A FIVE-YEAR PROGRAMME

Taranaki Daily News, 27 February 1931, Page 9

A FIVE-YEAR PROGRAMME

IDLE LAND DEVELOPMENT

WORK FOR FOUR THOUSAND MEN.

MR. COATES’ EMPLOYMENT IDEA.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Dargaville, Last Night. A new proposal for the absorption of the unemployed was outlined in a speech last night by the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates.

.There were, he said, two avenues of permanent employment that should be Kept in mind when discussing measures of relief in New Zealand, and thosfe were, firstly, the. absorption of workers in existing and new industries, and, secondly, land settlement. The schemes so far tried had in a great measure failed, and problem of unemployment was only being tinkered with. In any case' the work being undertaken was not all of material valile. f It certainly was work, and to that extent was better than adopting a dole. - What was required, said Mr. Coates, was a* comprehensive, policy that would place thousands of citizens in permanent occupation. He suryeyed the schemes now in operation and said that the Government had put some men on to the task of developing land. Some of the land being broken in had been purchased from private individuals at a figure beyond present-day Values, and the men were being paid standard rates of pay in improving that land. Those acquainted with some of the private estates purchased'knew that the Crown would not get back the cost of purchase and labour costs for the development of that land.

• “Increased production is the key to greater national wealth, and the scheme I wish to outline,” said Mr. Coates, “is designed to show how this may be achieved and at the same time give permanent employment to many thousands of our unemployed. It has become imperative that a definite move forward be made in the direction of developing Crown and other idle lands.

BREAKING IN NEW COUNTRY-

“I propose a. five-year,programme providing for the absorption of, say, 4000 men, and those utilised in breaking in the country would be associated in groups: (1) Those who have been accustomed to outdoor life and wish to become settlers; (2) those who are not so Well adapted, but. by their fitness and application, proved good farm workers; and (3) those not likely to acquire the habits of country life. In a very short time some 5000 men now unemployed would have been mobilised and their.energy directed in preparing idle Crown . lands for settlement. purposes, and those, .men who, were .keen and adaptable .would before long, join the ranks .of the primary producers and become self-supporting.. ■ “Huts and hutments would be. need for housing all . of-.them,' convertible eventually, to. farm requirements. Wives and children of. employees would be allotted a sum of money per day for their maintenance. .

“The undertakings. • would embrace: (1) Development of. -Crown lands, i.e., pumice lands,. gum • lands, clay lands, and other suitable Crown and idle lands, of which there • are■ vast-areas; (2.) reclamation of sand dunes country by the planting of marram and lupin preparatory to making ■ pasture lands, or by the planting of forest trees; (3) reclamation of tidal estuaries in suitable localities, of which there are thousands of acres available in Kaipara, Hok'ianga and other harbours in the North Island., These extensive flats are only covered by salt water- at -the highest spring tides, and where reclaimed have proved valuable grazing country; (4) irrigation and ■ preparing of land for closer-settle-ment in the mica schist regions of Central Otago and other land in the South' Island which has proved quite possible of production when suitable treatment is applied.

CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT.

“A Minister of the Crown would be vested With' full powers to administer and would be responsible to Parliament. Th© Minister of Lands would, in ordinary circumstances, be in charge, but as he may now be overloaded with the problems of the thousands of Crown tenants who are hard pressed, one or other of these onerous duties would be delegated to another Minister of the Crown. Apart from the Minister in charge of the general scheme, the development of each area would be carried out under tips direction of a practical farmer or farmers who know the locality and the type of country being brought in. The clerical staff and such experts as might be required by the directors to assist them in classifying schemes would be provided from the Civil Service. “The money required for bringing the scheme into existence and developing it should be found in the country, and I believe the following method is workable and has the advantage of creating public interest in what may rightly be termed a national policy to meet a national emergency. My suggestion provides that every person over the age of 18 years would be asked to contribute to the fund. Every person in receipt of wages, salary or income would have to contribute for the purpose of employing men. and increasing the country’s production and exports. Contributions Would be paid in special adhesive stamps, and at any time when a contributor’s payments amounted to £1 a £1 bearer certificate would be issued, and five of these certificates would be accepted for a £5 State primary products bond. The bonds would be non-interest bearing, and the bond-holders-would participate in the ultimate receipts by way of the sale of land handled, under the scheme.

“For the purpose of division of assets the whole of the undertakings would be lumped together. There are some 750,000 souls in New Zealand of 18 years and over, and assuming that 250,000 -were exempted and failed to pay from various causes, there would remain some 500,000 contributors,, and contributions from this number at slightly over 9d per week, or 39s per year, would provide £1,000,000. An alternative plan to the levy could be followed and provision made for a maximum and minimum contribution in the case of males and females.”