LAND FOR FAMILIES

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 126, 24 November 1932, Page 22

LAND FOR FAMILIES

•.190.SNZ

Writing in reference to the Government's plans for placing unemployed on the land, "A.W.P." forwards an outline of a plan which he prepared for submission to the 'Government several : months ago. He pointed out that the gre&t need was the settlement of families, and, for this, small holdings of improved land were required as such land would become productive immediately- on occupation. "Blocks of good average improved dairy land should be purchased by the Government and subdivided into small farms (say 20 to 40 acres) according to quality, sufficient' in size to maintain the herd. Numerous farms of. from 200 acres upwards are now purchasable at reasonable iigures. Suitable families from, the ranks of the unemployed would be selected and •cottages erected sufficient for their requirements. The Government 'would undertake sufficient improvements, to enable operations to commence, and would advance all money necessary for the purchase, ofi stock. Only families with some experience of, or aptitude for, dairy farming would be selected. It is considered that one thousand sections should be made available, as it is probable that that number of families, at least, could be selected from the ranks of the unemployed. For one thousand farms probably £900,000 would be required. The money, could be raised by internal loan at a reasonable rate of interest. The main purpose of the scheme, however, would be to place one thousand families on the land'under conditions enabling them from the outset to become income producing and to live at a very cheap rate by growing much of what they require. A great deal of employment to tradesmen and others would be afforded in initiating the scheme, in addition to permanently placing one thousand families from the ranks of the unemployed. "It is not improbable that a- small proportion of holders would prove unsatisfactory; but little difficulty should be experienced in finding new tenants with the necesjsary qualifications. Unemployment relief .for one thousand unemployed men would run into nearly £100,000. a year, and any loss on the scheme proposed would be a mere fraction of.that sum."-