LAND SETTLEMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 30 August 1945, Page 7

LAND SETTLEMENT

NEED FOR GREATER PRODUCTION (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) Wellington, Aug. 29. The urgent need facing all countries that had been engaged in the war was the reabsorption into civilian life of the members of the forces, said Mr S. W. Smith (National, Bay of Islands) when speaking in the Budget debate in the House of Representatives. The members of the forces must not be subjected to irritating delays. He thought it correct to say that what they desired was freedom of action. While they were being demobilised his suggestion was that the great bulk of the army of inspectors roaming the Dominion should also be demobilised so they might have the opportunity of doing something useful and productive. Mr J. Thorn (Government, Thames): So the plunderers can get to work without being stopped. Mr Smith said that as he interpreted the minds of Government members their view was that secondary industries would play a more important part than the primary industries, but with that opinion he disagreed. Primary production was the basis of New Zealand's economic life and it followed that New Zealand had to work from that base upwards. If that were so it followed that land settlement must play a major part in the settlement of New Zealand ex-servicemen. He thought that the idea held by many Government members and perhaps by some of his own colleagues that whereas one could be settled on a farm two, three or four could be settled in industry was erroneous and dangerous. Every man who went on to the land and broke in country and produced more created employment for others in cheese and butter factories, freezing, lime and manure works. More waterside workers were needed, more carpenters to provide housing and so on. NOT SATISFIED WITH PROGRESS “I am not satisfied with the progress being made with land settlement,” added Mr Smith. “At the present rate it will be six or eight years before the men desirous of settling on the land have an opportunity of doing so.” Mi Smith said he was tired of hearing settling men on first-class land only. The total area of first-class land was very small in proportion to second-class land, and New Zealand's production in the main came frem seccnd and thirdclass land. It was to that type of land that they must look for expansion of the primary industries. In the north there were thousands of acres of good second and third-class land, and if the Government had been more alive much of that land could have been ready for settlement. It had been said that the labour was not available, but it was available for other work which he did not think was as important. The men. money and machinery had been avail- ' able, for example, for levelling Parlia- I ment grounds. Not only would the j returned men benefit by bringing land I of that type into production but it J would also help in the production of I more food for Britain.

Mr Smith said that the policy of buying private farms for the settlement of returned men was far too slow and would not in the main add to the Dominion’s production.