MAXIMUM SPEED IN DEVELOPMENT OF NEW LANDS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23219, 3 April 1950, Page 8

MAXIMUM SPEED IN DEVELOPMENT OF NEW LANDS

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, April 1. The Government did not intend to make any changes in the present policy of bringing in undeveloped land, said the Minister of Lands, Mr. E. B. Corbett, in Rotorua last night. He was satisfied that the present system was giving the maximum speed of settlement. Mr Corbett, accompanied by the Minister of Labour, Mr. W. Sullivan, made an inspection tour of 180 miles of land development schemes at Whakamaru, Mangakino Ngakuru and Waiketi yesterdnv The Minister said it would not be possible at the moment to extend greatly the present work, or speed up the actual settlement of the block because of the shortage of materials. “We will keep on at the present tempo.” he said "Fertiliser supplies in particular are making it hard for us at present. Thev are barely adequate. In the first vear we must use 9cwt. of phosphate to the acre.

“Several thousand acres are added to the schemes annually and if we were to increase the amount it would create a terrib'e demand. It shows how essential it is to have progress made in the decentralisation of fertiliser olants "

Housing was another difficulty. Mr. Corbett continued. Until permanent homes could be built the Lands Department. nnd made provision for temporary housing enabling farms to be worked meanwhile Although substandard ills houses were reasonably comfortable .and would convert into useful sheds when homes were buil f . “Another of our major difficulties will be to find enough store cattle to assist in the consolidation of land in the third and fourth years." Mr. Corbett said. “Cattle are an important part of the process."

Mr. Corbett also inspected a Maori block at Whakamaru and expressed pleasure at the thorough way in which it was being brought in.