NATIONAL WORK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17947, 26 November 1932, Page 2

NATIONAL WORK

FARM DEVELOPMENT

USE OP UNEMPLOYED

The Unemployment Board’s farm development scheme known as No. 4P> is regarded by practical men as one ot the most valuable, from a national point of view, of all the plans devised for increasing production and at the same time placing unemployed men in useful occupation. Briefly, the 4B is a scheme for providing subsidised labor on a contract basis, the labor to be utilised strictly for work of a developmental character on farms. The work that may be undertaken under this scheme consists oi bush felling, scrub-cut ling, rush-grub-bing, stumping and logging, drainage on farms lands, cutting new drains, and improving existing drains, fencing and ploughing virgin hind, and developmental work of a similar nature. A 50 PER CENT. SUBSIDY Toward the labor cost of such work the Unemployment Board now pays a subsidy of 50 per cent, (formerly 33 & per cent.), and the fact that more than 2000 farmers have arranged contracts under the scheme is nu indication thut its value is realised. The actual figures for the scheme up to November .15 are as follow: — Applications approved .. 2,030 Men employed . . ■ • 4,358 Subsidies .. • • • • £40,000 Following are details of some of the work accomplished as a result of this expenditure of money and human energy:— Bushfelling . . _.. 18,682 acres Stumping and logging 6,084 acres Scrub-cutting .. 63,159 acres Fencing .. • • 30,712 chains Draining contracts .. 25,368 chains Post splitting and fcnci„,r .. .. 35,000 Battens . . ■ • 143,000 Ploughing virgin land 2,639 acres Grubbing '. . .. 5,176 acres Bonding .. ■ • 1,000 chains ADDITIONAL STOCK CARRIED Already the effects of this farmdevelopment campaign are noticeable in the largely-increased carrying capacity of most of the holdings where contracts under 4B have been carried out, and it now appears to be beyond question that the Dominion’s 'primary products will be considerably augmented as a result. The areas' already made available are expected to carry approximately 90,000! additional sheep and 22,000’ extra cattle. Gratifying though this achievement is, another result that is even more satisfactory is the placing in employment of over 4000 men and the probability that many of them will remain permanently on the land. The increase in the Unemployment Board’s subsidy from 33J per cent, to 50 per cent, of the labor, cost of each contract has greatly stimulated applications by farmers for assistance in having developmental work carried out by contract.