PUBLIC OPINION

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12354, 26 January 1926, Page 6

PUBLIC OPINION

A PROTEST j (To the Editor, "N.Z. Times.”) Sir,—Referring to a paragraph in the “Times” of Tuesday, January 19th, under heading “Cooneyites Camp, Marred by Epidemic,” 1 beg to say that we strongly object to being branded with the name “Coneyite, ’ which has been given us by a certain section of the Community who have never shown anything but an unfriendly and unchristian spirit towards us. We believe that to take any name but that of “Christian” would he dishonouring to Him who shed His precious blood to redeem us, therefore this is the only name we can acknowledge. Edward Cooney is one of the evangelists in fellowship with us, but was not amongst the earliest workers of the movement. A number of the originators dissatisfied with present day methods sought to get back to the Scriptural way of serving God, both for preachers and people, hence our present existence.—l am, etc., W. McCLUNG, Evangelist. Mount Eden, Auckland. January 20th, 1926. AN ECONOMIC PROBLEM (The Editor “New .Zealand Times.”) Sir, —Iu view of the national necessity of having the land of this Dominion profitably occupied and productive to its fullest capacity, will not some of our farmer M.P.s ask for a statement as to average fanner’s net earnings, on different classes of land, in different districts and in the various branches of farming. Something should he done. Certain knowledge of the extent of the evil may spur ns on to provision of a remedy. We are heading straight for land aggregation and depopulation of rural lands, wliioli even the tremendous rise iu value of farming products have been unable to stave off. This land lives by farming, and if farmers cannot live at farming there is something wrong. An examination of the income tax statistics of 1923, when farm land was made exempt from that form of taxation, will show that, although, the gross value of farming products exported was double, and more than double, the figure realised before the war, yet the in comes of men on the land were disintegrating with, extreme rapidity. During the same period, the other classes shown in the income-tax statements by the Government statistician were increasing by leaps and bounds, the taxable incomes, for instance, both of companies and of persons and firms engaged in trade showing phenomenal rises.

- Probably on account of this, the amount of money lent on mortgage in the cities has multiplied. several times, the annual average of the city mortgage per acre being about £2,000 as against £490 ’ n 1916. There ie now, roughly, twice as much city land placed under mortgage as in 1916, the amount of money absorbed by town areas being stated as about equivalent to that advanced on rural security—4B per cent, to 52 per cent. What proportion of these mortgages are just paper and what represents money gdvanced would he hard to ascertain, but the mortgage tables show clearly that the average “inflation” of farming land, apart from the immense increase of production value is a mere bagatelle to the increase of city values.

It is time the question of economic! production waa tackled. If it is left much longer, *he forces interested in maintaining the status quo will be too strong for the strongest Government and the evil will grow until it provides its own Temedy. I am, etc..— A. E. ROBINSON. A SLIGHT ON SCOTLAND (To the Editor, “N.Z. Times.”) Sir,. —I wish to strongly protest against the slighting remarks on the Scottish race made recently by Commissioner Lamb, of the Salvation Army. He has only been in New Zealand a few days, yet presumes, with a true Englishman’s arrogance, to pass judgment on the alleged lackadaisical outlook of colonial Scotsmen, saying that too many Scotsmen are m New Zealand, and that it requires more intensive immigration of “kicking Englishmen” to “ginger” things up. The Scottish race detests fuss or sudden outbursts of human* emotion, aB our national characteristic is caution. Does Commissioner Lamb desire Scotsmen to lower their national pride by remaining in Scotland and accepting the dole instead of adopting (heir present' courageous attitude in emigrating to assist Mew Zealand in carving an Empire out of the lonely spaces in this Dominion? In his unwarrantable attack on my countrymen Commissioner Lamb has raised a hornet's nest, as several Scotsmen in prominent positions in Wellington have expressed to me their strong resentment of the criticism. Is it not a fact that where Scottish pioneers have blazed the trail they have left to posterity a heritage of work well done? Scottish members of the New Zealand Parliament and city councils have striven for improved rural conditions, batter shipping facilities for our primary produce, higher education for the young, reservations of recreation grounds for the public, and improved railway facilities. The late Mr Massey once remarked to me: “Scotsmen are plodders,” and I prefer the vision or one of the greatest of our colonial statesmen to the ill-considered and E artisan opinion of Commissioner amb.'You rarely find the proud Scottish race in menial positions in the Dominions where, for instanoe, the receiving of tips for services rendered is a recognised regime. We leave that honour to Englishmen. ' In closing, if the British Parliament will pass the Scottish Home Rule Bill many Scotsmen in influential positions in London are prepared to resign and return to Scotland, and so leave Englishmen a clear field to secure the positions rendered vacant. No Scottish patriot will stand idly by when his countrymen are unwarrantably attacked by a man in a prominent position in England.—l am, etc., ROSS NELSON, Secretary, Scottish Home Rule Association. Wellington, January 23rd. 1920.