LAND SETTLEMENT

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 75, 28 March 1923, Page 7

LAND SETTLEMENT

■ m i A FHOBLEM OF THE EMPIRE. COMMISSIONER TUCKER'S VIEW. Commissioner Booth-Tucker, representative of General Booth, of the Salvation Army, who is touring various countries inspecting the work of the Army and holding special councils with the officers, arrived in Auckland from the South this morning. Ini the course of an interview, the Commissioner dealt with the need for populating the waste spaces in British Dominions so as to relieve unemployment. "How many schemes for the benefit of humanity have been pigeon-holed, or killed by red tape," he asked, in dealing with the subject. He stated that many years ago he had discussed with a prominent English politician the question of colonisation, and how the Government was neglecting this important There was plenty of land in Canada that required populating, and the Government was not carrying out its duty in regard to it. The politician replied that the Prime Minister at that ime would not have it. The Commissioner stated that it was a very burning question, especially in regard to the poorer classes, and if something was not lone the party in power would be wiped jut, and so it was. ENGLAND'S UNEMPLOYED. Unemployment in England to-day was * very large problem, and immigration in Australia and New Zealand was a very difficult matter to deal with. The Immigrants were not wanted in the cities, and in Australia and Canada there were large tracts of land which were badly in need of population. What should be done was to take the waste labour, put it on the waste land, by means of waste capital, and convert a trinity of waste into a unity of production. He was sure it could be done. CONGESTION IN INDIA. The Commissioner dealt with the land problem in India. He said that it was the aim of the people to acquire a piece of land, and if they worked in the cities they sent their money into the country •or this purpose or to pay off mortgages. The congestion in India was very serious, iml some of the richest agricultural districts were over-populated. The Government woke up to the fact that something should be done. Five rivers were used for an irrigation scheme, and a system of railways and roading was adopted to bring the produce to market. This provided employment in cases of famine, and afterwards small pieces of land were given to the people. The charges were not excessive, and the Government made a good thing out of it, for the rush was so great afterwards 'hat the land became very valuable, and certain portions reserved were sold at a Tood price. This scheme took a considerable number of people out of the ities. The Army later applied for land, vnd obtained a tract, though at a high Igure, which was sold to the natives vithout profit, and there was not one failure, while the industry of the natives had enhanced considerably the price of "overnment land in the vicinity. He could not see why land could not be cultivated in the same way in Australia. CAUSES OF FAILURE. Nine-tenths of the failure of immigration and emigration was due to the lack >f Government support—to do what the rovernment should and could only do. He could not help thinking that if there >as a well thought out scheme for the Miipirc the difficulty would be overcome, "here were many unoccupied tracts of Mid everywhere which required popula- ; on and they should be populated. He nentioned that in Denmark the (Jovernncnt tried to get the population out of he cities. If they could get employlent with n farmer after thoy had "ased their daily work and qualified as 'armers, the Government found them 'and and with an '/"urancc company ♦ ocked it and allowed the man 80 years 'o pay.