SETTLEMENT ON LAND

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 59, 10 March 1936, Page 8

SETTLEMENT ON LAND

LORD NUFFIELD'S SCHEME NO OFFICIAL RECORD ON FILET: WAS FL’KELY PRIVATE NEGOTIATIONS MATTER CAN BE BE OPENED [ Fer I r.s* Association. ] WELLINGTON, March 9. i Interviewed to-day the Minister I of Lands, the Hon. F. Langstone, said that he knew nothing at all about Lord Nuffield’s reported offer to invest a million in land I settlement in New Zealand. There j were no official reports in the office j of the Lands Department. I He suggested tiiat now the ques- 1 i tion had been made public Sir i 1 Ai red Ransom should publish the ‘ 1 full details of any land settlement ‘ { scheme discussed between Lord j Nuffield and himself. I. . , t Invited to comment on Mr. Langstone's statement, (Sir Alfred Ransom said to-night that the negotiations haJ been purely private and the matter was not placed before Cabinet. As a whole the thing was confidential and he made no announcement at the time. I.ord Nuffield had expressed a vv’sh to settle on the land people from Great Britain but Sir Alfred Ransom said he did not. feel justified in recommending j Cabinet to embark on an immigiaiiou ] scheme when there vvas so much un- | employment at the time, even thougn I the whole scheme was to be financed j bv Lord Nuffield as a free gift at n? cost to New Zealand. Finally the proposal was made that settlers should be half New Zealanders and half from Britain. Lord Nuffield promised to consider this and that was the last Sir Alfred Hansom heard of it. lb <hsidered that if the proposition an- ! pealed to the present Government it I would still be possible to re-op?u negotiations with Lord Nuffield.