EMPIRE LAND SETTLEMENT.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7917, 11 August 1917, Page 4 (Supplement)

EMPIRE LAND SETTLEMENT.

Colonel Allen Bell, President of tho North Auckland Development Board, who wp.3 primarily responsible for tho organisation and conduct of the Parliamentary tour of the Northern Peninsula, which was so successfully carried out in January last, is now interesting himself in the promotion of a much larger enterprise of the same character designed to facilitate Empire land settlement after the war. For some months past Colonel Bell has been placing before his Beard suggestions lor a comprehensive publicity campaign for New Zealand, and he has now communicated these suggestions to the Prime Minister and Sir Joseph Ward. In doing so, Colonel Bell very justifiably claims that the tour above referred *o “has already done good in attracting attention to a territory with such vast latent possibilities.” Up till recently the Far North was only a name so tar as the majority of tho people of the South were concerned. In view of this ignorance on the part of the people * f New Zealand concerning a large and valuable portion of their own territory, it cannot be regarded as surprising that those thousands of people whom W 9 wish to attract from the Old Land are also ignorant of the great potentialities of our country. Happily, owing to the good work done by the Development Board, there is throughout the Dominion a wider understanding of the geography of the Far North, its scope for settlement, and its future possibilities. Colonel Bell's suggestion is that this good work should be carried further, and that the Government should take steps, as soon no the; war is over, to extend an invitation to fifty or more British Parliamentarians, agriculturists, and business men, to visit our Dominion and..participate in a comprehensive tour from the North Cape to the Bluff. In the course of bis letter to the Ministers, Colonel 801 l says:—“Apart from the great publicity that this movement would give to New Zealand, ; t would have the more valuable effect of opening the eyes of our visitors to the great potentialities of our favoured country, and to the aims and aspirations of our peopde. I am already in communication with many of the gentlemen in Britain referred to, and from replies already received have no doubt whatever, but that a valuable and representative party could be got together to make the journey. The cost would not be great, as I am assured that wo would receive valuable cooperation and support from the British and New Zealand Shipping Companies, local Public Bodies, and others. During my travels throughout the country I have put the proposition before many influential men, and I am convinced that I could get the scheme financed privately, but you will realise that it would be of infinitely greater value i f conducted under tho aegis of tbe Government.” Although, naturally, Colonel Bell is particularly interested :n the scheme from a Dominion point of View, his idea i.i Imperialistic in its scope. We should, lie suggests, get away from any semblance of parochialism, and deal with the matter from an Empire standpoint. To that end lie considers that the Governments of the Australian Commonwealth and South Africa should be invite! to join in the project. His idea is that the party should come direct to New Zealand, and return via Australia and South Africa, thus being afforded an opportunity of seeing the great opportunities for land settlement in all three countries. The adoption of Colonel Bell’s scheme would mean the benefiting not only of our own Dominion, but the Empire as a whole. The proposal should certainly commend itself to the favourable consideration of the Government, beca.use every L.r-seeing statesman must realise that “the whole future and safety of our Empire is wrapped up in the question of settling our idle lands with people of ti e British race, and that the only secure title the people of any country can have to territory ’s effective occupation.”