FARMS FOR KIWIS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22481, 10 November 1947, Page 4

FARMS FOR KIWIS

UNIT OCCUPATION

DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES

R.S.A. URGES SPEED-UP

‘‘What this association asks is that sufficient labour be made available—preferably by drawing upon waiting applicants for sections—to develop the settlement blocks fo the occupation stage with the least possible delay. We know that the number of men selected to work on certain district blocks is so small that they cannot hope to do any development work," stated a delegate at Saturday’s district conference held by the Gisborne Returned Services’ Association.

The statement was made in a discussion of three clauses in a remit forwarded to the recent Dominion conference which had been judged by the Dominion executive to be impracticable. A suggestion was made that in drawing up the remit the main issue with which these clauses dealt had been obscured, and that stripped down the project would have been better understood and its practicability obvious.

Many Factors

Mr. E. R. Black, who with Mr. M. T. B. Hall was present at the meeting by invitation as a co-opted member of the association's land-settlement committee stated that many factors had to be taken into account; the main factor being' the accommodation available on the blocks. He' was now inclined to agree, in view of these factors, that the Gisborne proposal could not be translated into effective action.

He also conceded that a proposal to establish temporary housing for necessary staff in the developmental period was difficult of application, in the face of material and labour shortages, said Mr. Black; but he quarrelled with the view that it was not v practicable to allow successful ballotees an opportunity to have a hand in siting their homesteads and internal fencing lines. His personal opinion was that ballots should not be held until the properties were ready for occupation. He did not suggest that development should be carried to the last degree, but that the sections should be capable of being worked as a unit. “The method of balloting before sections are ready to be worked has produced the results we feared,” added Mr. Black. “The plan does not work out. The human element must come into the picture.” Development Work

Suggesting that the conference go back on its tracks and re-submit the clause relating to ■ adequate developmental staffs, Mr. Gordon Jones declared that men should be put on the blocks to develop them, and not merely to maintain farming activities. The important thing was to bring these properties, purchased for settlement, into occupation by Kiwi settlers at the earliest possible time.

“We will have to define what we mean by development," said Mr. M. T. B. Hall, who pointed out that in the opinion of men who had brought Hihi-x-oroa to the Government’s notice that block was ready for cutting up the day it was purchased. By using existing fencelines, the sub-division could be made at once, and the ballotees settled on their own sections.

Mr. Black agreed with this view so far as Hihiroroa, and defined the need regarding development at the stage at which all sections in a given block could be worked as units. He felt that the Taumata block also could be settled without delay. Departmenaal Caution

In discussion on a motion by Mr. Jones, urging that the necessary steps be taken immediately to bring the purchased blocks to the stage where they could be worked as units, Mr. P. T. Weeks suggested that departmental caution arose from the possibility that men who went on farms “in the rough” would soon want motor car access and other refinements, and would write to the Minister about it. Mr. K. F. Jones considered that there were many Kiwis who would accept conditions as they found them, and w’ork up their own places. He knew of one man who had lived for 40 years in the backblocks and still had no metalled road. The Kiwis would not expect that sort of thing, but they were willing to wait a while for the refinements.

The motion was carried unanimously and the conference went on to discuss the selection of homestead sites and internal fence-lines. Experienced farmers held that it was essential that the settler be given the right of selection, subject to approval by the Lands Department Mr. Hall stating that the new settlers probably would be of the type who would stay all their lives on their sections.

A motion by Mr. Hall giving effect to the views expressed was also carried without dissent. Mr. Hall stated that there were five sections in the Hangaroa locality which could be occupied by new settlers by January, if the department could be moved to an effort- These consisted of four sections on the St. Leger block and one on Awapapa. On the motion of Mr. Black, the conference decided that these sections be the subject of a report by the landsettlement committee, which would have authority to co-opt further assistance. Need for Urgency Stressing the need for urgency in land settlement Mr. O. G. James, sen., stated that good Grade A men were getting fed-up and going into other lines of work. They saw no chance of getting on the land under the present policy, and feared that by the time they did succeed in getting sections the present period of high prices would be over and they would have the costs but not the income.

"The country cannot afford to lose good potential farmers,.” commented the chairman, Mr. J. Leggat, adding that there were about 100 men graded in this district for all types of farming, and awaiting ballots. The conference recommended the district executive to secure an up-to-date summary of graded men awaiting settlement. “When are we going to get land for settlement in the Wairoa district?” asked Mr. G. D. Tod, a Nuhaka delegate. He explained that several blocks were believed to be under consideration, and the president undertook that inquiries would be made in the matter.