LAND SETTLEMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 303, 22 December 1932, Page 8

LAND SETTLEMENT.

youth employment.

COMMITTEE'S SUGGESTIONS.

POTENTIAL SETTLERS

(By Telegraph—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday.

In their report on juvenile unemployment, Messrs. S. G. Smith and A. E. Ansell, M.P.'s, advocate a scheme under which undeveloped, unproductive Crown land is taken, and under proper direction and supervision is developed, stocked a settled with suitable young men who have been trained in farming and found efficient during varying processes ot development. It is suggested that advisory committees of suitable Departmental officers, should select the land and youths and plan the general outline ot development. The committee suggests that a considerable number oi suitable areas could. bp found among idle Crown lands if a stocktaking were made by men ol experience and vision. _ The committee considers generally that no labour should be employed except that of youths selected as potential settlers. Allotments should not exceed 75 acres in any case, and, if the quality of the land permitted, the area should be in the vicinity of 60 acres. When arriving at a stage of development at which production might be commenced selected youths should be allotted to definite sections as' farm workmen in charge of sections, and still be paid a wage. Each section should be run for, say, a year on a trading basis, and any profit earned over working expenses, interest and depreciation should be credited to the capital cost of the section. This system would enable the selected settler to be further trained and proved. During the repayment of the cost of development the settler should be given a license to occupy; the stock be covered by a bill of sale or bailment, all alienation of sections prohibited, and no settler permitted to sell his right of occupation. When repayments were complete provision should be made for enabling the occupier to obtain a freehold of the land occupied by him. Should any settler desire to retire from his section, or should he prove unsuitable in any way, the improvements and stock would be valued, and the Crown would pay to the settler the amount to which he would be entitled, which, normally, would be the difference between the valuation of his improvements and the existing debt on the land. The section would- then revert to the Crown and again be available for settlement. 'P