LAND POLICY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21716, 3 February 1934, Page 11

LAND POLICY

AMERICAN FAMILIES MIGRATION FROM SLUMS VAST SCHEME PREPARED ACQUISITION OF AREAS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received February 2. 10.45 p.m.) WASHINGTON. Feb. 1 A bill to permit of tho carrying out of a land policy which contemplates the permanent removal of millions of acres from cultivation has been prepared by the Farm Administration. The measure is to be presented to President Roosevelt within a few days find if ho approves, as officials expect he will, tho proposed legislation will set in motion a plan which ultimately will result in one of the greatest migrations of modern times. Acquisitions of land are to be made by purchase, or by some other arrangement satisfactory to persons now living on sub-marginal tracts. This might include tho exchange for more fertile tracts of homestead sites near factories in unproductive areas. •Estimates of the cub-marginal Jand which might be rotired vary, conservative figures being from 124,000,000 to 140,000,000 acres, though not all this is in actual cultivation.

Mr. H. Hopkins, Federal director of relief, has estimated that 1,000,000 families might have to be moved. Both city workers and farmers could be transferred from city and country slums to a combination of a rural and an urban atmosphere. That is hoped for through a decentralisation of industry. WHEAT PRODUCTION PLANS TO DECREASE TERMS OF AGREEMENT (Received February 3, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON. Feb. 1 According to Mr. Chester Davis, Farm Administrator, the removal of an additional 5,523,000' acres of wheat land from production is to bo undertaken in the next 10 days in order to bring the Output of the United States within the terms of the international wheat agreement. Mr. Davis said that plans for making the reduction, in addition to that already made under the production control contracts signed last autumn will be presented to the wheat producers. Probably they will call for additional reduction by the present signers or a campaign for new contracts. Officials also indicated that other proposed steps for reducing production and stimulating consumption among the countries signatory to the international agreement might necessitate calling another general conference.