CLOSER SETTLEMENT

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11069, 16 February 1929, Page 7

CLOSER SETTLEMENT

A DANXEVIRKE REQUEST

Electric Telegraph—Press Association DANNEVIRKE, February 13. Speaking at Danuevirke to-day in reply to a deputation urging Government action in promoting closer settlement near Dannevirke, the Minister of Lands (Hon. G. W. Forbes) said that there had been built up a super-structure that had got out of proportion to the base. If New Zealand were to progress there must be more settlement on the land, and there was no other solution to unemployment than increasing the number of people on the land and increasing production. “I believe,’’ the Minister added, “that one of the great faults in New Zealand to-day is that the people have too much land, not too little, and I believe our troubles and weaknesses are due to that. We have come to see that where we have areas of land that can be cut up into smaller-sized farms of reasonable size, better results are being obtained. . . . As a practical farmer, I can see many farms that are not pulling their weight. I am certain that tlie country can carry two to three times as many people on its farm lands if properly used. “There is no doubt that in regard t 0 closer settlement we have got to tackle the problem and deal with it as expeditiously as we can. At the present time the Government is looking for good land. Because we are out for closer settlement we are not going to buy big sbjiep lands and cut them up into smaller sheep farms. Dairying will give the best results. What I am aiming at in regard to settlement is to increase the number of men on the land, and along with that to increase production. You can do that by cutting up land that has been carrying sheep and putting dairy farms on it. If you were to put sheep farms on it you would not get the same result. That is the class of land we are out to settle, and any property you may know of where the owner is willing to submit it to the Government should be put before the Land Purchase Board. I have told them that it is the desire of the Government to go on with settlement as expeditiously as we can.”

The Government did not want to apply harsh measures in getting land. If a man wanted to hang on to a big area, then the time had come for the Government to tackle the matter. He believed that it was better in such cases for the Government to give, under conditions of amicable bargaining, a little more than the market value of the land than have to take it under the compulsory clause of the Act. The Government would endeavour to do its best along the lines of friendly co-operation, but if the necessity arose it would have to take other means.