UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 280, 26 November 1928, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

PLEA FOR SMALL SETTLEMENT. (To the Editor.) Xo thoughtful person can be unaffected by the fact that at this, the busiest time of the year, we have widespread unemployment. Your advertisement columns show that there is a dearth of suitable labour for the country, and this gives point to the fact that we appear to have singularly failed in appreciating opportunities available to settle our unemployment difficulties upon a solid basis. The reason the ordinarV individual is not attracted to agriculture in some of its forms is that the prospects of proprietorship are poor. Comparatively few parents are able to find a large capital sum to start lads upon their own. and to the 192S boy the life of a farm labourer does not appeal. The whole subject is given a very alarming aspect by the announcement that the Auckland City Council proposes to spend £36,000 for provision of further unproductive works, which must of necessity onlT acraravate the trouble where intended for relief. From investigations made lam certain that there are hundreds of men with their wives and families who, gi\en a chance, would gladly take up land and improve it with the idea of making homes for themselves and their families. From investigations carried out by my league we are convinced that the sum of £1000 will enable the prospective settler to attain to a position in which his holding of about one hundred acres would be selfsupporting. This expenditure spread over a period of three years would be under the control of experienced men acquainted with local conditions. Such a plan would remove the tragedy of the strong, willing man, who, owing to economic conditions, cannot find any means to utilise his abilities to provide for the needs of those dependent upon him. The withdrawal from the cities to the country of the unemployed would reduce the unemployment peak and provide further employment for those left in the cities in the handling of the produce which the new settlers would send forward. In the past when any suggestions have been made along these lines the bogy of finance has immediately been raised, but from the figures given in the Press it would appear that" money which might be profitably employed in settling men on the land is at the present moment being frittered away in palliatives which are not sound. It appears that in the Auckland district we shall sngid this year at least £2r>0.000 in unemployment relief. This amount with a £1 for £1 subsidy from the Government would represent £")00,000 and this sum would undoubtedly settle five hundred families on the land. The amount so expended would not, as at the present moment, be gone for ever, but would be simply advanced under a guarantee scheme, and the local authorities would rank fifty-fifty with the Government in the security produced by its expenditure. If there is not at the present moment legislation on the Statute Book it should be put there at once, and the whole of our efforts should be directed to making the scheme a success. X. G. GRIBBLE, Secretary, New Zealand Land Settlement and Development League.