The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th, 1924. LAND FOR SETTLEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 September 1924, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th, 1924. LAND FOR SETTLEMENT.

A chnTE3IPORARY has l)een drawing at-' tention to the need of land lioing offered for settlement, particularly in the South Island which it is maintained is not receiving that degree of attention which is essentia! in this very important matter. The complaint is heard very otien that the drift of population is to the North Island, and this fact emphnsW-es the necessity for those in (lie South Island seeing that the cause '

in respect In lack of available land lor settlement, is removed, and that something it done to change the aspect w hereby land will he provides! here not only to retain the residential population. Inn to attract extra population also. Time was when the Government policy tcgaiding land lor settlement gave New Zealand a much-needed lil-

lip in respect to necessary progress. The time appeals to he ripe for a similar incentive being provided to give affairs a Iresh start again. I lie .Minister of Lands has stated that nothing is being done in the matter ol ae<|uiring lands for settlement purposes owing to the high (.'rices. The improvement in the mutton and wool markets, Mr M'l.cod finds, has been quickly reflected in lie prices asked lor sheep eounlrv and the margin shown oil tlie

basis of ruling prices, in his opinion, is not si'llieient to picvent trouble :n tlie event of the market falling. Ihe stih-division ol large estates has not marked the history ol the ( resent administration, hut the reasons, or excuses, (ait lonian! have not always been so sound as the one given by Mr M'l.cod. Perhaps the Minister of Lands lias been influenced mainly h.v the tlend of prices in the district lie knows best, the Wairarnpa and advices In,it. that quarter some time ago indicated a very marked hardening in the prices asked for good sheep country. One of the latest circulars, issued by the Lands Department. shows that there is land of a soil available lor selection, ’lit" map. (Minted to give the locality of the various blocks.

shows that there are sixty-one areas totalling 17.112 aetes scattered over the Dominion offered for sc lect ion this month. This pat ticiilar map should l>e studied, for it discloses the remarkable fact that there is land available for selection in piacticallv every i rcivince let* (‘anterl.iiry . 11l the South ‘lsland Inity-I "o Imldt.igs :.i" cdl'crcc! and to the north ol Cante'1 1 niy as well as t i the south there are the numerous red clots that indicate the localities. lint the centre ol the island is unmarked. Canterbury and Westland form a broad hand where there is not a single indication of land being available for selection. This hc-

. inn tin l case tin- in."ilter is important eliounh In lie taken up most earnestly. It is a question it which tin' Pro. crivss [.entitle should devote special atl tcnlinn. It is worth wiiilo sctlinn up u special committee on IkiUi subs of the rmit'cs, and tho parent laxly in Canterbury, and the hianeh in Westland er-uld. we believe, lay the foundation for very material progress bv noinn closely into the matter ol land for settlement. Such a. committee if set up ler 'Westland could in the first instance net into close tomb with the Commissioner of Ijiinds and his otficers, and have tin: whole position probed and well examined. We recall in connection with this subject that for electioneerinn purposes Helrni on one occasion toreshadewed a pronrcssive land policy for the southern district, lint it was ail canmotlaitc am! nothin.: was hoard furl her of the matter after the heat of the (onllict had passed. Hut. for the I'oneiit of Westland’s future its land settlement should not lie a political issue. The novernmeut of the day owes a duty to tho country that wherever possible the j ronress wi*! lie assured.

and this can be attained by no more certain means than sncce--ful land settlement. One aspect of this subject is the mallet of closer settlement. It is remarked over and over again that in numerous instances the holdings are far too large— that is, full use is not being made of the areas. In such cases with dairying coming on apace, there would he applicants lor the land if available, and a committee of investigation such as has been suggested might lie able to propose ways and means whereby the position of such cases could he gone into fully and probably a way found for placing more people on the land. No doubt much advice and assistance could he given also by the Dairy Companies and branches <>l the Farmers' I nioii. so that altogether the subject is worth taking up and going into exhaustively.