POLITICAL QUESTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19558, 10 February 1927, Page 10

POLITICAL QUESTIONS.

ADDRESS BY MR. JORDAN.

"A BARREN LAND POLICY."

An address on ,current political questions was given by Mri -W, J. Jordan M.P., at Onehunga evening.

A good deal of attention was devoted to unemployment, which Mr. Jordan attributed largely to the excessive immigration. He approved of immigration on principle, but it must be under our control, as we could absorb them, and not at the dictation of British financiers who were chiefly interested in getting rid of those who were a burden on the Old Country. . . ,

Coming to the original cause of the unemployment at Home, he said lie thought it had been accentuated by accepting German goods as reparations, without being able to stend a corresponding quantity to pay the debt to the United States, as that country refused to accept them. Experts were soon coming out to see whether- they could get Australia and New Zealand to take more immigrants, but he thought we ourselves could decide how many we could absorb.

Unemployment and bankruptcies had now reached a worse stage than in any year since IS9Q, There was a record number of 732 bankruptcies in 1926, and yet only the previous year we were told to look forward with confidence. There had been relief works 4ast winter, but there would have to be still more during the coming winter, and the Government had no policy to deal with it. The Government's land policy was so barren that in 1526 * there were 26.000 acres less in occupation and cultivation than in 1525, while there were 111.000 acres mors in scrub and fern and 115,000 acres mo?e than in 1925 were returned as barren and unproductive. The only method the Government adopted to settle the land was to buy a £60.000 farm, on which four more sheepfarmers would get a living, and yet it owned 3,000,000 acres of unoccupied land, besides all that the natives held waste.

Replying to questions,. Mr, Jordan said he had urged the Government to expedite grants for houses, as this would also serve the purpose o! relieving unemployment. He believed there was a move to get Parliament extended to five years, but he would oppose it. A vste of_ thanks and confidence was carried unanimously.