TEN ACRE PLAN

Waipa Post, Volume 44, Issue 3182, 26 May 1932, Page 4

TEN ACRE PLAN

FARM LET FOR RELIEF WORKERS WAIPA COUNTY COUNCIL TAKES ACTION. Mr G. B. Melrose, local representative of the Department of Agriculture, attended Wednesday's meeting of the Waipa County Council to confer with the council as to the latest project of the Unemployment Department for employing relief workers on land and securing suitable small areas on which selected registered relief workers, married, could settle. Mr W. J> Broadfoot, M.P., forwarded lor the information of the council a statement issued by the Minister-in-charge of Unemployment in respect to the placing of unemployed married men with families on five to ten-acre farmlets. Mr Melrose asked the council to form itself into a central committee and appoint each riding member to' be one of a sub-committee in each riding or district. He added that he had offers to lease or sell areas in various parts of the county, and these he proposed to lay before the central committee to deal with. Continuing, he said it was possible the Crown would purchase some farmlets, but the price would have to be very low, as there was only £500,000 available for the whole Dominion. In selecting farmlets, the r committee would be asked to give special preference to areas where the farmlet could be enlarged later on. He was of opinion that two farmlets in each district would be the best method of settlement, so that occupiers could obtain outside work from time to time to supplement their earning on the farmlet. There would be a minimum of red tape in the negotiations, and if the council was active there need be not longer than a fortnight or so before the man could obtain possession and building of the residence put in hand. Mr Melrose, after remarking that land to be leased or bought should be the best possible for round about £ls to £2O per acre,; went on to quote an outline of the facts given in the recent public address by Mr A. H. Cockayne at Te Awamutu. To a question re sustenance, Mr Melrose said that would be paid on a graduated scale until the man had made his farmlet self-supporting, when the sustenance payment would be applied to acquiring the freehold of the farmlet, so that the occupier would be established. The leases would be for ten years, with the right to purchase. Necessary equipment, seed, implements, fertiliser, etc., would be supplied out of the £250 provided by the Board for house, stock, and interest on the land leased. Mr Melrose went into details on some aspects. Cr Onion asked if farmers could be expected to give land or even sell it below market value. The department should expect to pay at fair market value. Otherwise, very few genuine offers should be expected. Mr Melrose said the local committees would recommend areas, after investigation, and get the best offers possible without " beating the price down." He thought there were some farmers who would make quite reasonable offers to ensure getting a suitable man in the district.

To another question, Mr Melrose said an occupant's position would be reviewed by the local committee every quarter, and if the man was a muddler he could be put off the farm.et and someone else placed on it. In the case of mortgage adjustment, provision was made for this, and would be made if they were not too involved. He suggested holding meetings in each district to discuss details. He would attend such meetings. A councillor: You will be a very busy man for a while! Cr Fisher said he was glad to hear the details, for an impression prevailed in his district that farm settlements were contemplated. He now saw that that was an erroneous impression. The fear was that practicaly " slum areas " were to be created in the Waikato.. The chairman then moved that the council- form itself into a canwal committee, and that oach riding mmiber convene a meeting in his own district to set up sub-committees. Cr Church said that a man could make a fair living on ten acres of fair land, such as the department was asking for. "Put as many men on farmfarmlets as can be accomodated, while recognising that each occupant will need to have opportunity to get outside employment from time to time for the present," he said. The motion was carried unanimously and the following committee was set up to deal with the offers already in hand:—Messrs Macky, Storey, Johnson and Grant.