MORE SETTLERS NEEDED

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21026, 30 November 1933, Page 8

MORE SETTLERS NEEDED

♦ LORD BLEDISLOE'S CONVICTION HEAVY BURDEN OF DEBT The conviction that New Zealand badly needs additional population to share the burden of taxation and debt which was necessarily incurred in the early development of the country was expressed by the Gov-ernor-General, Lord Bledisloe, when addressing a gathering of farmers and residents at Cheviot yesterday. His Excellency was referring to the successful subdivision of the Cheviot estate in the early days of the county. "I have had considerable experience of the splitting up of land," said his Excellency. "I do not believe in the cutting up of estates which can provide nothing but land of poor class, fit only for extensive pastoral farming. But I have every sympathy with the splitting up of land of good quality, capable of intensive cultivation.

"New Zealand badly wants more population of the right type. You do not want the dregs of other countries, even of the Old Land. You want good types of men and women. You will never be able to meet the large debts which you have of necessity incurred in days gone by, unless you have a larger population to share the burden of taxation and of debt, and to produce Wealth. •

"The splitting-up of large estates can be carried on to the great advantage of the whole community, always supposing that those who go on to the land are properly trained."