LAND SETTLEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20075, 12 October 1928, Page 16

LAND SETTLEMENT.

Sir, —The visit of Lord Lovat has, brought into prominence the very serious position into which we have drifted with regard to this matter. Ho is in charge of" the work of settling in the British Dominions migrants from Great Britain, primarily to relieve the unemployment, problem in the Homeland. Most people will admit, that we have largo areas of suitable unused land, but the idea that must arise in most thoughtful minds is that i' we have the 'and why have we not, settled sufficient of our own people on it to dispose of our own unemployment problem. and if we cannot settle our own people on it. how can we hope to successfully settle migrants from Great Britain? The extent to which we have piled up costs in this country is shown very plainly bv the statement rnado by Lord Lovat that the total cost of settling a family in Canada is between four and five hundred pounds. The land there is given in, but, on that basis we wonder if it could be done hero for even twice or three times the money. The land settlement and unemployment problems are closely interwoven. Unemployment has been with us ever since settlement ceased to expand. The solution of one is the solution of the other, for if conditions were such that an increase of settlers to the extent of even one-third of the unemployed could come about the greater proportion of the balanco would be quickly absorbed. A.A.