AGRICULTURE AND RENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21580, 26 August 1933, Page 15

AGRICULTURE AND RENT

Sir,—l have no desire to be drawn by "G. Henry" into a general discuslion of the " single-tax" fallacy, Which has been exposed often enough and is not now a live issue. I have fchown that the claim that rent absorbs the earnings of agriculture is untrue; that rent is a diminishing and Hot an increasing charge; that anyhow rent cannot be avoided —it must be paid either to a private individual or to the State. As for myself, I would eooner deal with an individual human being than a great monopolistic creature having neither soul to be saved nor body to be kicked —"the State." My contention is that the condition of agriculture in England is mainly due to the imposition of trade union conditions —a reduction and of hours at the same time ;.8s an increase of roughly 100 per cent ; in wages. The agricultural labourer is bow discovering the difference between -the ideal and';the real. In the pur'Buit of the ideal he loses the real. Instead of such pay as the industry would yield the industry is stopping and there is no pay. To correct this absurdity another is to be enforced. The food of the people is to be reduced by quota and the price of it raised by tariff, and all this so that the agricultural labourer may have 30 pieces -•of silver put in his hand every week. Let him eat them. He thinks in money and not in goods. "The State" is to manage money and everything. I fear & fatal mismanagement. E. Eakle Vaile.