THE TOWNS AND UNEMMPLOYMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1930, Page 6

THE TOWNS AND UNEMMPLOYMENT.

..... (To. Th? Editor.)' Sir.—lf-th?-Spending of. th® Unempl nym bt) t, Board’s first £25,000 is any criterion, of how the rest of the hoard’s funds, are to be spent it is a. poor lookout. for the country. Auckland pushes in for thousands for a sewerage scheme in a remote suburb, Christchudh for more thousands for making. a walk along the Avon, New Plymouth a thousand for making useless roads, which are, according to one member, likely to b? more of a hindrance than a help to the borough, and nb doubt ?very other town in the country is holding out its hand for money for equally useless pro- ; positions. The realisation is. being forced on us more and more every day that that welfare of our town? depends as < much on our farms as our farms depend ; on the stock they carry. If a farmer i» not making headway 'because his stock and farm are neglected the ob/vious remedy is for him to work.harder ’ and spend enough money, if it ie avail- ; .able, in doing the thousand and one things necessary for success. • ■ • : Townspeople—the people who farm : tie farmers-e-haye an equally direct in- :

teres.t'./ih 'the/ success or/ otherwise "of’ farmer?, and :-yet.; what do . -we; -.find? Wheh-«-.tlie.re.-are thousands; of pounds of/• thq>taxpayersj’- money to' he . spent on kind’of work—the towns - get. di>wn oh thp lot and spend it. on anyjusieiess . they can. Jay their hands on iriespective of whether it adds' a . .brass 'farthing ■to;' the wealth of the country/'or. not. If th? ./chambers' of? commerce and the alleged business inen of our/towns really want to help themselves ‘and do their bit towards sending some '.little wealth. tb' London' to ' p.ay our bills there and return; a surplus as well, let them extend their influence to the .country and help • local far-: mer organisations tosuperintend the spending ioftovery /pound' of .this' money ; on' necessary - productiveJ works on bur; farms, where .every £lO spent; will be. of as much; value in the ■ -country in ' its present predicament as one hundred, times £lO/ spent on a .walk along the, Avon.or some unnecessary- street some-; where. It is. certain that our troubles ■ are 'to be-.added to by a fall; in our production if the markets remain at anything like their present' level..’ Top-. dressing,' breaking in new land, draining,, etc., .will' - to stand down in; favour ‘ of ? the .necessity of., ( a bare nrust/ which will -be. the ‘ average’ farmer’s’ -portion, next winter. The?cc>untry' will not get on its feet until /farm.er’s get /back' on theirs, and the” money 'the' Unemployment Board, has 'to •?spend would just- about right’ bbth’if it'were spent that way. If it goes'the -way -of ’thi s £25,000 our friend? in the towns will-deserve all thatw coming to them when- the orgy is over.-— I am,‘etc., - /?■ J.B.H. Op’unake. ;