.”—Yours, etc., VICTIM 1938 N.Z. JUSTICE. May 27, 1938.