LAND BOARD BUSINESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23333, 27 October 1937, Page 12

LAND BOARD BUSINESS

TO THE EDITOR

Sir, —May I trespass on your space to ask the Otago Land Board and the Minister of Lands what excuse they have to offer for allowing Mr Jelley to obtain the 800 odd acres which were allotted by tender at the. board's last meeting? A grazing run of some thousands of acres is held by Mr Jelley and/or his wife. Surely, Sir, he already has sufficient on which to make a living. I understand that, among the other applicants, were some with small holdings, barely sufficient to make a comfortable living off, and some who were landless, and with dependents who, until recently, at any rate, were amongst the vast army of unemployed. What a policy to adopt! Surely Mr Jelley should not have been allowed to participate among the tenderers when there were landless applicants. This is surely a new way to progress. The Labour Government, before the election, promised to bring forward a progressive land policy to help to combat the unemployment problem, yet here we find the Otago. Land Board passing over men who are virtually unemployed and giving this land to a man with sufficient for himself and family, and to this the Minister will give his approval. The previous Government at least made an honest attempt in the small farm scheme, to put unemployed on the land, and at least, to help to lighten the burden on the unemployment funds. What about the Mount Pisa flats? Why not put them up to ballot? One man has made a success of fanning on this area. Is he the only man in the country who can do so, or is he the favoured of the gods? I say that all this land could be settled in its present state. I myself would be quite prepared to take a section —that is, if it is not a dairy farm—and would guarantee to ask no assistance from the Government. It would be interesting to know why Mr Jeljey made a hurried trip to Dunedin just when tenders were called for this land, and again just before the board meetinc. If the Labour Government is sincere in its attitude to the landless and the Minister of Lands in particular is sincere in his attitude this wrong can yet be righted—l am, etc., Landless.