PLACING MEN ON LAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21347, 23 November 1932, Page 10

PLACING MEN ON LAND

decision on scheme UNEMPLOYED RELIEF PLAN — 11 ' v > 91111? STATE POWERS FOR LEASING :

[BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON", Tuesday yf' After a further session to day, the de-

partmental conference initiated by the Rt. Hon.. J: G. Coates has finally decided upon ' a scheme of land settlement for the relief of unemployment. After being submitted for criticism to the Treasury, the schema will probably be brought before the Cabinet.

While he made it clear that he was not yet in a position to details of the scheme, Mr. Coates indicated in an interview this evening that the major difficulty would be to launch it with no more resources than "the smell of an oil rag.",

It has been suggested that the scheme will depend on the compulsory acquisition of land, but Mr. CJoates made it clear that the element of compulsion, if it was introduced at all, would be kept well ii the background. It tons realised, he said, that the scheme could only be successful if it was accepted and supported by the people. If the Government had to compel its acceptance there was very little to be gained.

It is understood that the scheme involves f the Government leasing for a period areas of land not actively cultivated and having power to exercise' certain rights at the end of that period. If the Government is given powers for the compulsory acquisition of land, they will be new only in so jf far as they apply to leaseholds. Actually the Government has had authority to acquire land by compulsion since 1894 and the following 13 estates, comprising 229,327 acres and providing a total of 1006 holdings, were all compulsorily taken:—Ardgowan, Argyll, Carrington, Culverden, Flaxbourne, Forest Gate, Hatuma, Kumeroa, Lindsay, Matamata, Tawaha, Te Arai and Waimana. Although no land for settlement has been, taken in this way since 1909, the Government's powers still remain and were expressed as recently as 1925 in the Consolidated Land for Settlements Act.