NEW SETTLERS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIII, Issue 3075, 5 November 1929, Page 7

NEW SETTLERS.

PUBLIC.WORKS EMPLOYEES.

Experienced Public Works employees are to be given a chance to take up farms under the Government's land settlement scheme, according to to the Public Works Statement presented to Parliament on Thursday by the Hon. E. A. Ransom. Holding that backblock districts must have more done for them in the way of access, the Minister said he had arranged to increase materially this year's vote, not only to improve and extend access to districts already settled, but also to road suitable areas as an inducement to further settlement. Increased settlement of many areas at present unoccupied and reverting to second growth might be expected. It was intended, to employ on the development of unsettled and unproductive lands many of the more experienced Public Works employees, who had shown by service possession of the qualities that made successful settlers. It was hoped they would avail themselves of the opportunity of obtaining farms that were offered under the Land Laws Amend<ment Act passed during the session. By that means the way would be opened for employment on Public

Works standard jobs of more of the ordinary unemployed. ,_ "The roading operations of the Department, particularly the provision of communication facilities for the people in the backblocks as previously stated, has been one of my closest studies," said the Minister. "The ultimate goal to which I aspire is that of providing every landowner with such access as will enable him to transport his produce from the farm to the seaboard with celerity and economy at all times in the year, and which will furnish to him and his household .the convenience of easy access to their ordinary markets and to their fellow citizens of the Dominion. . . . The steady increase in the cost of roading which has been manifest in the ten years prior to my taking office is still maintained. The ever-increasing number of motorvehicles using the roads precludes the possibility of any decrease in roading expenditure if the present high standard is to be maintained."