LAND SETTLEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 42, 18 August 1939, Page 6

LAND SETTLEMENT

GOVERNMENT CRITICISED

Quoting figures to show that the net returns from the export of primary produce had gone down by £7,250,000 in the last two years, Mr. D. C. Kidd (National, Waitaki), strongly criticised the Government for its attitude towards land settlement. He said that | the sum of £3,500,000 was being proi vided for land settlement and land de- ' velopment, and taking into consideration that primary production was the key industry of the countrj', the Gov- ! ernment should be spending considerably more than that amount. "I do not think that the Government intends to go very far with land i settlement," said Mr. Kidd. Mr. H. G. Dickie (National, Patea): They won't spend half of that. Mr. Kidd: That remains to be seen. Mr. A. S. Richards (Government, | Roskill): You won't support your colleague? 1 Mr. Kidd: I don't think, the Government intends to go on with land settlement, because the Minister of Lands ihas pointed out clearly on one or two occasions that as long as he is Minister he will not grant any more titles to land. The Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin): That is incorrect. It has been denied over and over again. Mr. Kidd: The statement was made. I wonder, Mr. Speaker, if the members of the Government who are representing rural electorates told the people from the hustings that they were not going, to grant any more titles to land. I don't think they wouldMr. J. Robertson (Government, Masterton): Keep guessing.

"Members on the other side of the House held out all sorts of bait to the farmers with the hope of getting their

votes, but it was not always a success," said Mr, Kidd. "The hon. member for Timaru-. (Mr; Or Garr) made the -statement while ,in Opposition that the farmers were, suffering from a superiority complex. I wonder if the hon. gentleman, when he was on the hustings in 1935 and 1938, told the farmers in the rural part of his electorate that they were suffering from a superiority complex.'1'

Mr. Richards: What did you tell them?

Mr. Carr: You think they are-the only people in the country, but they are not.

Mr. Kidd said that the increase of 4d in the petrol tax was iniquitous, and struck right at the man on the land.

Mr. Richards: Oh, Captain Kidd!

Mr. Kidd quoted from Hansard to show that -while in Opposition both the present Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) and the Minister of Housing (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) had opposed an increase in the petrol tax.

Mr. S. G. Holland (National, Christchurch North): And they put it up 4d.