REPRODUCTIVE WORK

Hokitika Guardian, 10 June 1931, Page 8

REPRODUCTIVE WORK

A VALUABLE .SCHEME LAND DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS. The Minister of Labour (Hon. S. G. Smith) who is Chairman of the Unemployment Board, to-day released *Ol publication the following information concerto ng tile operation of Scheme No. 48.

“The Scheme”, said the Alinister, “is proving a most important factor in placing unemployed men on the land, in bringing into occupation thousands of acres so that they are now capable of carrying considerably more stock and of growing additional crops.

“The Unemployment Board provides a subsidy up to £75 per contract under this scheme, based on 33 1-3 per cent, of the labour cost, and up to the present date 247 contracts have been arranged, These are providing employment for approximately 600 men, and the total is growing each week. “The principal work carried out under the contracts lias been the following :

Scrub-cutting . 4,370 acres Draining 3,879 chains Fencing 4,634 chains Stumping, logging and clearing 626 acres Bushfelling 2,919 acres Grubbing 464 acres Sowing -645 acres Top-dressing 300 acres

“In addition to this important work, contracts have been undertaken involving the planting of 409,000 marram grass plants, the splitting of 400 posts, 360 chains of roading, 176 acres of ploughing .'and harrowing, and 40 chains of irrigation race. “The commitments approved to date in connection with costs of the contracts .amount to £6,425, and the expenditure of this sum is estimated to eventually result in the following additional stock being carried on the various holdings affected ; 2,950 cattle and 14,606 sheep and 200 extra tons of flax are also anticipated to be produced. “These results”, concluded the Alinister, “are considered very satisafetorv and the Board is hopeful of inaugurating other schemes that will have equal ly beneficial and lasting effects.”