The Evening Star SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1928. LAND SETTLEMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 20056, 22 December 1928, Page 6

The Evening Star SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1928. LAND SETTLEMENT.

Mr Georgb Forbes, iu his capacity as Minister of Lands, has followed on the heels of the Prime Minister in announcing the parts of the Government’s forward policy which directly concern his department. One of the features of the late Government’s administration was the standstill to which closer settlement through Government agency had come. The facts wore admitted by the ex-Minister of Lands, Mr M'Leod pleading that the Government had enough to do to keep men on their farms, without seeking to increase the number of settlers. Economic conditions were quoted as sufficient reason for inaction. It is quite true that the country did not, and does not now, want a repetition of the big scale purchase, at vendors’ figures, involved in putting the Returned Soldiers’ Settlement scheme into operation. Sir Joseph Ward himself said a few weeks ago that there was not the slightest intention, nor was there any need, to allow history to repeat itself in that direction. But he expressed the belief that closer settlement could be resumed on business lines; and now Mr Forbes has given a preliminary sketch outline of the course to bo followed. It is intended to bring abandoned farms back into production. Revaluation will bo necessary, for the former occupants or new occupants, as the case, may be, are not likely to come forward unless the financial basis is one which gives them a reasonable chance of ultimately making good, though during the initial period it may be more or less a case of “hanging on.”

The Government intends also to bring fresh land into production, and to put more producers on to some of the improved land already in production. As regards the former class of land there is to be early in the new year a conference of all the Commissioners of Crown lands in the dominion, who should bring to bear an intimate knowledge of the capabilities of the considerable area of land, varying widely in quality and accessibility, which has nob been alienated from the Crown. Of late years complaints have been made by the land hungry, especially in Central Otago, that the administration by land boards, of which the Commissioners of Crown Lands are ex-officio chairmen, has been definitely reactionary. The belief has existed, whether well grounded or not, that this policy has been dictated from headquarters in Wellington. There can be little doubt that the view that Mr M'Lcod, as Minister of Lands, was inclined to reverse the progressive programmes of a long line of predecessors was largely responsible for his losing his seat in Parliament at the last election. Mr Forbes is now making it plain to his department and to the public that he proposes to resume a policy of progress. Ho is not even planning to defer the resumption and subdivision of estates comprising improved land until the other two items on his programme have been attacked. Officers of the Lands Department are to furnish the Minister with the necessary information, and generally speaking they are being indirectly but umnistakeably apprised of*the end of an old regime and, the beginning of a new one.

It is the-belief of xhos© who have been awaiting a change of policy in this direction .that its operation must mean a great deal to the development and progress of Central Otago and Southland in particular. For very many years the South Island has suffered from neglect while predominantly North Island Ministries concentrated attention and expenditure in the North Island, One result of a vigorous land administration on the lines indicated should be a tendency to reverse thh movement of population within New Zealand—viz., a migration from the country districts to the towns and a migration northwards across Cook Strait.