UNEMPLOYED SCHEME

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 52, 25 November 1930, Page 6

UNEMPLOYED SCHEME

Men on the Land PROPOSAL PRAISED A motion that the Lower Hutt Borough Council support the Eltbam Borough Council scheme for the relief of unemployment was withdrawn at last night’s meeting in favour of one that copies of the scheme be circularised to councillors that they might give it further consideration. "The scheme is one,” said the Mayor (Sir Alexander Roberts) that may well be given a trial. Roughly the suggestion is that a certain number of unemployed should be taken and placed on an area of land in the Rotorua district, and that they should each be given a section of 200 acres. The Government is to place these men and their families on these sections for ten years entirely free of cost. At the expiration of that time a graduated scale of charges is to be made. The land is to be held on a G 6 years lease, with right of renewal. The Government is to provide the housing accommodation, and certain allowances for fencing, stocking, seeding, etc. This would amount to £6OO for each section and be spread over a period of years, the Government supervising the expenditure. “In my opinion,” continued Sir Alexander, "the scheme might be given a trial. The idea is for these men to bring each of these 200-aere sections into production as dairy farms. It would be a wonderful thing for the country. The only objection is that the number of men must be comparatively small compared with the number of unemployed. “The suggestion is, too, that the men on She sections should put in two days a week in general development work such as reading and drainage, thereby improving the access to their sections and the community as a whole. “This scheme, it seems to me, would be much better than many of the public works being done to-day, years before their time, and without permanent benefit to those who are doing them.”