LAND SETTLEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 112, 14 May 1930, Page 13

LAND SETTLEMENT

DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE

EXTENDING THE MOVEMENT

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) PALMERSTON N., This Day. The objects of tho New Zealand Land Settlement and Development League were explained to a public meeting last night by Messrs. W, J. Holdsworth, N. Ct. Gribble, and B. C4lover-Clark, officers of the association. Subsequently the meeting decided to form a branch of the league to give effect to its policy. Messrs. Holdsworth, Gribble, and Glover-Clark are on tour, and left for Wangauui. this morning. Later they will visit Wellington.

The New Zealand Land ' Settlement iiud Development League was founded in Auckland about five years ago by Mr. N. G. Gvibblc-; the. present secre- : tary. It ehainnan is Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, chairman of tho Auckland Power Board,- and these two and Mr, Glover Clark, also an' executive- officer, are touring the Dominion to extend the loaguo to other districts. „ The league is described, in its constitution, as an organisation to promote and assist any movement for the development and bringing into full production of all undeveloped or partially developed lands, and by every possible means to increase and enlarge the returns from the soil, in all and every way to stimulate the development of our natural resources, and by public action or any other means to secure tho co-operation of town and country interests to this.end. Tho following is a short outline of the general proposals which the league is advancing:— The league proposes that where avail- .. able,- the development and bringing into prolit of State and Native lauds should be tho first consideration; in, this connection, access, telephones, and postal facilities should be regarded as essential. The policy should at least comprise the following forms of settlement; —•. ■ ■ ■ , Settlement camps, where largo area,? are improved by men who subsequently have the' opportunity of obtaining the individualised farms at cost of production. Men used to hard work, even without farm experience, could be used for this. ,: ~:.'' ~ Group settlement, something on the West Australian, v lines, where settlers are taken on to their respective holdings, given a house, and work under skilled supervision until the holdings are self-supporting. • Preferably for family men with farm experience. a Zone settlement, where .isolated farms within a given radius are passed over to men with the necessary experience to be improved under j close supervision, Essential to have farm experience. ; • Cadet group settlement, which is designed on the lines given above, to meet ; the requirements of boys who have some little farm experience.- It is considered ' that the'inducement of early proprietor- ' ship would start a flow of boys from the schools to a.-farm life* . , The representatives, of the'league will meet representatives of commercial, ; fanning, and other organisations at the Dominion Farmers' Institute at 2.30 : p.m. on Friday, and that evening a : public meeting, over which Sir John Luke'will preside, will be held in the Town Hall Concert Chamber.