VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1933, Page 9

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

VIEWS ON CURRENT TOPICS

POSITION OF CROWN TENANTS.

OBLIGATION TO THE TAXPAYER.

(To the Editor.) Sir,— Correspondence appearing in the Daily News lately dealing with the positions of some Crown tenants and their obligations to the ■ Land Board and the Government makes interesting reading to one similarly situated. I do not think one should be altogether too hard on these public bodies, for all must realise that besides a duty to themselves they also have a duty to every taxpayer in this Dominion. Probably there are a few deserving cases of assistance, but in some cases help or relief has been given which I think should have been withheld. If the powers that be made an inspection of some of the latter cases I fancy they would find the parties concerned equipped with wireless sets, trucks, cars, ‘ telephones and other luxuries. I wonder, too, what side lines they would find on some of these farms. Probably.. there would, be none, even though some are (at present) more remunerative than the cow.

In conclusion I wish to compare the cases of two Crown tenants similarly situated financially and as being able to make enough off ; their ; land to meet their interest bills. One man keeps his interest paid up; the other man defaults. The latter man .eventually puts forth his case and gets his arrears Wiped out. Surely there is not much’.encouragement for the former ■ man to. make special efforts, and keeping, his interest up to date, when he knows that by defaulting and stating his case his arrears will in all probability be written off.— I am, etc., SKIM - DICK. Eltham December 1.

THOUGHTLESS HUMANITY.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—There has lately been some correspondence in your paper about cruelty to bobby calves and the attitude towards this subject adopted by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The society’s work in this direction is to be commended, but I sometimes wonder whether its members. realise the countless inhumanities that occur every day, without objection, under ..the guise of sport. Have they ever attended a hunt, or a course? Have they seen a hare tom to pieces by the hounds, or pursued to death by greyhounds? “Oh, but that is different,” one is told. “That is sport, and the hare has a good chance.” What a delightful experience it must be for the hare! How .thrilled it must feel as; it races ahead of its pursuers, knowing that it is competing for a greater prize than any athlete—death, or hair-breadth escape! And then there are the sportsmen who take "fish, from the sea or river. One cannot quarrel with those who angle only for such fish as they can eat, but there are others. whose prowess is extolled when they’obtain a big bag. Those* fish have gasped their lives away.—l am, etc., OBSERVER. New Plymouth, December 1.