A MILLION ACRES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 285, 1 December 1944, Page 4

A MILLION ACRES

LAND FOR SOLDIERS ESTIMATE OF MINISTER (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, this day. Although land settlement was an important aspect of rehabilitation, they expected the secondary industries to absorb the bulk of the exservicemen, stated the Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr. Skinner, in the House of Representatives last night, when he replied to the debate on the Rehabilitation Bill. It was difficult to assess at this stage exactly the number who would be likely to want to go farming, but he thought it would be at least 6000. To acoomplish that, the Minister continued, over 1,000,000 acres of land would be required. They wanted to purchase that land and negotiate for it in the usual way if at all possible, but he assured members that, if land could not be obtained in that way, then they certainly would invoke the power given in the Servicemen's Settlement and Land Sales Act to acquire land compulsorily that was capable of subdivision suitable for the settlement of ex-servicemen.

"We have under development at the present time over 250,000 acres," added Mr. Skinner. Land settlement to-day was governed by the availability of materials. The rehabilitation authorities would push ahead with land settlement just as soon as they could overcome the obstacles facing farmers to-day in connection with land development.