LAND SETTLEMENT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21697, 26 April 1945, Page 4

LAND SETTLEMENT

DISTRICT DEADLOCK COMMITTEE OF FARMERS R.S.A. RECOMMENDATION A suggestion that a special subcommittee be formed to handle land settlement matters in the interests of newly-returning members of the forces was warmly endorsed at the annual meeting of the Gisborne Returned Services ’ Association yesterday. The proposal was advanced by Mr. E, R. Black, who pointed out that the settlement of servicemen on the land was a big question and that no opportunity should be missed to help and guide those who wished to become farmers. One possibility which should be 1 studied, though it was unpopular, was the co-operative farm. There was a lot of good land which would not cut up to provide individual farms, but which if farmed on a co-operative basis would furnish livings fox': several families. This and other angles of land settlement would have to be taken up, and he recommended that they should be made the responsibility of a special committee, which should include a certain number of Kiwis, who might bring new ideas info- the general study. , • ; ’ s ’y. ■ Mr."M. T. B. Hall,- supporting the motion, said that : he shared Mr. Black’s concern at the slow progress of-.:land settlement in this district. He fully appreciated the work being .done by .the R.S.A. executive, but said that executive was composed of town dwellers,, and he felt that a committee of farmers should be co-opted by the association. • ’> “Land settlement in the Gisborne district has definitely fallen down, and we must find out why,” added Mr. Hall. The president. Colonel R. F. Gambrill. welcomed the proposal. He stated that though no land had been opened up for settlement in the Gisborne district, the Lands Department was not sleeping on the job. The trouble was to secure land suitable for sub-division, and taxation anoxnalies were at the bottom of this trouble.