MINISTER EMPHASISES VIEW THAT ABSENTEE OWNERSHIP OF FARM LANDS MUST CEASE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23041, 3 September 1949, Page 3

MINISTER EMPHASISES VIEW THAT ABSENTEE OWNERSHIP OF FARM LANDS MUST CEASE

(P.r.) "WELLINGTON, Sept. 3. ! The second week of the financial debate in the House of Itepre- j sentatives ended yesterday after nearly half the total number of ! members had spoken. Government speakers numbered 19, Oppo- j sition .19, and Independent Labour one. ,

Although a number did not take the full hour, it could not be said that the end of the debate is in sight, and it is to be continued on Tuesday.

Immediate plans for land development and the settlement of ex-serviceman formed the main theme of the contribution to the debate by the Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr. C; F. Skinner.

He described most of the Opposition speeches as attacks on individual members of the Government and not directed to the Government itself- The critics, ne said, had the most contradictory proposals and it seemed as if the OpposiuLii consisted of many different voices. j Though building costs were far high-! er than he would like to sec, continued the Minister, his official reports showed that there were houses being built in Auckland for £1590, while in Napier they ranged from £ISOO to £1640, in Wellington from £1371 to £ 1567, in Christchurch from £ 1230 to £ISOO and in Dunedin from £I2OO to £ 1575. The number of ex-servicemen assisted to get their own homes was 45,000. It had been said that the Govern- 1 ment was not going fast enough in land i settlement, but he contended that! there was a limit to the pace unless, current production was to be inter-1 fered with. The Government's plans, for the year to end in June 1950 provided for development in various stages of 800,000 acres of land, sufficient to give 2360 single-unit farms. The programme involved 1126 miles of fencing and a renewal of 419 miles.

It was intended to put into crops and grass 31,398 acres, of which 15,770 would be surface sown. The department was employing 159 contractors and more could be utilised without handicapping farmers’ production. It required over 2000 men to give effect to this programme. "We believe, and we have given effect to this, that any land policy must be based on three cardinal points: To maintain maximum production, the maintenance of soil fertility and the carrying of the maximum rural population,” said the Minister.

Mr. Skinner agreed that there were 30,000 fewer men working on the land than when the Government first took office, but he said that there were more land owners and production had increased- That had been achieved by greater efficiency. The farmer had access to more machinery and. he had power available on his land. The maximum rural population could not be attained, he said, unless the Government continued to break up the large estates and develop the land. So far 92 properties had been acquired compulsorily, but those 92 properties would yield 356 individual farms. Nobody, said Mr. Skinner, could successfully farm a piece of property unless he had permanency of tenure and for that reason short-term leases, or leases that did not carry compensation for improvements, did not meet with approval.

Security of Tenure Absentee ownership of farm land would have to go by the adoption of a policy which would prohibit the purchase of farm lands by other than genuine working farmers. Mr. M. H. Oram (Opp/ Manawatu), said that Mr. Skinner had given the House the impression that farmers wanted the continuance of the land sales legislation. What they really meant was that they wanted some revision of the 1942 basis of valuation. If costs increased then the value of farm lands must be higher than in 1942. He denied the assertion of the Minister that farmers today had security of tenure in the circumstances. As for houses, which the Minister said had been built for rehabilitated men for £ISOO to £I6OO, where, asked Mr. Oram, were the 5000 houses at £6OO each promised by the Labour Party in 1935? He also challenged the claims of the Minister of Finance, Mr. W. Nash, that, after paying income tax, a married man with two children finished up with more that his gross income. Comparison “Misleading” “That comparison was entirely misleading and erroneous,” said Mr. Oram. “The family allowance is to enable people to bring up their children in a reasonable and proper manner.” Government voices: “It’s income though!’ Mr. Oram said that if controls were relaxed gradually then some departments, sub-departments and individuals would become surplus to establishment, but under a National Government every efficient and loyal public servant would be assured of well-paid employment. He contended there was need for a general review of educational trends and policies and thought it wrong that the education system had been entirely divorced from religious instruction. In modern education there seemed to be a tendency to put aside any subject that might be difficult. Mr. M. Moohan (Govt., Petone), declared that the best insurance for people in New Zealand would be the return of the Labour Government for, “as sure as night followed day there would be industrial chaos” if the National Party became the Government and followed the road it was now travelling. Civil servants, he said enjoyed immeasurably better conditions today than when the Government came into power.