The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1929. LAND SETTLEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 January 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1929. LAND SETTLEMENT.

It was to he expected tiiat the nev. ly a 1 iju>i 11 toil .Minister of Lands, Jlon G. VV. F m lies, recognising as lie lias done, the importance of reviving a land for settlement policy, would not lose Lime in setting about this importani business. .Mr Forbes, while lie lias his own ideas on the. matter, was wise to call together in conference, the available officers of the public administration to ascertain their general views. At the conference at Wellington last Wednesday plans were formulated for the acceleration of land sett.ement, and in due course the policy will be disclosed. Mr Forbes, who is intimate with land settlement from a. personal study of the subject, and who has a general knowledge of the land of the Dominion, is now engaged in visiting various parts to ascertain how far the scheme proposed can bo put into force immediately. Although the recommendations of the Conference are not made public as yet, it can Ik; well understood irom what has been said publicly, that the Government purpose attempting only what is considered readily practicable. In the first place it may be expected that attention will be turned to land readily accessible, to avoid delay and cost of providing road or other means of communication. At the conference Mr Forbes must have had at the table officers who could give him very readily the best advice and knowledge on that aspect. It is pleasing to see. that Mr Forbes has just turned towards the South Island. Stimulation in regard to land settlement will be a good tiling for this part of New ■ Zealand. It will lie a good tiling for Llie Dominion if the drift to the North Island of the bulk of the population can be arrested, and no doubt an active land settlement policy would be a wise move. Apart from that, we should say that on the whole the South Island is hotter mailed generally than the North Island, or where improved roads are required, the conditions hero are better also limn in the North Island, where material is costly. The North Island is spending huge sums on roading, and a substantial portion of the cost of these roads is passed on to the ratepayer and settler by way of loans and tliO' security rates. The South Island is in a better position in that respect, and the cost of the land will be much lower here, and therefore place the settler in a hotter economic position. In referring to a land settlement policy previously, attention was directed to the- advantage it would he to the country as a whole if greater use were made of land occupied already. It is the practice of settlors generally to acquire large holdings and the area held is invariably greater than they can use to the best advantage with a limited capital. Tt is often compulsory for settlers to endeavour to throw off portion of their holdings when . they find themselves weighed down nil- ' duly with the overburden of mortgages. No doubt a reasonable Government policy in respect to such instances would « be helpful to the settler without the latter having to sacrifice a part of his < holding in the heroic endeavour to I carry on. In other words. Government < might assist with sub-leases to place 1 more people on the land, by utilising to t better effect land held already, hut not retuYning its full productive value through tlie inability of the holder to 1 farm it effectively. Doubtless our ( readers have in mind cases where this > principle could he applied with nilvan- 1 tago. There is the land ready tor use v and production, and with assistance to I now settlers, the land holder could ho t tilled over a difficult, if not an impos- ‘I sible, |H’riod in his effort to make good. s In the end the same area of land would h lie producing more, while additional a settlers (or families) would he on the s< land, earning a more assured livelihood. The possibiities in this respect are considerable, and it will not he surprising tl if they do not become part and parcel f, of the land for settlement, poucy. j,