LAND SETTLEMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 278, 23 November 1929, Page 12

LAND SETTLEMENT.

PROGRESS TOO SLOW.

RESOLUTION OP PROTEST

MINISTER ASKED TO GO AHEAD!

It is the decided opinion of the executive of. the New Zealand Land Settlement and Development League that the Government is not doing what people were led to believe would be done with land settlement in the Dominion. At a meeting of the executive some caustic comment was made on the matter and a strong resolution was passed asking the Minister of Lands to bring down concrete proposals. It was also decided to ask the Hon. G. W. Forbes how soon he intended to put into operation the machinery passed last session and also when it was the Government's intention to set up the proposed Land Settlement Board.

It was stated that it was twelve months since the present Government was elected and its first intentions as far as land settlement was concerned appealed to be distinctly encouraging. The passage of time, however, °had shown that the importance of the whole question had either not been appreciated or, if it had, there must lie other difficulties which had prevented tangible results from the change of Government. The legislation in connection with the Land Laws Amendment of last session showed possibilities, but in the meantime some thousands of men who desired to go on the land had been prevented from doing so. The League members were of the opinion that the failure to appreciate the relative value of the subject was largely responsible for the dislocation which has occurred, and the resulting unemployment. To it could also be traced tho fact that at present there was a dearth ol suitable labour for shearing and harvesting. Most Unsatisfactory Position.

''At tho present moment wo have a Minister of Lands who, however good his intentions may be, is snowed Under with public duties which.no man could adequately handle," said Mr. N., G. dribble, secretary of the league. ''The responsibility of the league is tremendous in these matters, and it appears that we shall have to seriously consider taking steps to meet the. unsatisfactory position. Summed up, we lind that not only are new men not being placed upon laiul, but those already there are embarrassed through the failure to obtain the necessary labour to carry on their undertaking. In addition* many most desirable settlers have grown heartily sick of hanging about, and are drifting away to relief works and other forma of employment which are of a very doubtful economic value. . Another point, and one which I have repeatedly urged, is the aspect of the Empire and the desirability of immediately devising a scheme in which wo may obtain a growing population definitely committed to the country life." ''The people of New Zealand have been looking forward to the scheme," said Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, chairman of the league, when speaking on the subject, "and nothing has been done. The Land Settlement League's scheme is the only solution to the present difficulties which surround this question. In our opinion land settlement is the life blood of this country. Someone responsible should be set aside by the Government to deal with settlement, and it should not be considered a sideline of a Minister." !

It was deckled to forward a letter to tlie Prime Minister and Minister of Lands, calling upon the Government to definitely state when details of their land settlement proposals would be available, and asking when some actual steps would be taken to make the recent legislation effective. It was also recommended that in the opinion* of the league the vital importance of the subjs*t justified the full-time attention of a responsible Minister of the Crown.

FIRE IN SCHOOL BUILDING.

INCENDIARISM SUSPECTED.

CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DONE,

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

CHItISTCHUKCH, Friday.

The manual framing block at the Sydenham School was considerably damaged by fire shortly, after 2 o'clock this morning. A policeman saw the glare of fire through a window. He gave the alarm and then broke into the school, which was blazing fiercely. The firemen managed to confine the fire to the landing where it originated, "but the floor, walls and roof of the landing were badly burned, and also some cupboards. The flames had penetrated to the women teachers' office, and books and uniforms belonging to the teachers were damaged by heat and water. It is not known how the fire originated. There was nothing of an inflammable nature on the landing, and neither gas nor electric light was laid on. It is suspected that the fire was deliberately started. All classes in the building were suspended to-day.