THE PIONEER DAYS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18500, 22 February 1930, Page 14 (Supplement)

THE PIONEER DAYS.

SELF-SITPOKT PRINCIPLE. STANDARDS OP LIVING. When one reads the stories ot pioneer settlement in New Zealand it is difficult to understand why there 6hould be any pessimism regarding farming as an occupation to-day, says a writer in the “New Zealand Herald." We seem to possess now all that the older generations hoped for and dreamt of—roads, bridges, markets, social life, quick communication — everything, in fact, which makes life on the land profitable and attractive. The only things that seem lacking are the old ideals; the desire for individual freedom of action, the love of rural life. And yet nothing which the dreary Jeremiahs of to-day preach so assiduously can do away with the fact that there are still among us a very large number of men, and women, too, -who ■would gladly give up the so-called pleasures of city life and sacrifice the comforts of radiator-warmed offices and sheltered factories for the open-air life and the physical labour of farming. It is difficult to understand the reason for the change that has come over us, if change there be. No doubt our system of education has altered to some extent the psychology of the present generation. They have been taught so assiduously that the.professions and the trades, the civil service and the church, offer all that is good in life, and that the cities alone have scope for the ambitious and the educated, and they are utterly unable to realise what rural indutries have to offer. Training for the Young. One has only to read the pamphlet recently issued by the Education Department to understand what effect the school training of our young people must have on their outlook. This pamphlet is intended to describe the vocations and careers open to young people in New Zealand after they have passed the various examinations or attained the standards of proficiency which are supposed to enable them to become useful citizens. It is rather a pitiful example of pedagogic futility where it deals with professions and trades, but when it deals with agriculture as an occupation it is almost tragic. Apparently, the early settlers in New Zealand were content to live a very simple and thrifty life, and they were certainly none the worse for so-doing. As a matter of fact, they were undoubtedly happier than the people of to-day, and were, averagely, more cultured,That they were strong and vigorous is recognised by the difficulties they overcame and the works they performed. There is no need for our settlers tc go back to the conditions under whicl their pioneer forefathers lived, to the growing of grain amid the stumps o: the forest trees they felled, the grinding of wheat by hand-mills, to th< house of split palings and shingle roof they can live simply and thriftly anc still have far more luxuries and conveniences than the pioneers ever knew There is a vast difference in the stand ard of living between 1860 and 1930 and herein lies one of the great differ ences between the “early days” am now, and herein lies also one of til difficulties of land settlement to-day It is by no means impossible for mei and women to live now as their father llved, almost entirely on the product of the farm, but under the comple: social system of the present time it i neither necessary nor desirable, anc moreover, the spread and growth c civilisation makes it almost a crim for individuals to live entirely fo themselves.

Toll of Rates and Taxes. Though a settler may isolate himself In the wildest part of the Dominion, he cannot escape the toll of rates and taxes. These have grown with the building of roads and bridges, with railways and other conveniences. Men and women may economise as much as they in their own homes; they can lower their own standard of living, but they cannot lower the standard of the State, nor can they, even though willing enough to separate themselves with the community—from the body politic. Some people complain about individual extravagance causing difficulties for the modern settler, and there may be some reason for that complaint but, generally speaking, it is the extravagance of the State which is handicapping land settlement to-day, and it is the farmer who has to pay the largest share for public works and for the upkeep of our immense civil service and State departments. For a country with so small a population as New Zealand there has been accumulated an enormous public debt. We have public works, and public officials on a scale sufficient for twice the humber of people now living in the Dominion, so that it is obvious that the simplest method of reducing the cost per head is to increase our population and particularly our wealth-earning population. This, as we know, can on ly be done by increasing the number oi our farmers, and this is why an energetic land settlement policy is so essential that it should become the slogan of every political party in the country.