The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1929. A LAND POLICY.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 85, 11 April 1929, Page 8

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1929. A LAND POLICY.

For the cava* that lacks assistance, For the wrong thai need* resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we Can do.

The statement of the Government's land settlement intentions that the Minister of Lands made yesterday is the most important since the United Party took office. This Government—and the same could be said of any Government —stands or falls for the most part by its land policy. For nothing is the country waiting more eagerly, and by nothing else will it judge the Government more justly. Mr. Forbes' statement is very encouraging. Naturally enough it deals more or less with general principles; the details will be filled in later. There are two main divisions in the policy outlined, the settlement of "waste" lands and the subdivision of improved lands. Each method of land settlement has its strong supporters, who sometimes would exclude the other. A broad national policy, however, will not exclude either. The breaking-in of new land and the better use of improved land must go together. This Mr. Forbes realises. He is convinced that there are large areas of unimproved land that can be profitably settled, but at the same time he believes that large improved estates should be broken up, and ho warns landholders that if they do not reduca their prices to a reasonable level, the compulsory power conferred by the law will be used.

Of course, the success of this policy will depend on the manner in which it is worked out, but Mr. Forbes furnishes promising details. He knows well enough that land settlement that merely dumps a man down on a bush section without decent access and adequate finance may lead to waste and ev.m tragedy. There has been far too much of this sort of thing. At present the Government has no authority to break in land for a man or help him to do it; but he means to ask Parliament for such authority. He means to make a start with the new form of help on a block in the Rotorua-Taupo district. The settlers on this block will start with part of their land in grass. Moreover, Mr. Forbes hopes to introduce the group system of settlement, the merits of which were urged on the late Government in vain. As regards compulsory purchase of improved land, the Government is looking significantly towards an old Liberal weapon, which was deliberately discarded by Reform. Those landowners who are offering land are mostly doing so at what the Government considers impossible prices, and the Government is resolved that rather than see closer settlement retarded from this cause it will purchase by compulsion. It is contended that this is a dangerous policy, in that settlers will be placed on land that is too heavily loaded, but Mr. Forbes' whole object is to got land at an economical price. His proposal to set up district purchase boards should not only stimulate settlement, but should prevent, on the one hand, the buying of land at inflated prices, and on the other injustice to owners.