CHANCE FOR UNEMPLOYED

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 24 July 1935, Page 8

CHANCE FOR UNEMPLOYED

Founder of Waikato Land Scheme Tells Story of Work GREAT RECOVERY EFFORT “WEALTH A RESPONSIBILITY” _ The story of a great recovery effort which is being made in the Waikato as the result of the efforts of many public-spirited men to do something m the direction ot getting the unemployed back into harness under decent conditions was told to members of the Wellington Rotary Club yesterday by Mr Daniel Victor Bryant, of Hamilton, the head and founder of the Waikato Band Settlement Society. In introducing the speaker, Sir Altred Ransom, the aeting-Prime Minister, referred to the great work air Bryant was doing in the Waikato. Ho find already set up and endowed a children’s convalescent home - at Ragland which must have cost him about £60,000. When he visited the home, with Lady Ransom, they had spent one of the most delightful evenings possible among the children, one ami all of whom regarded Mr Bryant as their godfather, or “Uncle Dan.” But It was not sufficient for this man to give of his means. He had been sue, cessrul in business, and now not only was he giving his means, but he was giving his life with it. He regarded wen It has a responsibility, a means of doing good to others. Mr Bryant said ho would first tell them now the Waikato Land Settlement Society originated. When things went to pieces so suddenly and he had sen unemployment so life, with nil the attendant conditions mentally and otherwise, he was convinced that it was “up to” everyone with time and money to do something to lelieve the situation. He realised that the Government had a duty, but he also had realised that the individual had a definite duty to do something in the matter. He could' think of nothing better than the settlement of the land, to get the men, their families out on the" land and away from the towns where they could only depend on the Unemployment Board and private charity, in an environment fatal to children, who, it had to he remembered were the nest generation. ho three years ago he had set out to raise *£20.000, deciding that unless that sum was forthcoming a start could not be made. That might never have been had not Mr Smallwood, the chairman of the Auckland Savings Bank, offered £1.0,000, providing the public would subscribe a like amount. SYMPATHY OF MINISTERS. At that time the slump was at its deepest. Many had promised to give by the end of Atarch, and as it grew near that date it looked as though they would lose after all, but by March 31 they had not only secured the £20,000, but £21.000 had come forward. What had helped was the assistance given :bv Sir Alfred Ransom and the Hon. Mr A. Hamilton, then Minister of Employment, each of whom had made a grant of £SCO from tlieudepartments. Sir Alfred Ransom had been keen on tlie scheme from its inception. So the society was formed and directors were appointed, and here he wished to say that each of those gentlemen had acted in an honorary capacity, and not one oi them, had even charged for ear hire. They regarded the money subscribed as s» sacred that they would not ask for personal expenses, though their cars had travelled between 20,000 and 80,030 miles on the society’s business. The first act of the directors was t<v purchase a property ten miles lrom Cambridge; then they acquired another property eleven miles from Hamilton they bought IoOQ acres at Te Awamutu lor* which £4500 was paid. It might interest those present still more to learn that this £4500 was an anonymous gift to the society, and not even his co-directors knew where it camo from. It was the donor’s wish that the scheme should bo extended, but the name was never to be divulged. He felt it was almost necessary to have those gifts in order a build a solid foundation for the scheme. Until they could build their homes the unemployed first camped out on these lands The Unemployment Board paid tueir wages—men with two children anc under 25s a week, men with three children or more 30s a week. Ihe men lived on that for a year, no extra help bein'' necessary save in two or three eases At a later stage the Unemployment’Board agreed to put the men on the same wages as those paid on uio government land development scheme, which was 32s to 43s per week. *n twelve months they hoped to vean 3men from the Unemployment Boaid and put them on their own feet, s “ they would not be a burden on the State but would make room for 3g others indirectly. A FIRM FOUNDATION.

Mr Bryant told how they ahd found the land weed infested, but by adopting the proper methods they had cleaned it up until last season the crass was the finest he had ever seen on some of the lots, and the holdings were now running 8000 sheep and 1000 head of cattle. At present the society had overdrafts at the Bank oi New South Wales and the Bank of New Zealand, but if they were to seh all the sheep and cattle at current rates tocl-av they would clear off all their liabilities, and still have 6000 acres of good land, 34 homesteads and 12 cottages, besides £'3ooo worth of plant and horses. In his concluding remarks Mr m.V ant acknowledged the groat help given him by Mr ITa|ri;y Vnldcr a| one time district governor of Rotary ii I had got nothing out of it except the friendship of Harry Valder, said Mr Bryant feelingly, “I feel that the time would not have been wasted. Mr Bryant spoke of one person who dropped in with a cheque for £IQ9 another who gave them throe house(to he shifted out on to the farms) at least- worth £250 each, and of a widov who handed him 5s as her mite. > ‘‘l appeal to those who have surplus wealth to use it well,” said Mr Bryant><x ain not a philanthropist. 1 hate the

word. I am 53 years of age. At 42 I made an endowment. I found it was not enough. I had to give myself—to act forever afterward in an honorary capacity. If I had not given over accumulating wealth according to custom I would have "buried my soul. It hoc! made all the difference to my life; us it is I am happy in the work and mind is at rest. Beally all one needs wealth for is the protection of one’s own family, hut custom takes us past that mark, and we become its slaves. We are living in critical times. I he-' lieve that with each• slump the wealth of the world drifts into fewer hands. | I pity the man with millions. The real. thing to-day is to reach the hearts of i tlie men and women, and to do one’s best to cure their complaints. I do appeal to tlie Wellington Rotary ■Club, and would be only too pleased to provide any information ah :>ut the scheme. As for the unemployed themselves, theirs is a difficult lot, hut since the depression we have found them a credit to New Zealand, a credit to the world. • • They have changed with a different environment. Some of them have nine and ten children. The coming generation mind you! What would their condition he in a city living on your cast-off clothing and mine? As tlie land is developed we can take 'on more unemployed still—there is more work than for thos? who can settle on • the land; and, in time, we will "help I them to permanent jobs. . I’ve got tremendous faith in human.ty!”