A NEW HEAVEN.

Wairarapa Age, 9 May 1924, Page 4

A NEW HEAVEN.

The considerable audience which went last night to hear Mr Holland, Leader of the Labour Party, ought to have come away thoroughly satisfied. He promised so many happy conditions in the new world which will dawn when he walks across the floor to the Treasury benches that, it is surprising so many people appear reluctant to follow him. For one thing, he proposes to redistribute the land. The fact that 59 owners in New Zealand possess more than 85,000 acres each seems to j him utterly wrong while there are 65,000 with less than one acre each and 450,000 with none. But is there any logic in this illustration ? It is common knowledge that the holdings averaging 85,000 acres will not carry a sheep to the acres, and include the very rough hill country of Otago and Can t( ibury. A holding of 1000 acres of rich flat country would probably yield a better and certainly an easier income. And does Air Holland believe that the men who own less than an acre are any less happy and contented than the bloated owners of 85,000 acres? Does he believe that all of the 450,000 who have no land at all want to have any and are poor because they have none? Afany thousands of well-to-do people own no land at all, but they manage through the income tax to pay a liberal share of the cost of running the country and to live quite comfortably themselves. Air Massey is receiving congratulations on all hands to-day on the success of the loan floated in London. But Air Holland secs no virtue in it. The Labour Party, he says, will not be a borrowing party, since the country is rich enough to pay its way. New Zealand certainly can pay its way,- but does Air Holland really believe that we can build the railways, hydro-electric works, etc., that the country urgently requires without the help of any outside capital? He promises, furthermore, that all unsettled land is to be brought into occupation on a philanthropic plan, the State going ahead of the settler and clearing the land before asking him as a favour to farm it. Where is the State going to find the casual millions required for such a policy as this if it holds aloof from the London money market. Successive finance Ministers have found it impossible to get along without having recourse to “The City,-” even when settlers on now-country did thei? l own clearing. Which is the genius in Air Holland’s ranks who can manage it otherwise?