LAND SETTLEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20420, 23 November 1929, Page 15

LAND SETTLEMENT.

"MINISTER TOO BUSY."

WHOLE TIME ADVOCATED.

SUGGESTIONS BY THE LEAGUE. Th» necessity for early and definite action on (he part of tho Government to put. into effect, the provisions of the Land Laws Amendment Act and to devise means whereby farm labourers could be induced to stay on Iho land was urged at a meeting of the. executives of Iho Now Zealand Land Settlement and Development League yesterday. The chairman, Mr. W. ,1. Holdsworth, presided.

Tho chairman said that ho recently visited the Waikato and was impressed with prospects for an exceptional season. Several fanners had already commenced haymaking, but were experiencing great difficulty in obtaining labour.

A member cited an instance in which a farmer called tenders for drainage work, but tho only replies received were from Austrian*. Many hundreds of young men who wero now drifting to relief works would, if they had tho opportunity, settle on the land. "The Government launched an attractive land settlement scheme, but the Minister of Lands is not ahlo to devote sufficient, of his time to putting it into effect," said Mr. D. Donaldson. "The Lands Department is of sufficient importance to engage the whole-time attention of ono Minister. Instead of this the matter is left to the heads of.various departments. We have got the ship and crew complete, but the, master is too busy." It was decided that, in view of tho letter received from tho Minister of Lands, the lion. G. W. Forbes, on October 17, promising early developments, tho league should ask the Government to state definitely when the details of its proposals would bo available and when actual steps would be taken to make the recent, legislation effective. It was also decided to urge the desirability, in tho opinion of tho executive, of the responsible Minister giving his whole time to tho subject, in view of its vital importance.