MR. DOOLEY OH THE LAND QUESTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2126, 27 February 1908, Page 2

MR. DOOLEY OH THE LAND QUESTION.

••Say.'llennossy.doyou know what's troublin’ mo now?” “1 do not, Mr. Do.'loy. ,1 suppose it’s tiie. temperance question. “It is not then ; it’s the land qno - I i on You sco Hennessy, Iy° l)« " wantin’ to got on the land for some time and i’vo bin patiently waitin till tko Liberal Government annexed some of the land round about Gisborne Whin I hoard they d collared oukl John Clark’s To An block thinks to mysell, says I, 111 “ section here all. rite. You see Jknnessy, prices were good then, and ivory thing in the garden was lovely, but. thoy’ro a bit different now and I’ve bin figurin’ tilings out a bit, an for the life o’ me I can t see how a man is goin’ to make tucker out ol any of these sections unless prices go U1 Honnossy: “Is that so, Mr.. Dooley. 1 thought there was a fortune m farmin’ to anyone who was lucky enough to draw a marble.’’ “Well, it’s just this way, Ilennessy. Things have ta’kcn such a mg droii, that it would take a man like poor mild Dick Seddon himself to put things U]) again, and the Government are not talcin’ tilings into consideration at nil, at all. You .see, Honnessy, wool was worth lrom Jd to a bob a pound last year; and justlook at it the other day at the local sales. They buyers wero only otloriii 5d a pound for fleece wool, 3Jd lor erutehings, 3d for pieces, and zju for locks. That’s a terrible drop, Honnessy, fully 50 per cent since the values were ]>ut on To Ari. inen, again, look at the drop in the price of s'heep and cattle. I tell you what. Hen newsy, a mail’s got to be careful what ho is doin’ nowadays in the farmin’ line—if things had kept up it wud a bin all rite to draw a section, but I’m thin kin’ the man that dosint draw one now will bo the best off. Why, if you figure it out for yourself, Hennessy, you will see there is a difference of 5s an aero in the profit you would have- made if the ould figures had kept up.” “Sure, 1 can’t see how there would he such a big drop as that,” said Honnessy. “Well,” said Mr. Dooley, “I’ve been workin’ it out, an’ it’s plain as a pikestaff. Just let me take as an example the biggest section of the block and the lowest rent, 538 acres, annual rent £196 17s 6d, or say 7s 4d an acre. At the outsideit will carry 700 needy ewes and 50 head of cattie. Say they shear 71b of wool at 6d, 3s 6d a head, £122 10s, 80 per cent of lambs at 7s a head £196; profit on cattle £SO, total £368 10s. Arc ye followin’ me, Hennessy?

“I am that.” “Well, then, take the debit side of the account. There’s the rint to start with, £196 17s 6d; interest oil cost of stock, £4OO, at 6 per cent, £24; cost of keepin’ myself and the missus and two kids, £100; a farm hand at 25s and tucker, £80; rates, £10; shearing, £10; 4-roomed cottage, £250; woolshed, £100; fencing, £100; interest on £450, £27; total, £447 17s 6d, showing a loss of £79 7s 6d for the year’s work. Now, Hennessy, there’s no bonanza in that.”

“There is not, Mr. Dooley. It would be a long time a folo ye would bo able to build a brown stone house out of the profits.” Mr. Dooley: “Well, you Bee, Ilennessy, that’s the cheapest block of the lot, so I’ll -show you how the best block works out.”

“You’re a great scholar, Mr. Dooley, and dasarve to get on in the world,” said Mr. Hennessy. “There’s section 26, 340 acres, annual rent £317 13s lOd. Put this down as 2( sheep country, 850 ewes; 71b wool at 6d, 3s 6d, £l4B 15s; 80 per cent lambs, 680 at 7s, £238; profit on 100 head cattle, £IOO ; total, £486 15s. Now take the debit side, Self, wife and kids, £100; man and tucker, £BO ; rates, £ls ; interest on buildings and fencing, £27; interest on stock, £42; cost of shearing, £lO ; annual rent. £317 13s lOd; total, £591 13s lOd. Loss, £lO4 18s lOd. Now, wliat do you think of that, Hennessy?” “Begorra, that bates Bamiaglur But what arc ye goin’ to do, Mr. Dooley?” “Well, I’m jist goin’ to keep out of it, Hennessy, unless the Government comes down wid the rent. Sure there’s a drop of fully 5s an acre since they bought the place, and 1 Ic-.v expect us to pay the old values. Wo’l, Hennessy, I’m not talcin’ any To Ari sections at these figures till times improve. I’d sooner go back in He bush and take a Maori lease at a lob an acre.” “Well, I think you’re a wise man, Mr. Dooley. You’ve opened my eyes a bit, an’ I’m much -obliged to you.”