TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17841, 14 October 1929, Page 9

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —The Hamilton Rotary Club is to he congratulated on holding their social gatherings and bringing town and country together. Although unable to be present at their last gathering, I read with interest the addresses delivered by the speakers, and I was pleased to. see that three of the speakers, Messrs J. R. Fow (Mayor of Hamilton), J. A. Young, M.P., and T. 11. Henderson (president of the Waikato Farmers’ Union), can look at the bright side of country life and have faith in their country and fellow-men. The same cannot be said of Captain Rushworth. After reading his address I wondered whether he really thought or meant the half of what he said. I hope not, sir. His description of the life of the farmer is a most dismal one, and I think I am justified in saying that it is most misleading and not at all in keeping with the general position of farmers during the past two years. Whv quote such cases as a woman in the backblocks having to dig a hole and bury her husband, and then tramp for two days to the nearest habitation? How many cases are there of this kind in the backblocks? Is it not a fact that you will find a thousand cases in the cities just as pitiful for every one there is in the backblocks. The Captain goes on to say that a serious matter was the reduction in the number of farmers; it had been stated there wore 20,000 less than some lime ago. These remarks would lead many to think that there were 20,000 vacant farms, wfyich would be a very serious matter were it true. I would advise the Captain, before making further statements of a like nature (which must be damaging to the country and land settlement) to travel a little more and sec for himself. I will guarantee that over an area of 80 square miles in the Waikato districts for every one vacant farm Captain Rushworth can point out I w'ill show him half-a-dozen new homesteads, and after all, Mr Editor, the proof of the pudding is in the eating of it. He still contends that the price paid for land has no bearing on the cost of production at all. Perhaps not, sir, but it has a very greatbearing on the .success or failure of the person who purchases the farm. If a man will purchase a farm at £25 per acre, and has £2OO a year to pay in interest, surely if he pid double the price and had double the interest to pay it must have some bearing on his cost of production. Tie concludes by saying that it is a ro’ten thing when a man has to take his wife and children into the milking-sheds. Might the same remark not apply to a man in the town who has to take his wife Or daughters into an artificially-lighted office for eight hours. There is no disputing which is the most healthy occupation. In spite of some of the pitiful tales that are told about the lot of the 'farmer—and we admit there are cases of hardship and that in nine cases out of ten the farmer has to work hard —there are thousands of happy, contented farmers, and if prices will hold where they have been for the past two years we have very little to complain of.—l am, etc., CONTENTED WORKING FARMER.