DELAYING SETTLEMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 2 July 1931, Page 5

DELAYING SETTLEMENT

HOW IT WAS DONE. It is easy for a politician who happens to be out of office to say of a Government which happens to be in office that it is careless and extravagant in the expenditure of the country’s money. Cheap criticism of this kind has been particularly prevalent in the Dominion during the last year or two. The kind of basis on which it poses may be easily displayed.

When the United Government came into office in December 1928 it found outstanding 998 applications for settlers loans amounting to £1,202,780, and 2973 noplW’-’oris for workers’ loans amounting to £2,965,510 a total of 3971 applications and £4,168,290 in cash. 'these arrears were quickly overtaken, by the new Government, the applications, of course, being closely scrutinized, and between ;Ffebruary 10. 1928 and April 20, 1931, a period of fwenty-eight months, 5922 settlers were helped with loans amounting to £5,517,527. Druing the corresponding period of twenty-eight months under the administration of the Reform Government 3438 settlers were granted loans amounting to £4,373,255 and 4,184 workers’ loans amounting to £3,734,355. These figures show that during the two years of United Administration 4,856 more applicants were given assistance than was the case during the corresponding two years of Reform administration and that the United administration provided £4,394,■577 move money for the cause of effective settlement than did the Reform administration.

Of course it is easy to understand that by withholding assistance from settlers and workers the Reform Administration was able to create the appearance of economy, while, as a matter of fact, it really was retarding the progress of national development to the loss of the whole community.