CORRESPONDENCE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 25 February 1932, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

BACK TO THE LAND.

(To the Editor)

Sir, —The Mayor’s scheme for the training of lads is an excellent one. It however, only touches the fringe of the problem of unemployment. The only remedy is the settlement of our people on the land To do this successfully a re-valuation of land, based on present day values, is the first necessity, followed by the compulsory acquisition by the /State of whatever land is required. That land is wanted is shown by the pressure (brought to bear on the unemployed to form gardens. Many of the unemployed are capable of making a proper use of land and every endeavour should be made to provide them with enough to get a living from.' In this district there is enough land to isettlej all our local (unemployed!. Much of this land has been improved by them in recent months, principally at the expense of the public for the benefit of private persons, and therein is one of the principal defects of the present method of dealing with unemployment. Another work of national imports ance depending on the compulsory acquirement of land is the afforestation of our sand hill country. There is work there for hundreds if not thousands of men and the results in other countries is( proof of its profitableness. ( 1 am confident 'both of these suggestions could be realised if we were led by statesmen of courage and resource. —Yours, etc. N.Z.