LAND INDUSTRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 July 1939, Page 7

LAND INDUSTRY

NEED OF ENCOURAGING YOUNG SETTLERS FARMERS’ UNION VIEWS. IMMIGRATION OF FOREIGNERS NOT APPROVED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The need to encourage young farmers to settle on the land was emphasised in a remit adopted by the New Zealand Farmers’ Union conference in Wellington yesterday. A second remit, which was not adopted, suggested that suitable European immigrants should be encouraged to settle on the land. The first remit, moved by Mr W. A. Sheat, Taranaki, was that the conference was of opinion that the problem of .encouraging prospective young farmers to settle on the land was acute, and of wide national importance. They therefore requested that the Dominion conference appoint a committee of all interested parties to investigate the problem of settling young farmers on the land with a view to determining accurately the extent of the need of such settlement, and to formulating proposals for meeting that need. They suggested that the personnel of such a committee of inquiry should comprise representatives of the Farmers' Union, Sheepowners’ Federation, Young Farmers’ Clubs Federation, interested State department, and educational bodies. The inquiry should be made as comprehensive as possible, and should’ be on a Dominion-wide basis. ♦ Mr Sheat said his district regarded this as one of the most important remits before the conference. Mr C. D. Dickie, Taranaki, said that'at present farm work was recognised to be a blind-alley occupation, with nothing ahead of those who entered upon it. However, it should be possible to remedy this. Another delegate advocated a system of farm apprenticeship. Moving that the Farmers’ Union should press for immigration of suitable persons from suitable European countries to fill the vacancies in primary and secondary industries, Mr A. McConaughy, Auckland, said that today New Zealand stood in need of an increased population of the right type. Mr Sheat opposed the motion. He said he did not think the conference should support the importation of further foreign elements, when already enough foreigners were entering the country. In his own district recently 19 Swiss settlers had arrived as the result of a single Swiss farmer’s visit to Europe. What was wanted was to put the young people of this country into work. "The first thing to do is to make conditions on the farms such as to keep the farmers’ own sons on the land.” said Mr A. A. McLauchlan, Auckland. The remit was rejected. 4