LAND-CLEARING WORK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20095, 15 November 1939, Page 9

LAND-CLEARING WORK

UNPRODUCTIVE AREAS 3800 MEN ENGAGED EXPANSION PLANNED (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The work being done by the Government in bringing areas of uncultivated privately-owned land into production, was discussed by the Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, in an interview last evening.

He said that at. tiie moment the Government was employing under 4B Scheme approximately 3800 men on the clearing and draining of lands all over New Zealand. Employment. on the same class of work had been arranged for an additional 1500 men. The bulk of these men had been taken from Scheme 18 and from public works.

The work, said Mr. Webb, Was carried out. on a contract basis, the Government contributing 75 per cent of the wages cost. Accommodation was being provided, in many cases, by different financial institutions that had mortgages on the property involved. Greater Equity While the mortgages held by these concerns were more safely secured because of the improvements made the farmer was establishing a greater eciuitv in his property. Much of the land that had already been cleared and drained was now under production.

Referring to the use of machinery f or clearing land, the Minister’*■ said Hint in die Westport district recent.lv hr, bad seen whore two bulldozers had eleared between Friday morning and Saturday middav 20 acres of scrub, broom and blackberry. On the Monday the land was disced and planted in grass, turnips and other root crops.

“Judging by the requests we have received from farmers for the use, on a contract basis, of these machines for clearing land, it will be a considerable time before the present demand is met.” said Mr. Webb. “In view of the application coming in for machines and 4B men there is no reason why anything up to 10,000 men could not be profitably employed on such work. The men now engaged in land-clearing work under this scheme do not include the 1500 odd men clearing and bringing in land under the Lands Department. On the whole the men have made good wages, but thev have had to work hard for it.”