The Daily News FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1926. SETTLERS’ PROBLEMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1926, Page 6

The Daily News FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1926. SETTLERS’ PROBLEMS.

In the course of liis address to the delegates attending the conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, at Wellington, the Minister of Lands (Hon. A. D. McLeod) made use of the occasion to unmask a hostile battery directed against the Auckland Press for treating a beauty competition as of more importance than a three hours’ discussion on land problems. While Mr. McLeod may be a model of what a Minister of Lands should be, it does not follow that, knowing his other outstanding gifts, he possesses a more accurate judgment as to news value, or the selling price of newspapers, than those engaged in the business. While the general public are quite used to being informed by Ministers and other public speakers that they have been misreported whenever their remarks are questioned, it is not often that the Press of this country is charged with neglecting to give due space to matters of serious importance, while expanding upon passing sensations. While leaving the Press of the northern city to maintain their own reputation, it would seem that the Minister had no real cause of complaint on this matter. On the contrary, it gave him the opportunity to review the discussion in question and place his own comments thereon before the community in sueli a way as to absolve his department—and the Government—from all blame for the sorry plight in which many of the holders of second and third-class land find themselves at the present time. The Minister, in his summary of the discussion, states that the majority of the fifteen speakers who took an active part therein expressed the opinion that unless means could be devised for greatly reducing the cost of production, it would be worse than useless to attempt to bring in “any considerable proportion of the unoccupied Crown Lands.” That, however, is only one side of the question. How many of the farmers who have been in occupation of second and third-class, land for the last twenty years will endorse the Minister’s statement that in prewar days “they eould comfortably meet the expense required to check reversion to manuka and other second growths, which are recognised as an ever recurring charge on sjich lands?” Is it not a matter of fact that settlers bn this inferior land, which twenty or thirty years ago was let at low rentals, frequently took up a larger area than they could work without employing labour, and that in consequence the inevitable result happened? Lack of capital, knowledge and experience were also factors, hut the cost of living was low and enabled the hard workers to battle through. Now conditions have altered greatly for the worse, and the Minister must be credited with commendable candour for emphasing that while.these settlers are now receiving a bare pre-war return for their produce, the cost of practically every farm necessity has doubled. Surely Mr. McLeod must admit that the Government is not free from blame for this large increase in the cost of requisites. The growth of the National Debt; increased taxation, especially through the Customs; lack of economy in departmental expenditure; ■ increased cost of the Legislature; and numerous other overhead expenses have all had their influence upon the cost of living and the rate of pay for labour. Leaving the effect of the land boom and its collapse entirely out of the question, tile problems connected with the misfortunes Qf settlers on the poorer lands will not be solved by accusations against “city agents and such boosters,” or comparing the cost of wool with the top price of a suit of clothes which no farmer of back country would think of purchasing. Much mere to the point would be the lowering, instead of the raising of the price of flour, bran, pollard, etc., for which the Government is responsible, and the lowering of the Customs tariff. If it is right for the wheat grower to be allowed by the Government to fix his. price for wheat, surely the tailor, and every other tradesman, is entitled to the. same privilege. He has, in truth, no option—his costs are

practically fixed by the Arbitration Court, set up and supported by the Legislature. There are certain /basic laws which eannot be ignored with impunity. Apparently the Government is powerless to devise remedies for the ills of settlers, but will welcome suggestions of any commission of inquiry—a mere waste of money that could be more profitably employed in other ways.