WORK ON THE LAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 276, 21 November 1931, Page 16

WORK ON THE LAND.

RELIEF OF UNEMPLOYMENT. COUNTY COUNCILS CONFER. FINANCE SCHEME PROPOSAL. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WHANGAREI, this day. A conference of representatives of North Auckland counties was held in Whangarei yesterday for the purpose of providing a practical outline of policy in accordance with the appeal recently issued to all county councils by the Minister in charge of Unemployment, tho Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, who was represented at the meeting by Dr. R. M. Campbell. The observations and suggestions adopted by the Whangarei County Council after a conference with Departmental officers were submitted for consideration as a basis of procedure. An important point was reached in the adoption of the third clause, which was: "That any proposal to concentrate labour on partially developed land where social services are already provided is more sound economically than a policy designed to open up new land where none exists, and where they have to be provided at enormous cost to the country." Speaking in favour of the suggestion, Mr.. Rodney Coates said that supervising work should be cut out as much as possible. The farmer was the best judge of .how- to improve his land iu the cheapest way. The stand that many farmers in North Auckland owned too much land which they cannot farm to advantage, was taken by Mr. Yarborough (Hokiitnga). *• ' .. . Other , important recommendations adopted were as follows: "That where an area of land is too great to foe profitably handled for any reason by the owner, the excess may be acquired at valuation by the Crown for closer settlement." "That in cases of mortgages considered to be in excess of the limits of the capacity of the property, negotiations be entered into between the mortgagee, the owner, or occupier, and the District Boarcr with- a view to fringing about some mutual adjustment."

To carry the scheme into operation it was decided to support the establishment of boards in each district, comorising two farmers and the land valuer. That to finance the scheme the Unemployment Board be required to provide anmlally. for a period of five vears not less than £500,000, to be lent £o farmers on the following conditions: (1) The farmer to be required to repay £0 per cent only of the money so granted to him, such proportion • being advanced as a loan; (2) interest to be charged o'nly on 1 that portion of the money so advanced as a loan'; (J) the rate of interest on such loan to be aot more than £1 per cent per annum, to be increased by -10/ for . each term of five years, after the first five years; (4) the'term of the loan to be for any v period between five and 15 years. H That employers should engage labour through the various labour bureaux, fche remuneration to be mutually .decided upon by employer and employee, with the district board to act in the event s>f a disagreement. That a skilled tradesman should wherever possible be kept at his trade. That .the Government be urged to expedite investigation in the direction ®f securing additional markets for New Zealand primary products.