"Has the Courage but not the Capital."

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 65, 14 October 1930, Page 5

"Has the Courage but not the Capital."

THE MINISTER OF LANDS. MX. POLSON ON LAND SETTLEMENT. colonel Mcdonald is critical. ("Post'' Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, This Day. That the Minister of Lands had done his best in connection with land settlement and a lot of snap-shooting to which he (the .Minister) bad been subjected was not justified, was the opinion expressed in the Rous. 1 of Representatives by Mr. W. J. Pol, son. M.P., when the Land Law- 1 Amendment Bill was under discussion. The time had gone when lands could he settled easily and -satisfactorily, and to-day the Minister had to look for land and tackle some very tough propositions. There was a lot of land between Napier and Taupo which was mot fit for settlement, bin he believed that thee was room in more settlement in the Wairarapa district. Although he defended the Land Settlement Board, he expressed the opinion that more practical farmers should be placed upon it. He wantad <<> help in every way possible to bring ul out closer settlement, and if they could tackle Third-class land and bring about some form of production, they would be doing good tor the Dominion. Mr. Poison said ho believed in group settlement up to a point, but ho thought it was wise to make a man work for his own section. He would go so far as to give land to certain men and Inter make advances to thorn on their improvements. Capital and courage were needed for the settlement of land. He believed the Minister had the courage, but was licking in capital.

A DIFFERENT NOTE. A different note was, struck by Colonel T. W. McDonald, jnember for Wairarapa, who accused the Government of procrastination in connection with land settlement. "DO AWAY WITH. THE BOARD." "Tile United Party," said Colonel McDonald, "came into power with land settlement as one of the principal planks in. its platform." Tho existing law was not sufficient to enable it to give effect to the policy, so the party amended the law last session, taking ample power, for the purpose. So long as a land-pur-chase board was in existence which did not see eye to eye with the policy of the Government—and he submitted the present board did not—land settlement in the Dominion would not be effective. There was only one thing for the Government to do —do away with the board'. The Native Minister was invested with discretionary powers enabling him to inaugurate a system of land development without being encumbered in any way'by any retrogressive land-purchase board, and was carrying out a scheme qf land development which was approved from one end of New Zealand to the other. If there was one Minister who should have that power, it was the Minister of Lands. RESIGNATION THREATENED. "I don't profess to dictate to this Government, but I have stood this inactivity long enough, and I am not going to stand it any longer without letting the people of my constituent y know where the; stand and where [ stand. T am carrying out to the best of my ability what I undertook ai the "general election in H2B, and if I find I cannot put it into effect I am going to resign."