SMALL FARMS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20927, 5 January 1938, Page 6

SMALL FARMS

DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTH CREATING AN ASSET By Telegraph—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, January 4. The Government’s small-farm development scheme in the North Island has proved a great success. This is the opinion of the Minister of Lands (the Hon. F. Langstone), expressed this morning. Under the pakeha scheme, he said, 1500 men were employed in a work which was of an inestimable benefit to the nation.

During the slump many properties were abandoned, said Mr Langstone. This aggravated the unemployment problem, and caused a big fall in State securities. To meet those conditions, the Government of the day, he said, conceived the idea of five-acre and ten-acre farms as a medium of providing a meagre sort of living for those who took up the blocks, and who were expected to be employed four or five days a week by other farmers. “This scheme,” he said, “was practically a revision to the old feudal system, and proved a failure. Out of it, however, came a great development of these lands into economic farms, with a twofold advantage. It salvaged and rehabilitated State securities, and gave employment to men on relief.” Result of Experience After close attention to the problem, it had been ascertained, said Mr Langstone, that the farm must be a wholetime job, and the returns must be sufficient to meet all requirements, and to ensure the occupier with a margin of income sufficient to give him a standard of living commensurate with what the country could afford and equivalent to that of workers in allied industries.

“Experience has taught us that by proper control and supervision, and by collective activities, land can be highly productive,” he said. “Unemployment moneys have been used largely to pay the wages for this work, which is of a great benefit to the nation.” Before the Labour Government, said Mr Langstone, the occupiers of these lands were receiving £2 5s a week. Now they are paid £4 a week, less 10/a week for their farm cottage. In addition, however, they received fresh supplies of dairy produce and vegetables.

Other workers employed on development, such as draining, fencing, clearing and tree-stumping, are paid 16/a day for a forty-hour week. “The better conditions and increased wages have stimulated these men to greater effort. Those in charge are more than pleased with the results being attained. “I would like to stress,” said Mr Langstone,” that this is only a beginning. We hope to raise the conditions of the occupiers, who are working seven days a week, to a standaid commensurate with the valuable work which they are performing. Forty Schemes Operating “Over forty of these development schemes are operating at the moment,” said the Minister. “They are spread over a very large area of the North Island—from the far north down to Napier. “Altogether there are six thousand acres under development, and recently I inspected another twelve thousand acres in the Rotorua district which is being brought under the control of the Small Farms Board, which is the responsible authority. “These operations have made the Lands Department a real farming department closely in touch with all phases.

“When these areas are developed, small farm cottages are erected. Water is laid on either by a system of gravitation or by pumping, and concrete troughs are provided in each paddock, so that there is an ample supply of clean water for the stuck. Milking machines are also installed.”

The provision of proper internal road access had also proved a necessary prelude to successful farming operations.