LAND DEVELOPMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 131, 6 June 1938, Page 7

LAND DEVELOPMENT

LABOUR'S POLICY

PROMISING RESULTS

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

DUNEDIN. June 5.

The Government's land policy was discussed by the Minister of Lands (the Hon. F. Langstone) in an address at Burns Hall last night He would first disarm newspaper criticism, he saidt by saying that newspaper editors knew little about the subject He was not prepared to repeat the blunders of the past, and said that many people were ruined hy taking up land that had never been settled on or by taking uneconomic holdings through lack of foresight and judgment The Minister said that the area in Crown leases was 18,850,150 acres and that the area in national parks and State forests, etc., was 14,445,684 acres. Land for settlement was 5,227,144 acres. Native bush, much of 'which was leased, totalled 4.547,144 acres, and the amount of Crown land available was 1,728,844 acres. The total figure was 66.398.048 acres. The Minister said he was not prepared to nor would he be justified ia repeating the blunders of the past ,in the matter of land settlement. Many people had been ruined by being induced to take up land which should never have been settled, and losses amounting to millions of pounds had been Incurred in the Department's accounts and by individual occupiers through lack of a little foresight and Judgment Today things were vastly different. Large areas of land formerly occupied had been abandoned and the Department had been compelled to pursue a policy of rehabilitation in order to salvage as much as possible of their securities ift the interest of the nation. Promising results were being shown. He considered that the cost incurred In development should be retrieved before lands were disposed of. GOOD PROGRESS MADE. The Minister quoted the Galatea ' Estate, comprising 22,000 acres, which was purchased for £100,000. Over £100,000. was spent "in developing and improving the area and probably another £40,000 or £50,000 would be required. Two years ago the accumulated losses on the property were about £6000. After meeting all interest on purchase and development moneys this loss was reduced to £3000, and the Minister was hopeful that this year the accumulated loss would be wiped out , Land development and farming though complementary, were not similar, and land must be developed before It could be successfully iariiied; There were 01 blocks operating . under the small farms development schemp and 1194 men' were]iei6ploy^pn''-il^ , Hiirork. The area under development comprised 79,650 acres, and 'the Minister claimed that production would increase sit a more rapid rate in future. This! made the Lands Department a real farming Department "Yet because I am doing my best, my critics in their ignorance say that the farms are being socialised," the Minister added. After reviewing the Native land development schemes,; which, were' operating in a much bigger wayi the Minister concluded by repeating "t&at when the Labour Government took ; office everything was in a state of chaos. Farmers were bankrupt and industry stagnant What was the position to day? Within two and a half year« the country had been given a new lease of life. By means of a vigorout programme of public works the en* ployment position had been solved, industries were forging ahead social security was in the process of fruition, and the slogan generally was, "No mora slumps in New Zealand."