LAND AND LABOUR

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7974, 4 December 1911, Page 4

LAND AND LABOUR

THE LANDLORD AS TASKMASTER. DENOUNCED BY “NEW ZEALAND HERALD." [This column, weekly set aside foi the discussion of land and labour problems, is edited by Mr Arthur VVithy. general secretary ot tho Now Zealand Land Values League, with whom alone rests recponsioility foi the ocimons expressed therein.j Wo have more than once noted tho remarkable clearness of vision displayed by the editor of the “New Zealand Herald'* in regard to the evils ot landlordism, “huge as a mountain, gross ami. palpable"—when the landlords in question happen to be Maori landloids. And this was again illustrated in his leading article of November 4th. “If wo take Mr Ngata s figures ana study them from a purely business point of view," wo are told, "wo find him acknowledging that there are , acres of Maori-owned land in i>rentable occupation/ by •■which he means, oj. course, that this land is occupied 05 European tenants or leaseholders, who pay rent foe tho privilege of improving 1 it for the Maori owners/* . Now, “from a purely business point or view/* as from a purely economic point of view, the colour of the landlord s skin i« absolutely immaterial, bo we find tho so ablo editor of tho “Herald acknowledging that one of the greatest evils and inj u slices of landlordism is that tenants or leaseholders pay rent lot the privilege' of IMPROVING THE LAND EOR THE LAND MONOPOLISTS. fr M the same modest estimate/* h# adds, “wo have over a quarter ot a million sterling paid annually by European settlers to a people who have not im proved in tho sligntest degree the laua thus leased/* hrom which the obvious deduction is that the editor of the “Herald** is of opinion that the landlord is entitled to draw rent only it. respect of the improvements he has made, which, by the bye, is exactly the position held by tho New Zealand Land Values League. Tho editor of the “Herald** may protest that what ho has said applies only to black landlords, uot to white ones. But .that, of “from a purely business point of as from a purely economic point of view, would bo sheer childishness. The “Herald** editor adds:—"Neither Mr Ngata nor Mr Carroll nor .jiny othei Maori politician dare deny .that ever> year tho Maoris aro receiving irom private individuals and from the Government large sums in cash for rente and for tho sale of land, timber, flax, ami other things. Now what aro these noble Maori leaders doing to help their people to us© this money wisely and well? Wlial was done with the .£36,000 received fox the sale of the To Akau Block or the J 226,090 received for tho Mokau lands. Do wo hear of Maori colleges being started by Maori patriots? Do wo hear 0! instructors being engaged to teach the Maoris agriculture, or of farm settlements being established ? Is anything practical being done with tlie large sums of money which aro being , 0 . s Maoris nearly every month ?" "CANNOT BE GOOD FOE THE DOMINION." Manifestly, tho able editor of tht "Herald" holds that tho revenue derived from tho rents of land and from tho sale of land should bo applied to public purposes. Either that or tho passage quoted has no meaning whatsoever. And tho editor, it should bo rioted, is dealing ■ with a bread general principle, which, if applicable, to Maori lauds, must be applicable to all other lands, whatever the colour of the landowners "may be. ' . . Again wo are told: “Wo recognise that it cannot bo good for tho Dominion to have 46,000 natives kept in idleness, and luxury on tho exertions of their European tenants. We wish to - see every able-bodied Maori given full opportunity to work his land and so become auseful member of the community. If th« Maoris can work all the throe million odd acres which now lie idle, by a-J means let them havs it, and that course tho number and the colour of tho idle landlords is immaterial. . It cannot be good for the Dominion to have landlords, whatever their number or colour, kept in idleness and luxury on tho exertions of their tenants. And whatever his colour, every able-bodied landlord should be given "full opportunity ■ to work his land and so become a useful member of tho community. And, \ if they won't. work the land let them i part ■■with it to those who will. From a ‘ purely business and economic- point of j view, tho able editor's statements above 1 quoted amount to an admission, for 1 which wq thank him, that tho landlord 1 who dees not work his land is not a useful member of the community. "IDLERS INSTEAD OF WORKERS.” A few lines later later on we find him acknowledging (1) that the mere landlords. are "idlers instead of workers. I "Wo' know that every effort is being made by those into whose hands we have given the welfare of the native race to make their people idlers instead of workers"; and (2) that a landlord caste, growing rich on the exertions of their tenants, is to be reprobated, ter I Mr Ngata and Sir Janies Carroll are denounced . because "all their actions arc in tho direction of building up a Maori landlord caste, which will grow rich on the exertions of the European.' , And, finally, the landlord caste arc warned that their doom is at hand "The European, all the world over,' says tho editor of the "Herald," "is fast breaking down the privileges of caste and heredity among his own people, and though in a moment of thoughtlessness he may, tolerate the Maori as a taxmaster, it can only be for a short time Each' new lease issued by the Maori Land Boards to a European tenant brings tho present Maori landlord system nearer to its end. and it will be wise for influential Maoris to realise this fact, and to begin the work of practical reform as soon as possible.” Only under the guise of denouncing Maori landlordism could the editor of the “Herald” venture to show up so frankly end so scathingly the evils of landlordism in general, and to call the attention of the landlord caste to THE WHITING ON THE WALL. The useful people in every civilised country the world over are "fast breaking down the privileges of caste and heredity," and though in a moment of thoughtlessness they may tolerate the land monopolist as a taxmaster, it can only be for a short time. We thank the so able editor of the "Herald" for this new definition of tho landlord as "a. taxmaster. His rent levying power is a taxing power. His rent is sheer tribute, like that levied upon a conquered people; and the useful people of New -Zealand will not tolerate much longer this huge annual tribute levied upon them by a useless and worsa than useless caste. True, the editor of the "Herald" may have meant to write "taskmaster,” not "taxmaster." But "taxmaster" and "taskmaster" are both -qually appropriate; and that the landlord taxmaster or taskmaster caste is loomed even the able editor of thr "Herald” cannot but recognise.

THE LAND GOBBLER. (By Bolton Hall.) "Overworked !" said the landlord, as he sat down to dinner. "Well, he was a ;ood farmer and always paid his rent promptly," he added; "I hope to meet him in heaven." "Grasshopper-fed he said a« he wiped his mouth. “Well, he was a good tup kev and very juicy," he added. "Pa." said the boy, "do you hope to neet the turkey in heaven, foot" - ARTHUR ivnir.