UNDEVELOPED LANDS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 October 1929, Page 3

UNDEVELOPED LANDS

PIONEERS SHOULD BE FINANCED WELLINGTON, Oct. 9. Clause 13 or Uie Land Laws Amend.nent hill, which was further cousider»u in committee ol tlie House of liepreseuiaLives to-uay, gives the Minister oi nanus w.Uo powers in connection wiiii wreaking in. undeveloped land, lie wiir oe .iwle to bring tnese areas i .giit up to Luo jxnnt ol production be.oro ouenng mem for selection. Anomer part ut the measures approprnues jog,././J,(DO mainly for this developmental work.

two points of view on this experi.neiit were quickly placed before tlie House, the first an expression of doubt from Mr Hamilton (Wallace). He said that lie preferred to see men take up land anti he helped to make the nest of it. No doubt the Minister’s experiment would he valuable, but it illustrated the point that things were left to the State when there was no profit, though when prospects of a profit appeared the State was pushed out. ibis showed that there must be something wrong with the farmer’s positron in New Zealand if good pra.tical men declined on present terms to take p this second-class land. “It will be a costly experiment,” added Mr. Hamilton, “and the country is. "waiting to see whether the State can develop this land w.thout loss.”

Mr Parry (Auckland Central) advised the previous speaker not to worry. He could not understand why some people always wanted to convey the impression that nobody could stick a plough into the ground or bail up a low without highly specialised knowledge. Hundreds of farmers’ sons were anxious to take up tins secondclass land if it could be brought up' to produc-.on point, but there were hundreds of thousands of a. res of poor country on which it would be suicidal to place people, and leave them to their own resources. It would take a man a life-time on his own account, but tackled in a big way it would be quickly done and the land would soon ne productive. “I want to see the job done,” concluded Air Parry. Several speakers showed anxiety to discover the location of the experiment in breaking in lands under the clause, but they were not enlightened by the Hon G. W. Forbes, Minister of Lands. “The Alinister appears to pursue a policy of studied silence-,” commented Mr Fletcher. “Has he got anything in his mind? (Reform laughter). If it is not some nebulous policy he should explain it.” Air Nash (Palmerston North): You ought to know. Mr Samuel (Thames) : You will capsize the boat. (Reform laughter).

Air Fletcher: I won’t mind if it easts some of you . fellows-out.yX'l-Goyernment laughter). ~ . ■, --V • Alf "Coates, leader of the 'Opposition-,V said that lie had beqn trying to discover where the experiment would start, and he had the Taupo country in his mind. As Air Parry had suggested that the clause was part of the Labour Party’s policy it looked as if one would have to walk warily, as that policy involved the State entering into competition in farming operations. He favoured giving the scheme a trial. “It is a good thing that all parties in Lae House are now agreed on the principle,” remarked Mr Holland, leader of the Labour Party. He rerarded it as one of the most important parts of the Bill. Members knew how in the early days men broke and wrecked their lives in clearing land for farms, and others came afterwards to reap the benefit. Alany people were now beginning to think that the farmer’s work was to farm and that the State could well afford to clear the land, especially the heavily timbered areas, before asking men to farm it. The unemployed had to get either sustenance or work, and there was no better class of work than bringing land into the state when it could he handled hy the practical farmer.