IDLE LANDS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 148, 12 June 1930, Page 9

IDLE LANDS

GROUP SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT DOMINION'S PRIMARY WEALTH. HON,. E. A. RANSOM’S POLICY Dannevirke, June 11. Tlb Hon. E. A. Ransom (Minister of Lands), in the course of a presessional address at Danncvirko this evening, made further reference to the Government’s proposals in regard to land settlement, Hcj had enjoyed his work as A.’jnister of Public Works, but recognised Chat in the new portfolio he had undertaken the position of greatest importance to the progress of tho Dominion. One of the principal difficulties confronting the Dominion was that of unemployment, and in his opinion land settlement would prove to be the greatest possible factor providing permanent employment in productive work. New Zealand was only partially developed. He hoped as Minister of Lands to be able to introduce into his department such systems of land development as would go a long way towards meeting the surplus labour problem. The land legislation of last session provided the necessary machinery. It was the finest Land Act so far enacted for the development of our so-called waste areas, lie was convinced that there were millions of acres of Crown land which would ultimately bo made available for selection in small areas. The great weakness of the land legislation of the past was tho fact that it contained no provision for financial assistance to those taking up such areas. Advances were now available to any experienced man taking up such land, and in tho near future he hoped to have hundreds of men engaged in development work.

NOT A VISIONARY SCHEME. In accordance with its policy to create closer settlement throughout the Dominion, the Government would continue to purchase suitable improved estates for subdivision, but in his opinion much greater benefit would accrue to tho Dominion by a vigorous policy of developing idle lands. In addition to the systems already 1n hand, he proposed to introduce something in the nature of group settlement, whereby blocks of land will be surveyed into reasonably sized sections and applications called for experienced men to clear portion of each section, construct roads, erect fences and hutments, and to take up a subdivision when there was a reasonable prospect of a settlement being able to carry on, It was uot pro-

posed to clear the whole of the land, but to give the settler a fair start to enable him to develop the remainder of his section by his own labour. It was not merely a visionary scheme; he had advocated it for years, and it had already been put into practical operation by the Hon. Sir Apirana Ngatfi in connection with native settlement. FOLLOWING DENMARK'S EXAMPLE. Referring to the possibilities of increased production, the Minister stated that the Dominion had only touched the fringe of its primary wealth. y Denmark provided an example which New Zealand could well emulate. It was only the size of Southland and yet in 1927 it exported £25,000,000 in primary produce and £24,000.000 in the export of meat, principally pork and bacon. The comparative New Zealand exports were £17,000,000 and £9,000,000 respectively. Ho looked for tremendous development in the dairying industry throughout the pumiceous belt of the North Island, which had proved so responsive to modern methods of pasture management and which he believed a great deal of additional settlement could bo provided. The Minister made a tour of the coastal portion of the electorate during the day and received farmers’ deputations. He returns to Wellington in tho morning.