PUTARURU PROBLEMS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 232, 12 April 1928, Page 5

PUTARURU PROBLEMS.

IDLE LANDS BY THE RAILSIDE.

30,000 Acres Within Six Miles.

( Concluding Article ) Closer settlement—then more settlement—is the aim of all politicians and businessmen who are astute enough to read the signs of the times so far as New Zealand is concerned. All are agreed that more population happily settled on the land is one of the greatest needs of the Dominion. The only question at issue is the method and time of carrying the proposal into effect. Chambers of commerce throughout the country have cried aloud for something to be done in this direction.

There has been much criticism—much of which, it must be admitted, has been purely destructive and little better than fault-finding—but nevertheless many constructive proposals in regal'd to finance, reduction of customs tariff, etc., all designed to make land settlement more attractive, have been put forward. Co-operation Essential.

It is hedging for such it now amounts to—which has resulted in the Government being bluntly told by its own metropolitan newspapers that it has no land policy. Neither will it ever have until there is not only cooperation among departments but agreement among Ministers as to a line of action.

Further, no matter what defects critics may show in their criticisms, the Hon. Minister of Lands must remember that the average voter rightly expects constructive proposals to come from the Minister himself and not from some outside source. It is a Minister’s job, and it is because many of them are not doing their jobs that thousands of farmers are openly coquetting with Labour or organising to form a political party of their own. ’ 1 ■ Constructive Suggestion. 'This series of articles has been written with a view to encouraging constructive thought on these lines, and in this final article under the above heading we advance a proposition which we sincerely commend to the Cabinet, the member for the district, and all local businessmen who are alive to their own interests. The proposal, while applied to the Putaruru district, is equally applicable to many other districts throughout the Dominion.

Briefly the scheme is to exploit the farm lands adjacent to the present system of railways. We do not intend to again labour the suggestion that it is a wise policy to closely settle all lands alongside the railways before those lying fur4fcther back are handled. This aspect has already been dealt with more fully in a previous article. No businessman would dream of doubling the machinery in his workshops when there was not enough work in sight to show a profit on that which he already possessed. His business would soon become bankrupt by such methods. Similarly it is sheer folly to consider adding further new sections to the present railway system while it is not working to capacity owing to the thousands upon thousands of idle acres which lie alongside our existing railroads. If the country is to be relieved of some of its present abnormally - high overhead charges every possible means of applying business methods to State affairs must be sought. Suitable for Settlement.

' Taking this conclusion as sound, therefore, the fact that some 30,000 acres of land, the bulk of which is eminently suitable for closer settlelie within a radius of six and a-half miles of the Putaruru post office, is worthy of serious consideration.

Further, the whole of this large area consists of only nine blocks, all of which are over 1000 acres in extent?’ the average holding being well over 3000 acres. The whole of this area is intersected by good roads, is watered by six rivers or large streams, and not one acre of it is more than three miles distant from a railway.

Well-found Acres. - A large proportion is in grass, it is all easy country, and much of it is sound dairying country, 'suitable for cutting up into one-man farms.

Settlers’ Inability to Cut Up Their Holdings.

From a geographical point of view the land is a sound business proposition for closer settlement purposes. No isolation here, no heart-breaking struggles in the backblocks—on the contrary a railway within three miles of any block, good roads all round about, an abundance of water, and a rising business centre only six and a-half miles from the furthermost section.

To subdivide this area for closer settlement, however, is another question. It is beyond the financial means of most owners of similar blocks throughout the Dominion. It is all a question of ready cash. Ready Cash Handicap.

Take a block of 3000 acres, for example. In cutting this area up into farms of from 75 acres upwards the survey fees alone would approximate £4OO to £SOO. Then from four to six miles of roads would be necessary, and at a minimum sum would swallow up a further £2OOO. It would take exceptional circumstances to allow of the work being done satisfactorily for this amount, yet even at this figure it means that something like £2500 has to be found in hard cash.

There are many similar blocks more or less improved and suitable for closer settlement in all parts of the Dominion which would be immediately thrown on the market and settled were there some means available for assisting the owners to cut up. An amendment to the Rural Credit Act might be a possibility in this direction, but whatever means is adopted, if Government assistance is given, and we think it might be, there must be proper safeguards to prevent the. abuse of the system. There are great possibilities in the proposal, and whether it is workable or not cannot be ascertained without

inquiry. In any case the local situation might well engage the attention of the Chamber of Commerce, and if it is prosecuted with energy something may be achieved which will be a rational as well as a local benefit.