SETTLEMENT PLAN

Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1929, Page 11

SETTLEMENT PLAN

PROPOSALS OF GOVERNMENT !■ . ! MEASURE BEFORE PARLIAMENT. • PROVISION TO RAISE £5,000,000 ‘ EXPLANATION OF THE METHODS. ■. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington,. Last Night. . The Hon. G. W. Forbes, in moving in the House of Representatives to-day the second reading of the Land Laws Amendment Bill, said the present unemployment situation indicated there was something wrong with the economic position of the country, and to find a remedy it was necessary to examine, the primary industries on which the, wealth of the Dominion largely depend-; ed. From such an examination there became apparent the’need for closer set-' tlement on the land, and it was the Government’s aim to bring sueh a change into effect. The two main purposes of the Bill were to bring into use undeveloped Crown lands and to increase settlement on lands already occupied. The Bill provided £5,000 z ,OOO in addition to the amount at present authorised ( £1,000,000) for the fiJrriier purpose. He had travelled through' 1 the country and he was satisfied fhere was a fair scope for tho settlement undeveloped areas. Anyone going such land, however, would have a diffi'chlt task at the out-, set, and the provisions of the Bill were designed to giVe\>asbistance in overcoming the difficulty.’ The whole 'suei^ss'of the Bill depended on the admiffirtThtion of the powers given by it, arid' it was his determination to see that, they were employed ‘in a' manner th&ti'wbuld be in the best interests of the settlement of land. Mr. W. D. 'Stewart: Is ■ there any limit to what ybii’ ean spend annually? '• Mr. Forbefe: Nb’, there is no limit to what can be ‘spefit 'in any one year, but when £5,000,000 is spent we can, if necessary, come back to Parliament for authority to provide additional funds.

CONSTITUTION OF BOARD. The main work in developing the policy would fall on the local lands committees which would consist of two practical men working in conjunction with the Commissioner of Crown Lands, continued the Minister, It was necessary for the success of the policy to obtain the .services of men with a knowledge of the land and experience in employing it—men with judgment who would be able to say whether the land was worth settlement or not. The main board, the Lands Development Board, would consist of himself (as Minister of Lands), the Under-Secretary of Lands, the permanent head of the Department of Agriculture, the permanent head of the Treasury, the principal accounting officer of the Department of Lands and Survey, and the Superintendent of State Advances. Mr. Forbes said the land would be selected and prepared, after which it would be subdivided and balloted for. Power was given toi the development board to make advances to Crown tenants for the erection ■ of buildings, and other improvements Up to 99 per cent, of the value of the l completed improvements. • The other phase’ of the Bill dealing with the closer settlement of occupied lands referred to the methods of acquiring land. He hoped it would not be necessary to employ • the clause in relation to compulsory acquisition—that was one of the last things that any Minister would desire to put into operation—but- there may be aggravated cases im which the interests of the country demanded the adoption of such a step. The old system of subsidiary valuation rolls .would be abolished. The amount of compensation would be abolished and -the amount 1 of compensation would be fixed by >ai court under the Public Works Act. 1 iv: 1 :• Mr. F. Waite said he;.thought all parties in the House wiJuld 1 agree as to the importance of any <> policy that would promote land settlement:Ho could not see anything really new l dn the Bill except the provision bof.. ; £5,990,999 for developing Crown lands,; It had to be recognised that such lands could not be brought into use- without cost, and that the expense- had;usually fallen on the settler. There was a desire in some parts of the county fdget on to the land, bub mostly -t'd .get on to small blocks and not ateas.; of ; second and third-class land. He::was glad the Bill provided for the "classification of land. MR. WAITE SEES. DANGER. There was a danger: of settling people on country that could not pay unless the costs of production decreased and prices for produce increased, said Mr. Waite, and such a step would be very costly. -To state what' was required to keep people on/.-the land and to encourage others to sqttl.e there was to give genuine economic, ~ relief to the farmer. The Bill seemed to him to resemble a plan to provide work for unemployed rather than a land settlement scheme. The Minister had referred to the responsibility that rested, on him in administering the legislation, but Mr. Waite pointed out it seejned that however much the - Minister, wanted to get on with his policy, h<if was likely to be impeded by the necessity for having the consent of the Lands' Development Board for practically 'byery move he desired to make.' Mrr White'suggested that the improvement the general conditions of the people oh‘ the land in relation to schools, rural communications, dental clinics, etc., would do more than the Bill to increase ‘land settlement. Mr. W. L. Martin pointed out that the Bill provided for an.extensive reading scheme that would,. go .a, long way towards improving the conditions of the farmers; He looked, forward' to the time when small holdings,.jyould be a feature of the dairying of New Zealand. Mr. W. J. Polson shid the Bill did not go as far as he wished, and was more or less colourless, but he would support it as it was capable of conferring a good deal of benefit if capably administered. There had been many instances of reversion and deterioration of settled lands, and .he thought these areas should first be brought back into a state of production before tackling undeveloped portions that were not equally suitable for settlement. He regretted it was not proposed to deal with Native lands and that in the back country been over;i . :A. 'h ’c -rA :

looked. Cheap capital and good roads were just as essential to the latter as to tenants of Crown lands. Mr. Polson criticised the personnel, of the Lands Development Board which, he said, lacked fresh blood and consisted of officials who were already members of a sufficient number of boards to constitute a nightmare for them. What was required for the development of freehold areas, particularly in the back country, was assistance in the form of better roads, a reduction in local rating, complete relief for a period from taxation (these lands would not be affected by the taxing Bill), and finance. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot criticised the Lands Development Board which, he said, seemed to be paramount to tlie Cabinet in relation to land purchase. He further questioned the wisdom of appointing members who were attached to several other boards. Mr. Broadfoot added that he favoured the development of idle lands in preference to taking improved estates. Mr. A. M. Samuel said the land settlement question was one of such national Importance that he was sure every party would do its best to, assist the Government. He personally favoured devoting attention firstly to carefully selected virgin lands, and he trusted the Minister would not be hampered by an over cautious board. Mr. Forbes had said he would take full responsibility for the operation of the Bill, and in view of that announcement the board had no reason to adopt too conservative an attitude. Mr. Samuel remarked that the Bill contained no provision for the purchase of stock for settlers. Mr. J. T. Hogan said he. looked on the Taxation Bill as the first instalment of the land settlement scheme and the present Bill as the second instalment. He trusted both measures would be placed on the Statute Book. He applauded the provision of £5,999,909 for tho development of land and said he hoped at a later date the Minister would consider the improvement of derelict freehold farms. Mr. Hogan thought it would be wise to give both the development of unoccupied lands and the. closer settlement of already, occupied lands a trial, the former to absorb tho general unemployed and the latter to provide work for the unemployed. , (Left Sitting<)j t!l/I yy.'(q“ >./>.