SMALL-FARM PLAN

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 155, 16 June 1932, Page 11

SMALL-FARM PLAN

PROGRESSING STEADILY STATEMENT BY MINISTER. Wellington, June 15. In a statement to-day tho Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates said that steady progress was being made on tho small farm plan for placing unemployed on the land. “Wo aro not purchasing land,’’ he said, “nor taking leases of entire farm properties. What we are doing is distinct from ordinary land settlement.” They were placing men on small, wellselected areas, usually of about ten acres, with the intention that those who made good would later become permanent, independent settlers. Adequate steps were taken to ensure security of title.

“All that is asked from the landowner,” ho said, “is a simple agreement allowing the Government the use of a section of land, this typically taking the form of a lease for, say, live years with right of purchase or renewal. Buildings and improvements remain the property of tho Crown unless other arrangements aro made. Already definite arrangements have been made for some 300 cottages for sections which have been approved and these are being turned out and erected with all speed. Further orders are being placed as district officers and local committees make known their requirements. “From 300 to 400 offers of sections in addition to those already accepted are under examination.”

He mentioned that a certain amount of trouble was caused by mortgagees, and lie pointed out that one effect of bringing competent and well-selected men into a district and opening the way to land development and improvement must be to strengthen the security for existing mortgages. Mr Coates mentioned an offshoot of the scheme which relates to dairy farms, tho Government supplying a cottage under suitable terms to house a sharemilker He said that the history of the dairy industry showed that the sharemilker of to-day was the farmer of to-morrow and opportunities offered in that direction would open the way for sound development.