IDLE LANDS IN THE NORTH

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 106, 29 January 1929, Page 12

IDLE LANDS IN THE NORTH

DEVELOPMENT TO PROCEED CURE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT. ■ ' Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, January 28. The need for greater production in the primary industries of the Dornin-, ion, and the utilisation of waste land as a Cute' for unemployment, were stressed by the Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of: Public Works, when responding to the toast of- the Govern-; inent at a complimentary banquet to the Hon. G. W. Forbes at Cheviot oh .Saturday night. /' . ; Mr. Ransom referred to his trip through the Cheviot district, which, he said, he had enjoyed. He added that he realised that the state of prosperity of the district could not come about without good government. He would not criticise past Governments. The need now was to put into practice what had been promised. One of the- great difficulties of to-day was the problem of unemployment. His feeling was that it was due to bad government. All would agree that the primary cause of it was the failure to settle people on the land. There could not be an increased population unless some of those people were settled on the land. The Government was trying to bring about a policy of land settlement, and there was no man more capable of dealing with it than the Minister of, Lands, the Hon. G. W. Forbes.

Mr. Ransom said that he was pleased to know that development had increased, and that in 1928 the exports had been £11,000,000 in excess of the imports. That was a fine achievement. In the previous year the balance in favour of the exports was £13,000,000. That represented ft balance of £24,000,000 for two years. That balance should have enabled the country to advance, but the Dominion could not advance unless the money was placed in circulation. It had not been so dealt with, and that was due. to the fact that investors did not have confidence in the proposals put to them. “If the Government can secure the confidence of the people it Will secure the confidence of the financiers,” continued the Minister. “If the Government gives every encouragement to the primary producers, and the secondary industries that manufacture our raw produce, then there is no country that can touch this Dominion.” He added that the country should be able to provide work for every ablebodied man and woman. If that was done unemployment would disappear. He had discussed the utilisation of waste land, land that could be brought into production at standard rates of pay, and which would give the men who worked on it a chance to become settlers on it. He assured his; listeners that this could be done, and If the Government showed its confidence in the scheme, then others would show their confidence. When they realised that there were 6,000,000 acres of land lying idle in the North Island to-day, they would see : the enormous possibilities that existed in the Dominion. “It is the intention of the Government to develop these areas along progressive, lines,'-and if we are . given the opportunity we will carry out the trust placed upon us faithfully and' well,” concluded Mr, Ransom. :