SMALL FARM SCHEME

Grey River Argus, 1 April 1935, Page 6

SMALL FARM SCHEME

1170 NEW SETTLERS. TOTAL OUTLAY OF £467,013. The progress of the small farms scheme is indicated in a statement by the Minister of Lands, Mr. Ransom. He says that the Small Farms Board is engaged in the development, of a total area of 35,300 acres. The number or men placed on holdings is 1170, and those engaged in development work number 1202, while the cost of the scheme to date has been £467,013. The Minister said that the board imposed a limit of about £l2OO for every man settled, and so far this limit had been exceeded in only a very few cases. Apart from providing work for the unemployed, the scheme had a national value, in that it restored deteriorated properties, some of which had been abandoned to the Crown. Moreover, it had been the means of bringing into production some thousands of acres of unoccupied Crown land that otherwise would not have been capable of economic development. Of the 1170 men who had been placed on individual holdings or on sharemilking farms, said Mr. Ransom, 356 full-time farmers had been placed on 23,635 acres, which had been developed by the board. At present the board was engaged in the development of a total area of 35,300 acres, which was estimated to provide 459 full-time farms. The operations were providing employment at slightly better than relief rates for 1200 men. Summarised, the results were as follows: —Placed on small holdings, 488; placed on full-time farms (principally dairying), 356; established as share milkers, 326; total, 1170; number of men employed on development work, 1202; t0ta1'2372. “This,” said the Minister, “makes a total of 2372 men who have been taken from the unemployed labour ranks, and are now engaged in reproductive work. If we extend the statement to include ordinary Crown land development (349) and afforestation (900) the total number of men at present engaged on the Crown’s land operations reaches 3621.”

Mr. Ransom said that in the Te Kuiti district, development operations are proceeding on four blocks, aggregating 600 acres of part totally unimproved and part partially improved land, giving employment to 276 single men and 81 married men. In addition to bushfelling, scrub cutting and cultivation. 17 miles of fencing had been erected, two miles of drains had been made and four miles of road had been constructed, two miles of which had been metalled.

From a total of 191 dairy cows the blocks supplied up to December 31 last 16.8001 b. of butter-fat, and. in addition. provided milk for the 500 people in the camps and houses on the blocks. An additional 190 heifers are being carried for next milking season. The blocks were also carrying 1900 ewes. 1920 Jambs and 430 dry sheep anil 48 bales of wool have been shorn for the season.

It is estimated that when these blocks are sufficiently developed 67 new settlers will have been established from the ranks of the unemployed on an area, which formerly carried only 11 settlers.