DOMINION'S IDLE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19458, 14 October 1926, Page 14

DOMINION'S IDLE LAND.

HINDRANCE TO PRODUCTION. NECESSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT. CRITICISM OF LEGISLATION. [liV TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WAIROA. Wednesday. The burden of undeveloped land was referred to by Mr. J. S. Jessep, chairman of directors, at the annual meeting of iho Wairoa Farmers' Co-Operative Meat Company, Limited. "The future of the works depends upon the development of the district," said Mr. Jessep. "From year to year I have pointed out the large area of undeveloped land in the Wairoa district, which is carrying no stock whatever. This is unquestionably the greatest drawback we have to face. We have repeatedly had promises that unoccupied Crown lands and idle native lands would bo developed. Again and again we have been told of the enormous difficulties in dealing with unindividualised native land. We know as a matter of hard fact that much of the legislation on the Statute Book, which was designed by theorists to protoct the Maoris, is in reality hindering them and preventing their lands being used. "In the meantime the land in occupation in the district has to carry a burden of rates and taxes which." if the district were fully developed, would bo enormously lightened. Year by year we have seen large areas of such land go further and further back, and in answer to our representations we have only been told of the difficulties in the way of settlement. Taxation and Unemployment. "Our enterprise has been tremendously hindered by the fact that these idle lands are not carrying any stock. This state of affairs, I know, does not only apply to the Wairoa district, but is a growing evil from Napier to Auckland. It is not only of 'interest to the East Coast, but to the whole of New Zealand, for while good lands remain undeveloped the occupied land throughout the Dominion has to carry a much heavier burden of taxation than would be necessary if such lands were brought into use. "We have heard a good deal about unemployment this year, and many thousands of pounds are being spent in providing useless and unproductive work round the cities. It will be argued that many of the men so employed could not [be effectively employed in the clearing and development of land. They would be very much better employed in bringing idle lands into production than at any other work than can possibly bo provided for them. "We are continually being told that the high price of land is checking production. A large proportion of the land in New Zealand is still in the hands of those who owned it in 1914. Tho Real Handicap on Production. "It. is not tho price of land, but the increasing cost of working land that is killing development, and one of tho best means of reducing the increasing cost of working land is to bring the whole of tho idle lands in New Zealand into production so that the whole of the country will he carrying the cost. "The continual concentration of the population of New Zealand in the cities I and boroughs is another main cause of unemployment. There, every branch of labour is hedged round by awards and artificial restrictions which tend to reduce output, and reduced output means a corresponding increase in the cost of living. Unless this concentration in the cities can be effectively checked and increased production throughout tho Dominion becomes something more than a political catch cry, then the whole Dominion, and particularly the cities, are going to suffer a serious setback. "Much more serious attention must be given, not to talking about increased production, but to providing facilities to make that production possible. Unless this is done it will be impossible to maintain the present standard of living in New Zealand." A QUESTION OF FINANCE. MR.' STEWART IN THE DARK. [.BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] CHItISTCHURCH. Wednesday. In regard to the reported statement by the Minister of Lands. Hon. A. D. MrLeod, in connection with the alloviation of unemployment, that tho Government should undertake the development of 3000 to 5000 acres of land in three areas—the pumice lands, the mixed lands nearer Auckland, and the gum lands in the N'orth—and also that the Minister of Finance bad told him that he thought he could find the money out of revenue, tho Hon. W. Downie Stewart. Minister of Finance, stated today:—"t don't quite understand what he means, as I have not discussed the question with him. The money need not necessarily come from taxation. If we ran finance such a scheme from revenue it would lie to our advantage to do so."