THE SUPPLY OF LAND.

Northern Advocate, 17 March 1913, Page 4

THE SUPPLY OF LAND.

A statement by Mr. Hall, secretary of the Associated A. and P. Societies, while giving evidence before the Empire Trade Commission at Auckland, that hundreds of applicants entered for ballots for Crown lands was discussed at some lengfth by Sir Rider Haggard. He expressed great surprise that in a country of such size, with a population no greater than that of Norfolk, there should be any lack of land for all who required it. Reviewing Mr. Hall's evidence regarding the difficulty of obtaining farm labour, Sir Rider Haggard said he was forced to the conclusion that settlement of the land in New Zealand must be by families, who would be able to cutivlate their farms independently of hired assistance. There were not many farm hands in England, and most of the immigrants would have to be drawn from the cities. He asked whether it would be possible to establish a scheme of settlement by families removed from the English cities, and trained in agriculture. Mr. Hall replied that an obstacle against the carrying out of such a scheme was that there were no large areas of land available which the Crown would be willing to sell for social settlements. His opinion was that any proposal to alienate large blocks of land in this way would be met with considerable opposition from the leasehold party in Parliaiment, and from colonial-born farmers' sons, who were looking for land for themselves. When General Booth was in New Zealand he made' inquiries of a similar character, and met with very, little encouragement, j

and left the country without ■ ing any land. Mr. Hall addeß| men who obtained colonial expeß would have little difficulty in H farms individually.- B|