SMALL FARMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21640, 4 November 1933, Page 14

SMALL FARMS

PROGRESS OF SCHEME

AUCKLAND AREAS ACQUIRED

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

"MINISTER ANSWERS CRITICISM [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Friday A statement setting out the progress "Tnado under the small farms plan and the arrangements being made for the development of further areas for settlement was made to-day by the Minister of Lands, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, who is responsible for the administration of the Small Farms (Relief of Unemployment) Act of last session. The Minister stated that up to September 16 the Small Farms Board had placed 140 men on individual holdings, had established 50 men as share-milkers and had 300 men employed on land development. To-day the number on individual holdings was 179, 50 sharemilkers were established, and 428 men jvero on land development. M ith the T53 men placed on reproductive work under the previous small farm plan, there were now 1410 in rural occupations as the result of the scheme. Negotiations in Hand ' It was estimated that by the end of January the number of men engaged on development work would bo increased from 428 to 1100. Jhe board was developing or was about to commence improvement work on 38 blocks comprising 30,424 acres, estimated to provide 282 holdings. Negotiations were now in hand for the acquisition of an additional 14 blocks, comprising 13,211 ncres, which, if acquired, would provide approximately 200 holdings.

Some of the more recent acquisitions Vera mentioned by the Minister as follows: —Vaile's gift block, near Rotorua, 1000 acres; Vaughan's property, Hokianga, 1107 acres; Puriri, Limited's, Long's and Brown's properties, Mangonui, 2898 acres; Wilson's Estate. Ngatamahine, near Te Kuiti, 2426 acres; Nelson and McNicol's property, Motatau, Bay of Islands, 1760 acres; Suominen's, Leach's and Mackenzie's properties, Te Karae, Hokianga, 1513 acres; Park's property, near Cambridge, 373 acres; Karamu Settlement, Hastings, 107 acres; Gurr's property, Takahue, 808 acres; Newman brothers', Hunaruna, Hokianga, 550 acres; Ballard Estate, Takahue, 334 acres; Eraser's property, near Whangarei, 271 acres; Kaikes' property, Pakaraka, Bay of Islands, 194 acres; Mrs. Lodge's property, Awhitu, 942 acrefe; Cruickshank's property, Otorohanga, 471 acres; portions of several properties, Mairoa. near To Kuiti, 1853 acres; portions of several properties, Tutamoe, North Auckland, 1607 acres; Steven's and Pratt's properties, Wharepapa, To Awamutu, 710 acres; Rait's property, near Te Kuiti, 1990 acres. Crown Areas Set Aside

J In addition, a number of smaller properties had been acquired and several Crown areas, notably in the Upper Rangitaiki district, Mangonui, Tauranga and Kaitieko Counties, com- // prising over 8000 acres, had been set aside for the purpose of the scheme. It would be difficult at this stage to supply figures which would give any indication or the cost of the scheme, added the Minister, but it was the aim of the board to keep the total charge per holding at a minimum. For the most part, the holdings would be dairy farms of a 25 to 35-cow capacity and in very few cases would the total /charge exceed £I2OO. Since the board was constituted in April, the total authorisations actually approved for the purchase and development of land . and for buildings, stock, etc., amounted ' to £160,000. This did not include capital liability represented by options to purchase in cases where land had been secured by way of lease. Nor did it include more than the first year's expendituro on improvements, buildings, et/\

The fact that the Unemployment Board had agreed to meet the cost of labour, which cost would not be a charge on the land, had enabled the • Farms Board to undertake the improvement of many areas which otherwiser could not be included in the scheme. Procedure lor Applicants At present there were no sections available for general selection, and it was necessary for applicants for small farms to follow one of two courses:— .(a) To obtain from an owner an option to purchase or to lease for a period of ten years with the right of purchase an area sufficient for the applicant's requirements, and to forward Fiich option, together with a formal /' application, to the Commissioner of ' Grown Lands for the district concerned; or (b) to secure employmenten one of the department's development areas with a view to his ultimate selection for one of the holdings. Men desiring employment, on development areas when resident in a provincial district in which there are development camps should notify the officer in charge of the Labour Department for the district, but if he is not resident in a district where camps are being established, he should make his application through the local certifying officer. In referring to criticism levelled ngainst the department on the score of delay in putting the scheme into operation, the Minister refers to the time required for inspection, protracted negotiations, clearance of titles, and other legal difficulties and formalities. "It is somewhat ironical," ho says, "that most of the criticism has been in respect of the work of the Auckland lands officers, in whoso district probably the greatest amount of small farm settlement' work is being carried out. Many Properties Unsuitable

"Since Juno last, when tlio local committees were finally appointed, l.'il properties, comprising over 62,000 acres, have been inspected, and of these 110 proved to be unsuitable. Of this latter number, 21 were considered to be partly suitable, and pro- /. tracted negotiations have followed in regard to price and area. At the moment negotiations are in train regarding the acquisition of 19 properties, totalling 15,000 acres, while 22 properties, totalling 17,000 acres, arc 7 awaiting inspection by the committees. "1 say definitely that theso figures, when taken in conjunction with the number of men employed on development areas in the Auckland district, disprove any suggestion of lack of activity or of loyalty to the scheme on the part of the officers charged with the administration of the scheme in that district. In fact, the whole of the officers of the department are imbued with a desire to make it a success, and it is only on account of peculiar difficulties that very little progress has been made in the southern districts."