IMMIGRATION SCHEME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22826, 10 March 1936, Page 10

IMMIGRATION SCHEME

LORD NUFFIELD’S OFFER i HISTORY OF NEGOTIATIONS (Special to Daily Times) WELLINGTON. March 9. “I am completely iu the dark about the reported offer of Lord Nuffield to invest £1.000,000 in land settlement iu New Zealand,” said the Minister of Lands (Mr F. Langstone) to-day. “ I know nothing about it at all. Whatever conversations took place between Lord Nuffield aud the former Minister of Lauds (Sir Alfred Ransom) were evidently in strict confidence, and known only to themselves. “ From the statement made by Sir Alfred in an interview at Dannevirke it appears to me,” continued Mr Langstone, “ that no direct offer was made by Lord Nuffield, and probably Sir Alfred Ransom sugggested that a land settlement scheme on the basis of one New Zealand settler to one British settler would be endorsed by his Government. Quite a considerable time baa elapsed, however, since Lord Nuffield’s firs t visit to New Zealand, when the alleged offer was made, but nothing was done in the matter. It is clear that no report was made on the subject. There are certainly no official reports in the office of the Lands Department. Now that the interesting question has been made public it seems reasonable to suggest that Sir Alfred Ransom should publish the full details of what took place between Lord Nuffield and himself regarding any land settlement scheme that was discussed between them.” FORMER MINISTER’S STATEMENT. “ I would like to make it clear that I was negotiating on my own in a purely private way,” said Sir Alfred Ransom to-night, when invited to comment upon the statement made by the Minister of Lands. “ The matter had not been placed before Cabinet, aud because I did not wish to bring it before Cabinet until I had something definite to go upon no official record was taken of my negotiations. Naturally, my successor in office knows nothing of the proposals. “ I made no announcement at the time because the whole thing was more or less of a confidential nature, but I see no harm in making the facts public now, especially if this should lead to a reopening of the, negotiations. At the time of my negotiations with Lord Nuffield I took him on a tour of inspection of some of the lands the Government was opening up for settlement. I have already explained how I came to get into touch with Lord Nuffield through Sir Thomas Wilford, and when I did so he accompanied me to North Auckland, to Galatea, mid to several other blocks, particularly of pumice lands, where he was shown what the Government was doing. “Lord Nuffield expressed himself as being thoroughly satisfied with the results that were being obtained, but when we got down to a business proposition he indicated that his wish was to settle on the land people from Great Britain. I did not feel justified in recommending Cabinet to embark upon an immigration scheme at a time of unemployment, even though the whole scheme was to be financed by Ijord Nuffield at no cost to New Zealand. It was to have been a free gift. % “ I told Lord Nuffield that a schem** to place New Zealand unemployed on the land would be grasped with both hands, but he did not wish to go past his own people. Finally, a proposal that the scheme should be on a 50 —50 basis was made, and when we parted Lord Nuffield told me he would give it serious consideration. . “That is the last I have heard of it, said Sir Alfred. “ I had hoped that when Lord Nuffield visited New Zealand last week he would have come as far as Wellington, but he did not do so. It seems to me, however, that if the proposition appeals to the present Government, and it would consider embarking upon an immigration scheme, it would still be pdssible to reopen the negotiations U'ltb Lord Nutlield.”