UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM

Waikato Independent, Volume XXX, Issue 2425, 9 December 1930, Page 4

UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM

SUGGESTED REMEDY. NOT FAVOURABLY RECEIVED. A scheme for the solution of the much-vexed unemployment problem was put before the Waipa County Council at its meeting yesterday. , The scheme was propounded by the Mayor of Eltham, t and submitted to the council by the Eltham Borough Council. The Eltham body expressed the opinion that, if put into operation, their proposals would not only relieve unemploy- ! ment, but also develop the unoccupied land of tho Dominion, i "Briefly, the scheme, which was estimated to cost £975,000, provides for the placing of 500 selected married or single men with or without families on 100,000 acres of land in the Rotorua J district free of rent, rates or charges j of any kind for a period of 10 years. At expiration of that term a graduated scale of payments would be made with a gradual rise in annual rental charges. The holdings would be approximately 200 acres and the tenure 66 years with renewable lease. The Government should provide four-room'cd cottages at a cost of £4OO each, set aside a further £6OO for fencing, implements, grass seed, manure, etc., and also provide two days’ work per week for each section holder in the making of roads necessary for the settlement. The estimated total cost of the scheme was: First year, £555,000; second year, £155,000; third 4tli years, £105,000 each; and fifth year, £55,000.

Waipa Councillors felt that men could not make a living on the pumice land at Rotorua under the conditions set forth, and as one councillor said, ‘ ‘ when the money was gone the men would be gone also.” ■The council expressed the opinion that the scheme was not at present practical, owing ,to the financial posilioji- ofv ■