FARM LAND SETTLEMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 28 April 1934, Page 9

FARM LAND SETTLEMENT

DEPARTMENTAL VIEWPOINT MINISTER REVIEWS THE POSITION. CHANGES OF POLICY NECESSARY. DAIRY PRODUCE EXPORT OUTLOOK By Telegraph—Press Association. Dannevirke, Last Night. Speaking at Dannevirke this evening, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Lands, gave an interesting account of land settlement in the Dominion from the departmental poipt of view. In his preliminary remarks he said land was too dear, and undoubtedly many to-day were suffering from having too much land for their farming operations. Land could be bought cheaply. Officers of the Land Purchase Department during recent years had purchased several attractive estates at a cost of no more than the value of the improvements. Land that had cost the department not more than £5 to £6 an acre could with a reasonable amount of cleaning-up be developed into good dairying farms. It was said there were only two absolute essentials to wealth —land and labour. They were realising now that production was but one side of the picture. To-day they were faced with an entire change the world over. Each nation was endeavouring to be more or less self-sufficient as far as primary products were concerned. It would, he said, be necessary to produce those goods that they could sell best. He could not contemplate restricting production. Goods that they could produce and that were Wanted were baby beef, fat lambs, mutton, more pork, tobacco and fruit of kinds. The old law of supply and demand still held good, but the best goods would always command the best markets. “The changed outlook for the export of dairy produce necessitates a change of policy in the Lands Department, at least for the immediate future,” he said. “I do not consider we are justified in so materially increasing the national output of dairy products. Both the Lands Department and the Small Farms Board have determined to vary their future operations by going in more for mixed farming rather than concentrating on dairying. Larger holdings will necessitate increasing the area of sections in blocks now ready for selection.” HISTORY OF SETTLEMENT. The Minister traced the course of land settlement from the early days. Only a comparatively small portion of the Dominion remained in the hands of the Crown, he said. The activities of tire Lands Department were many and varied. Its responsibilities were heavy and he sometimes thought people generally did not recognise the extent of the work it carried out The Minister quoted figures showing what had been accomplished also in regard to soldier settlement, in which connection he said the department held the opinion that soldier settlement was still a long way from the position in which the department could play the role only of a collector of rents and interest. It would seem that the State’s obligation to many of these soldiers had not been met by placing them on the land and carrying them up to the present point. Sympathetic guidance and control were, necessary for some years in many cases if the great work begun by the passing of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, was to be completed in a fitting manner. Referring to the small farm scheme, Mr. Ransom said some difficulty was experienced in finding suitable land for the purpose. Fair progress was made, 1046 men having been settled to' date and 42 blocks now being in course of development, which would provide for an additional 33 settlers. Blocks under offer and other lands would provide farms for an additional 600 settlers, making the total 1982. The sum of £269,149 had been expended to date in this scheme.

After referring to general land development the Minister gave details of the Galatea estate of 22,000 acres purchased during his administration, for which he accepted full responsibility. The cost was £99,723, roughly £4 10s an acre. Originally it was intended within four years to settle about 150 dairy farmers with their herds averaging not less than 50 cows. Twenty sections were now in good grass and were fenced. Houses were erected fen ten sections.

Giving an example of the capital cost of a section, he quoted one comprising 150 acres. JThis had a new five-roomed house and a metalled road frontage and was mostly sown down in new and fenced. The price was £ll6O, or £7 15s an acre, which at 5 per cent, worked out at about £5B a year, the price of a decent house in town. In the meantime Galatea , was being run as a station, and this year showed a net profit of £6331.