THE TOWN AND THE COUNTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8222, 5 April 1890, Page 3

THE TOWN AND THE COUNTRY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— your leader of tills morning's issue you ask the question why our young men crowd into the cities instead of taking to country life. You give various supposititious answers, but I think have hardly nit on the right reasons. I take the reasons to be : First. Want of capital to purchase farms. Secondly. The want of sufficient good land at reasonable enough prices to ensure even a decent living. Thirdly. In the case of those seeking employment, the want of some one to employ them. Now, to begin with the first reason, we will take the case of farmers' sons. How many of our settlers, after years of toil and labour, can afford out of their business sufficient capital to start their sons, even on small farms? A very small proportion indeed, and these mostly amongst men who have bought their land in the early days at very low prices, near towns. The great majority are not only unable to do this, but have, unfortunately, disgusted the boys with everything appertaining to the farm, by compelling them to work for little or nothing because they cannot afford to hire labour ; the farm won't pay it. Under this state of things, it is not likely that the youths will take to a line of life that produces such results. No, they would sooner try for something, which certainly may be worse, but of which they have not experienced the evils. And here we may ask, why so large a proportion of our farms do net pay? (I speak of the whole of New Zealand.) It is that they have, been purchased too dearly. The land for all practical purposes is at too high a figure to give good results. In the past, at all events, everyone wanted land of their own, and have it they would. If they had not the means, banks and loan companies put them into their hands. What matter, they argued then, if the price is a bit stiff, the land will increase in value ; but it did not. Crops at times failed, and owners had enough to do to pay the interest ; to provide for a"family in the way they should be provided for was out of the Question. Some, nay, many went under, and the banks and companies aforesaid took very good "«ey would not reduce the price o£>™°», tat offered them to others on- "fc*™ m ° payments-they call~* «-. Thus it became impossible to,-ocure land in accessible districts at » price commensurate with what couM be got out of it. There are certainly lauds opened up for sale ecery now and then, but those who have been iu the country for

maX l2 t *"£■ understand that everyone ia not fitted for a busn settler. Our land, too, is of a very varied nature, and much of it which is under cultivation, for all the good it does its owners would be better in its wild state. lo take the last reason, the want of em. ployment. This would also be done away with, provided land could be procured at prices which would enable the purchaser to employ profitably the amount of men ho would like to do, to improve his property: but he sees in the majority of cases that if .he sold to-day, after, we will say of labour of himself and family/he would hardly realise the original purchase money. A broad step in the right direction has been „aken lately by the introduction of new industries; and if our absurd and suicidal prejudice against our own productions as compared with anything imported could bo overcome, very much of our surplus labour would be absorbed. Let each and every one of us when purchasing goods of any description, select always, where practicable, the locally manufactured article, and «nr young men, whether in town or country will have little trouble in finding employment J am very pleased to note, under" heading " Land in the Interior," that there is yet a vast amount of splendid land, which waits but to be opened up and purchased lb should be our utmost endeavour to ur"e our Government to attain this object as speedily as possible, and to offer it to bona fide settlers at a price which will ensure them a good investment for their labour and money.—l am etc., Thos. Cottle. '