TEN-ACRE FARMS

Waipa Post, Volume 44, Issue 3180, 21 May 1932, Page 4

TEN-ACRE FARMS

TO SETTLE THE UNEMPLOYED. PLAN EXPLAINED BY MR COCKAYNE. In furtherance of his campaign for the purpose of advising the general public, and especially the farmers, of the main points in the Unemployment Board's plan of settling more people on the land and thus relieving unemployment, Mr A. H. Cockayne, assistant director of agriculture, addressed a very well-attended meeting in the Town Hall, Te Awamutu, on Friday evening. His Worship the Mayor (Mr C. G. Dowries) presided, and he introduced first the member of Parliament for Waitomo (Mr W. J. Broadfoot) and then Mr Cockayne,. who were given a warm welcome.

Mr Downes took the opportunity to thank Mr Broadfoot especially for his enthusiasm and keen interest in the welfare and development of his electorate. "He is a trier, and he gets us into touch with the heads of departments of State in a way never before achieved. He brings them to Te Awamutu to tell us all about their plans and projects, and if we do not agree with them it is not his fault. He is, as I said, a trier. Whether he is a stayer remains to be seen. However, he is a stayer for one year longer than he expected." (Laughter, the allusion to extension of the present Parliament for one year being quickly realised.) Continuing in more serious vein, the Mayor bespoke for Mr Cockayne an attentive hearing, and at question time constructive comment or criticism would be welcomed. If a satisfactory basis could be reached more easily as a result it would be for the general good. Mr Broadfoot said personal contact was always preferable to studying a project or a man from afar. Hence his endeavours to bring Mr Cockayne to Te Awamutu. There were problems to be faced, and it was from a multitude of sincere suggestions that progress would be made. A nation without a prosperous community in the rural districts could not expect to prosper. He commended Mr D. Bryant's project ior closer settlement, and regretted that he could not have done more to bring it under the notice of Ministers before and during the recent session of Parliament. Mr Cockayne had been listened to very interestedly at three centres in his (Mr Broadfoot's) electorate, and he would return to Wellington encouraged to push ahead with the plan of small farms.

Mr Cockayne said at the outset that ! there was no denying the fact that conditions were bad, comparable with the one on 4th August, 1914, with the difference that then the nation was rich and the issue definite, whereas now the nation was poor and the issue indefinite. The plan he was expounding was not a hard-and-fast one, and not the panacea for settling all the unemployed. Rather was it a ( step towards relieving the unemployed but willing workers. The inquiry was : to decide how, where, and when those valuable men, and their families, could be Money was a factor, but the idea was to lease, with a purchasing clause, five, ten, or even more acres for each man, so that the occupant could at least reduce the cost of living. Each holding would also permit the occupant to supplement his income by accepting employment in his neighbourhood. It might be necessary, at the outset, to grant that man a sustenance allowance. Every man so placed reduced the strain on the unemployment funds. On each ) holding a modest residence would be erected, and he would be provided with a certain quota of live and dead stock, so that he could be a producer from the very beginning of his occupancy. Small holdings had been made very successful in many other parts of the world. Who would say the same could not be done in New Zealand ? Thinking back, one must realise that many of our earlier settlers pioneered on small farms. Of course, the pioneering spirit was essential. (Hear, hear.) Few people were content to be up'on the bread line. Those men would, he believed, gladly avail themselves of the opportunity to make progress as their own bosses. But in the early stages it would be necessary to work for (others, for at least part of the time. Many people on the land nowadays had too much land. They could do better with less; therefore there should not be big obstacles to securing areas suitable for the plan in viewto provide a system of contented ownership instead of the present discontsnted non-ownership. There was a surfeit >of labour in the cities, and not enough labour available in the country. There would be doubtless critics, but -it would be the people themselves who would make a success of the small-holding plan in any district. The Unemployment Boards ; plan was to set up committees In each district, centred on the county councils, to say where the small holdings could be made successful, and how to proceed. As to the cost, the Board was aiming at an initial establishment cost of about £250, of which the house would represent about £l6O. That would leave £9O to equip and stock the holding. Susttenance for each man would come from the unemployment levy, and each man established would soon be one less burden on the State. Questions as to how long these new settlers should be rent-free, and how long sustenance should be paid, would be determined by the local committees. If the districts co-oper-ated with the local committees and the new settlers the plan could be put into operation at once. Married men, preferably those with farming experience, would be selected from the ranks of registered unemployed. It was the country's job, obligation, or privilege to give them a chance to re-establish themselves on the land. Som|a tot them had been farming, and had lost their means of livelihood through no fault of their own. The plan could be criticised, and ripped to pieces, but he was confident that the best of the pieces would be gathered together again and moulded into one workable ■ plan for the benefit of the triers. i

QUESTION TIME. To Mr J. Parr, Mr Cockayne saic! the tenure would be on a Crown lease, with conditions ensuring security for the occupant provided he kept ob improving it. Values would be decided mutually by. the local committees and the occupant. To Mr W, J: Hodgson: The Crown would accept responsibility for paying the lease until the land was reproductive. A special fund was being created by the Government, which had already borrowed £500,000 as the nucleus of that fund. It w|Es v desired t» have the option of purchase in each lease. Land would not be purchased outright until the occupant had shown that he was making progress. He could not say at present that the amounts advanced would be repayable by the occupant. That point had not yet been finalised, but he gathered that the rental would be free to the small farmer for varying periods to be determined by the local committees. The maximum size of the holding would be determined by an annual payment of £lO, or a little over, which represented interest on a tenacre farm; worth £2O per acre. Even'"" if 10s per week were contributed by the Board as payment ofi rent it would be a means of establishing the plan on a reasonably good footing. To another questioner, Mr Cockayne said the surveying costs would not be allowed to ruin it. The tenants would get a fair deal, and the legal costs would also be very low. To Mr Hodgson: The Board was not going to wreck the,plan by imposing heavy charges on the occupants. All costs would, be kept down to the lowest figure possible.

Mr Broadfoot remarked that the Public Works Department's staff could do the surveying as part and parcel of their ordinary duties. To Mr Hodgson: He regretted that some men had already had to go off their farms.

Mr Broadfoot said he believed in keeping a man on the land if it could economically be done; but he had >■ found that it was sometimes kinder to let a man cut his losses and go off the land. The State Advances Superintendent is a fair-aninded and reasonable man, and that Department had in some cases lent far too much for the values apparent. He would be willing to go thoroughly into any individual cases with a view to assisting landholders. The Mayor said that he personally, was convinced, from long experience, that the State is absolutely the best mortgagee any man can have. Mr Broadfoot said much of the trouble was due to people paying too much for their land. He had done that himself. (Smiles.) To Mr Cavanagh, Mr Cockayne said much of the small plan of over a quarter of a century ago was not a success. • But the present one is on a different basis in several respects. To Mr Allen: The selection of suitable areas would generally be bylocal committees. He hoped that application by a farmer and one of the unemployed, in agreement, would be a reason for the Board accepting the arrangement to lease. The local committees would comprise men of sound judgment and experience of local conditions. y To another questioner, Mr Cockayne said assistance would be given to selectors of Crown lands, provided it was recommended by the local committee.

To Mr C. North: The local committees would be nominated by the county councils, each riding member being associated .with one or more prominent settlers in his neighbourhood. In conjunction with them there would be a representative of the Department of Agriculture, usually the local stock inspector. The names Would be submitted to the Minister for Agriculture for appointment. Applicants for land would be chosen judiciqjjsly, with due regard to their suitability to the locality in which they proposed to settle. To Mr A. S. Wylie, Mr Broadfoot said he had continually stressed to Ministers the need for expedition in v opening up part of the Waikeria block for closer settlement. He hoped local organisations would renew their representations, either direct or through him. So fail he had met practically a blank wall.

To Mr H. Mandeno, Mr Cockayne said the security of a mortgagee would not necessarily be diminished. The mortgagee's consent would, of course, have to be obtained. He did N not think it was likely the Board ' would try to negotiate with the very worst mortgagees or for the very worst land. The local committees would be asked to give their services free, as is done by the Unemployment Committees in the towns. Mr Cockayne said the goodwill of the ladies would be essential. The plan would not, for the present, be available for the single men. He was hopeful that it would be at a later date. The plan was not a land settlement one, but one designed to settle a certain type of unemployed on land and so enable him to provide a living for himself and his dependents. To another questioner, Mr Cockayne said the houses were modelled simply and according to one plan (at present), each having two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and bathroom. It would not, of course, be elaborate, but it would certainly be habitable. In the case of a selected manjwith a family of seven or eight variation of the plan of the ~ house would be agreed to. It was, however, very desirable to curtail the cost. i There being no more questions, the chairman again thanked Mr Broadfoot for giving the district settlers an opportunity .to meet and hear Mr Cockayne, and the latter gentleman for coming to -Te Awamutu to explain a plan in which so many people were interested. Mr Cockayne was enthusiastic, and would do his level best to assist those who are genuinely desirous of joining the small farm plan, provided the applicants are suitable types for the locality in which the land is situated. • ■ •,* , , Votes of thanks were accorded by acclamation, and the usual compliment to the chair terminated the meeting.