The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1925. WANTED A LAND POLICY.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 February 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1925. WANTED A LAND POLICY.

Wr: should say that the doleful remarks of the lion. Minister ot Lands, referred to last week, affecting the poverty of land lor settlement, should stimulate pubic opinion on the question. There have been political promises by tl:.j Prime .Minister in regard to a land policy to attract settlers, and no doubt folk have been lulled into a reuse of rccuritv. lllit it has proved a fal.-e sense, judging bv the pessimistic utterances of the lion Mel.eod. It is a noticeable fact that the Minister of Lands had nothing to say about closer .settlement as a means to meet the situation. Ron U . I’einhei' Reeves, an ex-.M mister of the ’Liberals, when the Ministry was styled iho “.Seven Devils of Socialism.” has been quietly urging closer settlement as the pamuea for the pressing land difficulties. No doubt what he says is simply the keynote of what the Liberal Land Policy would he, were the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals had legislative opportunity fluey lilted the country out of the slough of despond in which the Conservatives had landed it by means of defective administration. The Liberals made the most of the opportunity and New Zealand is the hotter country to-day Ixx-auso of betterment accruing from that legislation. With so striking an example, and having heard what his colleague. Mr McLeod, has had to say, it will ho interesting to see w.liat the Prime Minister is going to do towards redeeming his electioneering promises as affecting a laud policy. The time is

at hand when the business for tlie approaching session must he prepared.

and with Mr Mel.eod telling the Do

minion that there are 10,0110 men waiting to go'on the land, Mr Coates cannot afford In the great interests of New Zealand to ignore the position. The subject calls for urgent, attento and a lend will he expected from the Government. It will he something of a scandid if wo are to bedieve that while NVew Zealand is being advertised abroad, and the High Commissioner is seeking to send out more immigrants, the country is doing nothing to provide more land for settlement. The scandal will he the greater, if while all the advertising is going on the Minis-

try believe the position to bo ns tbe Mnister of Lands states—that there is no land for settlement! But we are better persuaded of New Zealand, and in any case there is no reason why a policy of closer settlement should not be taken up. Looking to such countries as Denmark:, Holland and Belgium, there are examples of what closer settlement can do when associated with intensive cultivation which the smaller areas force the occupiers to indulge in. Tbe Liberal policy in

days gone l\v was in that direction, and Cheviot is a bright and shining example of what may he achieved. The more the .subject is considered, the more difficult it is to understand the lamentations of Mr McLeod on the •'object, and to believe that he lacks the courage and initiative to take up the subject in a forceful way. Ho must realise that Mr Coates put for"ord the suggestion of a land for settlement policy, and out of loyalty to his t liief he should help in that direction. Mr Coates has said definitely that encouragement will he given to the private owner to set about (loser settlement. Ihe Government for instance indicated it would help with roading. More, Mr Coates said if voluntary methods failed the Government would not hesitate to make use of the compulsory clauses of the Act in order to secure land for suit-division. That promise the Government will he expected to honor, more so because there are the people waiting for the land. The Minister of l ands will fail signally in his task it the coming session does not do something concrete to satisfy the present earth hunger.