LAND-SETTLEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 120, 23 May 1930, Page 10

LAND-SETTLEMENT

A FARMER'S WARNING

MAKE HASTE SLOWLY

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AVANGANUI, 22nd' May

That settlement of land could be carried on-too fast ift Now Zealand and .that there is a danger of the Govern-, ment being stampeded into a policy of settlement that will bring about'a similar state of affairs as arose when the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act had been in operation for a few years, is the opinion of Mr. J. ,K. Franklin, given expression to at the provincial conference of the Farmers' Union at Wanganui to-day. "I am not against the settlement and development of unoccupied land," saM Mr. Franklin, "but I do not agree with a great deal of what was said by the Lauds Development Board of Auckland and their policy of wholesale settlement. I say that is impossible. The board says, that the Minister of Lands is too cautious. Ido not agrco with that. You had sufficient proof of wholesale settlement when the country was stampeded into settling returned soldiers on the.land and wo lost eight millions. It is up to the Farmers' Union to sco that that does not occur again. I fully agree that the land was bought in the boom, but the real trouble was that there were too many square pegs in round holes. Many a settlor went on to a property and then abandoned it. What about the land cut up eighteen and twenty years ago? Settlers were helped by the Government then and wo are still. paying for it. I believe the time is coming when we will have closer settlement of our large holdings, but we cannot do it quickly. It is not fair to the board and the Minister of Lands to say that they are not taking a courageous policy. '' Mr. Franklin's views were endorsed by the conference, and ho was applauded for his forceful appeal to do the right thing. ' ■