LAND SETTLEMENT PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 11, 7 October 1927, Page 12

LAND SETTLEMENT PROBLEMS

“A MANUFACTURED SLUMP’’ LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OPINIONS The view that the present depression had been largely manufactured by those who had sought to bring down the prices of land and was not due to a fall in the prices of farm produce was expressed by the Hon. E. Newman, who initiated a debate on the Land for Settlements Amendment Bill in the Legislative Council yesterday. Mr. Newman referred to the problem of providing land for many of the people who were being brought out from Home. It would be in the interests of the country, he said, if they removed the restrictions in respect of the holding of large areas of second and third class land. There were many men who had been successful farmers who, with their sons, could do much to “break in” and improve large areas of that land; and with the capital and experience they possessed they would be in a position to farm those areas successfully. The day had come in the public interest when portions of good land should be made available for closer settlement The slump of the present time was largely “manufactured” by those who sought to bring down the prices of country land. It was certainly not due to a fall in produce prices. With every banker and lawyer preaching coming disaster a slump had been inevitable. The .past season had been one of the very best the country had ever had. The confidence of the people was destroyed deliberately by those who were anxious to see the price of land brought down. He thought the Pelvera block purchase was an excellent one. The price paid was not too much, and if it had not been for the slump the block would have gone off-and the purchase would have been a success. Sir Thomas Mackenzie said Mr. Newman was entirely wrong in his assumption that land values were not too high. He had no hesitation in saying that the present assessments of lands generally were about 25 per cent, too high. He maintained that the slump was not “manufactured.” There had been a great drop in the values of our produce, especially wool. If they wanted to settle people on the land they must sell land at such a price as would enable them to farm it profitably. The Hon. E H. Clark said there had been very little difficulty in settling Crown lands. The trouble was where lands had been purchased for closer settlement. He gave credit to the Reform Government for giving settlers the right to ask for a revaluation. The Hon. J. A. Hanan advocated an increase in the graduated land tax to stop the drift from country to town' and increase closer settlement. The Hon. J. B. Gow said one of the troubles of land settlement policy in this country was that it had been largely, in the past, in the hands of doctrinaires who were not guided by practical considerations, but by the idea that no man should hold more than a certain area. The best thing that could happen to New Zealand would be a departure from unimproved value and to deal wholly in capital value or taxable value. The Leader of the Council (Sir Francis Bell) said the Legislature would never agree to any aggregation on any scale whatever of the deteriorated lands as suggested by Mr. Newman LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FIVE BILLS PASSED Though the Legislative Council sat for less than two hours yesterday _ it p«ssed five Bills. The only one which called forth any discussion was the Land for Settlements Amendment Bill, on which there was a debate, reported elsewhere. A slight amendment had been made by the Lands Committee in the Bill, which was put through committee, read a third time, and passed. The other measures passed were the Dangerous Drugs Bill, the Fungicides and Insecticides Bill, the N.Z. Institute of Horticulture Bill, and the Peel Forest Amendment Bill. The Council rose at 4.20 p.m. TIME PAYMENT SYSTEM In the Legislative Council yesterday the Hon*. Sir Thomas Mackenzie gave notice to ask whether the question of time payments and the general credit system prevailing in the Dominion had been brought under the notice of the Government, and, if so, whether it had been able to give the subject its serf# is consideration, in order that some remedy might be proposed for the protection of the trading community and the public. ’ KARIOI ESTATE At the instance of the Leader of the Opposition, a return has been presented to Parliament showing the area of the Karioi Estate and the amount paid to Mr. W. McA. Duncan for it. The area is given as 33,210 acres, and the purchase price £12,500.