N.Z.PARLIAMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17837, 9 October 1929, Page 2

N.Z.PARLIAMENT.

LAND LAWS BILL. CONSIDERED IN COMMITTEE. PROGRESS REPORTED. {By Telegraph.— Press Association.) WELLINGTON. Tuesday. The House went into Committee to-day to consider the Land Laws Amendment Bill. Mr A. Hamilton (Reform —Wallace) said the bill would demonstrate to the country the cost of bringing in new land. Unless values remained steady land would not be able to bear nil the costs of development. It would be an economic Impossibility. Mr w. D. Lysnar (Reform- —Gisborne) said the Government should amend its legislation in such a way that Jt would encourage people to take up land and develop it themselves. Mr A. W. Hal! (Reform—Hauraki) said he would like further information as to how the £5,000,000 for development were to be spent. Employment of Unemployed, Mr A. M. Samuel (Reform — Thames) urged that the Minister should not hesitate to spend money so long as the results were assured. He was satisfied that Jf the Minister .placed 200 unemployed men, Intelligent If inexperienced, on the land, 80 per cent, of them would make good. Mr D. Jones (Reform —Mid-Can-terbury) said the House was entitled to know what lands were going to be settled, and how the £5,000,000 were going to be spent. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Coates, -said the Government might have to spend £5 an acre to break in land, but that would be good business if the country was being brought into a state of productivity. lie asked the Minister whether it was intended that group settlement should, be a feature of the scheme. The appointment of a “washing-up board” was recommended by Mr J. Bitchener (Reform —Waitaki), who said it would be necessary at least once a year to review the position in consequence of changing conditions in the primary industries. Mr Lysnar protested against the clause with- reference to the ownership of land by a husband and wife. He slated it amounted to an amalgamation of estates and ignored women’s rights. ,

An Appeal for Young Farmers

Mr Coates suggested that the men whom the Government should settle on 'the land should include unemployed who were willing to assist to ■break in land, young men who had just left school and hacl not secured employment, settlers’ sons, men with limited capital who .could not take up land without some assistance, farm hands and those who had had some experience 'on land, group settlers, who should include men engaged in breaking in land, and share-milkers. The Minister replied that it would be to men of the classes mentioned that the Government would lend assistance and not to men who had capital to take up improved land. Mr Samuel said settlers were to be required . to-find- 10 per cent, of the money for improvemcilts. That would be sufficient to exclude the unemployed men who had assisted in breaking in the land. They would not be in a position to find this money and would go back on the employment market with the knowledge that they had done pioneering work for others. The bill would in 1 that case be a lamentable failure as a solution of the unemployment problem. Mr H. G. Dickie (Reform —Patea) opposed the suggestion that a community settlement scheme should be introduced, that such ventures had not been a success in Australia. Some Money Roquired.

.Mr 11. Holland (Reform—Christchurch North) stated it was not likely that improvements required to farm unoccupied land would cost less than £3OOO, and as the settler would he required to provide £3OO he would have to he a man with some money. It was unlikely that any of the unemployed would have that amount. It would* he courting disaster to place inexperienced men with little or no capital on second or third-class land. The Minister said consideration would be given to those who required financial assistance Lo develop unoccupied lands, but preference would be given to those who had been sa\ing money in anticipation of the development of a settlement scheme. Progress was reported when clause li was passed. Part one of the bill, •consisting of the scheme for the promotion of the settlement of undeveloped Crown lands, was therefore completed with the exception of clause three, relating to the constitution of the Lands Development Board.