ROOM FOR MORE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 82, 17 October 1928, Page 20

ROOM FOR MORE

LAND SETTLERS NEEDED UNITED PARTY'S POLICY (By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post") AUCKLAND, This Day. Explaining the details of the United Party's land policy, Sir Joseph Ward in his speech last night said: — As aggregation of land is detrimental to close settlement, effective means should be taken to .bring it to an end. A tribunal will be set up for this purpose. In tho acquisition of land necessary for settlement purposes, voluntary methods of purchase will be adopted •wherever possible, but should these fail, the compulsory provisions now on the Statute Book will bo made more effective, and be applied. Where land for closer settlement is taken compulsorily, payment will be made by Government bonds. With a view to making the boards jiiore representative of the people, an investigation and revision of the authority and powers of land boards should be made. "I stand," said Sir Joseph, "for closer settlement upon more liberal conditions and the more rigid prevention, of the aggregation of lands suitable ftt subdivision; assistance in Crown lgpd settlement, where the nature of the land renders it desirable, particularly in deteriorated areas; a roading policy designed to assist in opening up settlements without requiring such a heavy Tating burden upon the land; remission of rent or interest where necessary and desirable; more expert valuation of the land on a productive basis." Group settlements will bo ultimately made upon blocks rendered suitable for farming, and will be financed on the table mortgage system on exceptionally easy terms. Special consideration will bo given to land lying alongside railroads and served by public utilities such as hydro-electricity, hospitals, and schools. "I favour this system, as tho Im-: perial Government has a large fund available for assisting it. Western Australia haa already settled a largo area. The Imperial Government pays for the land and filso for the passages of tho immigrants. We should avail ourselves of this to the utmost. ' "There is still a field open of closer settlement, because of the 43,000,000 acres in occupied holdings. Only 18,----000,000 acres arc improved lands; 14,----000,000 acres are in tussock and native grasses, and 4,000,000 acres in. fern and scrub. Surely in this vast area of 18,000,----000 acres, science, capital, and industry can find profitable outlets' for thousands of settlers. New Zealand land is not yet adequately settled with its present small population. We must keep adding to the volume and number of products, and from that source increase our exports, which are the 'life blood' of the Dominion. The Reform Party declares that it has virtually stopped fresh settlement. Tho Minister of Lands has more than once stated that he is more anxious to see the farmers now on the land prosperous than to put more people on it. I say our duty is to direct our policy to do both. "The question of leasehold versus freehold need not be discussed. I have always been an optional tenure man— leasehold with the right of purchasing the freehold—but fro^ the time the Eeform Party assumed office and offered the freehold to Crown estates out of the total area of 1,815,103 acres purchased by the Liberal Government only 213,169 acres were made freehold. The cost of the land to the Government was £13,101,581, and in tho sixteen years only £892,634 worth out of that sum was purchased."