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Hokitika Guardian, 4 August 1926, Page 2

It is generally accepted that there is an unusual amount of unrest in the world. The aftermath of the war period has made that very plain. No country seems to ho any exception, and those which suffered most- in the war time, those who found the Wav more exacting, are the chief centres of unrest. Within the British Empire in particular, there is much evidence of the unrest, and so there has been considerable movement within the Empire in the matter of emigration. The dislocation of trade resulting from the upheaval of the war period may oe a primal cause. At all'events folk are on the move a. great deal more .than they used to bo. One cure for this type of unrest would he a system of land tenure, or rather the enactment of a political policy, which would give greater facilities for getting on the land. Population is essential to progress and prosperity, but above all it is necessary population should be settled and productive, to give the real benefit for the country’s good. A land policy a]ive to the needs of the times is giving facilities and opposition to place people on the land,, would help greatly to stem the and produce very lasting results. The greater human happiness lies in an improved settlement scheme, so that a domicile may he secured and so end the ceaseless movement constantly looking for employment. There is nothing heard nowadays of the politician’s efforts to place more people on the land. On the contrary we have the Minister of Lands bemoaning that in his opinion there is no suitable land on which to place the people. It seems a sweeping confession to make, more especially when on top of it. the Minister makes no further stir in the matter. It is not sufficient to lack platitudes jn reggrd to land settlement. New

Zealand is large enough, and there is land enough for the development of a land policy if the Government wou.d set about its legitimate business. It his been done before, which is all the more reason ivhy action, that is so necessary, might be again fashioned on what was a success before, and by reviving a land policy again, seek to lift the country abend and bring contentment to the people now passing through a period of unrest.