CHANGE MADE

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4800, 21 June 1939, Page 5

CHANGE MADE

RELIEVING THE SHORTAGE. OPERATION OF SCHEME 48. LAND DEVELOPMENT WORK. Much use of the 4B scheme, it is anticipated, will be made in this district in developing farm lands, and the following summary of the uses of the scheme, given by Mr. W. G. Simpson to a meeting of representatives of the Farmers’ Union in Hamilton will be of interest.

Mr. Simpson stated that, as liaison officer to the Department of Labour, he and Mr. J. Donnelly had been specifically charged to obtain the cooperation of everyone interested in increasing production, and the Minister was anxious that as many men as possible who were out of work should be employed under the scheme. “Scheme 48,” added Mr. Simpson, “is one in which the Government subsidises wages costs from 50 to 70 per cent, according to circumstances, and is for the purpose of assisting farmers to bring non-productive land to profit. Scrub-cutting, draining, stumping and fencing is the usual class of work to which the subsidy applies, but if there is any other class of work that would help to increase production on the farm it should be submitted, and it will be given every consideration.”

Farmer to Meet Costs. The farmer was expeetd to meet the full cost of the job up to completion, after which the subsidy of 50 or 75 per cent., as the case might be, was payable by the Government as soon as the work was certified as being satisfactory by an officer of the Lands Department. The final payment to workmen should not be made until such time as the job had been inspected by one of these field officers. On a representative stating that many farmers would find difficulty in making the full payment in anticipation of the subsidy, Mr. Simpson said he understood that the banks and State Advances Department were willing to assist their clients in this respect, and he hoped that the dairy companies and other financial institutions would follow suit.

The meeting concluded after it had been decided to ask the Farmers’ Union to assist by setting up advisory committees in the various districts throughout the Waikato.