The Economic Effects of Various Land-tenures.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 27, 1894, Unnumbered Page

. Mr. B. Withy gave a popular lecture, illustrated by diagrams, on “The Economic Effects of Various Land-tenures.” Mr. Ewington spoke at some length, arguing that the private ownership of land was not the only cause of the existence of the unemployed classes. There always had been, and always would be, the careless and improvident; and, besides that, famine, fire, floods, changes of fashion, &c., might, and did, create unemployed people. He considered that Mr. Withy had overlooked many social and economic facts of the first order when dealing with his subject. The President, in moving a vote of thanks, said that Mr. Withy must have forgotten that, if there were no unemployed in primitive times, there was slavery. Now, in civilized countries men were free, and with their freedom came additional responsibilities, one of them being the care of the poor. Mr. Withy briefly replied.

Third Meeting: 2nd July, 1894. Mr. J. H. Upton, President, in the chair. New Members.—J. Brown, A. H. Hosking, W. Philcox, Professor Tubbs.