LAND DEVELOPMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12391, 10 March 1926, Page 6

LAND DEVELOPMENT

STATEMENT BY MINISTER PROGRESS MUST BE GRADUAL “RUSH*' POLICY DEPRECATED Per Press Association BLENHEIM, March 9. After traversing the Clarence Valley with a view to looking into its possibilities from the point of closer settlement, the Minister for ’’Lands, th© Hon. A. D. McLeod, reached Blenheim, where he was acoorded a civic reception at the Council Chambers. There was a large and representative attendance.

"In these days/* said Mr McLeod, "a Minister hesitates to make any definite statement in regard to lands and possible settlement, without firstcarefully committing to paper what he wishes to make public. Only a few weeks ago in answer to a deputation in the far north, which was pressing for the introduction of overseas settlers in large numbers, I stated that as far as our settlement from overseas or elsewhere was concerned there remained little undeveloped lands for such, and that future settlement must be of a practical and slow nature. "As far as undeveloped lands are concerned, that statement has since been twisted into all shapes and forms, the gist being that no more settlement at present on undeveloped lands in my opinion was possible. Such an opinion never entered my head. What' I said of th© gum and pumice lands of the north, I now say without hesitation of The back country of the south. Certainly there will be future development in that area, but any attempt to rush it by inexperienced men can onlv end in disaster. . "Until our secondary industries show signs of larger development, we must continue to ask and hope for more and more Production from the primary. To say that New Zealand has reached the limit in such a direction is to talk nonsense and something I have never even thought, much less said. I have, however, said that it is still easy to about another returned soldier problem, and I am not prepared to take the risk of that. very instability of the prices of our products should make anyone careful in the purchase of wholesale land for subdivision, but under the same gradual system this country is capable of enormous development. "As to the Clarence, it is too high in price to justify, in my opinion, any large purchasing policy m th© present unsettled conditions of the Tjorld's markets, and high development costings. I hold that our production can be greatly increased off settled lands, but I feel that by rushine things at this stage we could do very much more harm than good. "I must confess that I was rather disappointed, for I expected to see a larger area. There is good land there, but it has been mercilessly destroyed by rabbits and will take many years. to recover, while the cost of roading would be enormous. The matter will halve to be csfrefully thought out.