LAND WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED

Northern Advocate, 30 November 1937, Page 4

LAND WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED

i. Per Press Association. CopyrighcJ WELLINGTON, This Day.

The Minister of Lands, the Hon. F. Langstone, replied to questions concerning the settlement of unemployed workers on the land, when the House of Representatives was discussing the Public Works Estimates last night.

He said that there were about 1000 ;o 1200 men on land development work. They would soon have 1500. These men were worthy of being engaged on marginal lands. The vote for this work totalled £486,000, which was made up of £300,000 loan money and credits —in aid of £186,000. The idea was to have these lands worked to get the best results’possible and to retrieve the £300,000, also the £186,000. A Lot of Humbug.

Speaking of the demand that these men should be given the titles to their properties, he said he did not think it was right to give away £186,000 of the country’s money to a few settlers. He thought there was a lot of humbug talked about giving these people their land titles. They had a good job and received a regular income. ’Those promised leases by the previous Minister of Lands had received them. The Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, said 1212 men were employed on land development work, not at 17/ a week as paid by the previous Government, but at £4 a week. Altogether they had about 2000 men on the 4A, 4B and 4F schemes, working for the direct benefit of the farmers, to say nothing of the eradication of rabbits and noxious weeds, “Colossal Cost”—Mr poison.

Never while the Opposition was in office was anything like the same amount spent for the direct benefit of the farmer as was being spent today. Mr Poison said they were getting to the stage where the cost of developing land would be greater than the value of the land itself. The late'Government’s land schemes were successful. The men were earning good incomes and, generally, were appreciative of the opportunity of getting on the land.

He contended that the cost of placing the present Government’s plans in operation was so colossal that it must break itself down.