CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18455, 19 July 1923, Page 12

CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

IDLE AREAS IN KING COUNTRY

COMMITTEE'S PROPOSALS.

GROUP SYSTEM ADVOCATED.

Our King* Country correspondent writes: "The Parliamentary party which recently toured the Upper King Country set up a committee to go into the question of immigration and land settlement. This committee has carefully considered the best means of bringing about closer settlement, which is an urgent need of the district. It is. pointed out that there are vast tracts of land at present unoccupied, together with a number of large blocks held by men who are unable to develop them. The proposal is to investigate cases of suitable land., semiimproved for preference, with a view to possible purchase at valuation by the Government, in anticipation of subdivision for closo settlement. The Government would be asked to subdivido a,nd road the land, erect buildings, and carry out essential clearing, such work to be carried out by men who wished to take up land, the subdivided land to be. eventually balloted for among the workers. A committee of working farmers would be set up in each centre to give exepert advice where necessary to new settlers. The following provisional conditions have been advanced for the operation of the scheme : 1. The land to be selected for the purpose must have the approval of' expert farmers, that it is suitable for small holdings, and the valuation to be decided by the Government. 2. The land, to be held for production, and not for speculative purposes. 3. All land, whether Crown, Native, or privately owned, to come under an Act which may be framed for the purpose of land settlement. 4. All land to be acquired shall be dealt with by the co-operation system in the cutting up and roadiing stage. By this it will ensure the land becoming productive, at a miniir.um of time and expense, and also give the opportunity of selecting the most suitable prospective settlers. During the subdivision stage all workers to be paid the standard wages for this class of work. 5. All timber suitable for fencing, building, etc., to be conserved, as far as possible, on any of the acquired land. 6. The land to bear oost of improvements and stock by mortgage held by the Government, such to be repaid in easy instalments extending over a lengthy period and at a low rate of interest. The •committee suggests a system of " zones," with Te Kuiti as the centre. From there the most suitable blocks would bis taken up in turn. It is intended to profit by mistakes made in the soldier settlement scheme, and also > to eliminate the speculative element. Briefly the object of the scheme is to allow men to take up land. at a fair value, and it ! is suggested that in cases where land is being held and not worked, if the owners are not willing to sell at a Government valuation, compulsion should be used to make them do so.