THE ONLY SOLUTION.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 276, 21 February 1929, Page 4

THE ONLY SOLUTION.

THE pronouncement made at Dannevirke by the Minister of Lands, in regard to land settlement and unemployment should make pleasant reading for all those who have the true economic interests of the Dominion at heart, as distinct from those who are inclined to promote the interests of one section of the community only, with little thought to the bearing of their aims on the country as a whole. In unequivocal language Mr. Forbes stated that there was no other solution to unemployment than that of increasing the number - of people on the land. The Minister also stated that he believed one of the greatest faults of the Dominion to-day was that people held too much and not too little land. For years the Press has preached these doctrines in season and out of season, and we hope now that a Minister has had the courage to definitely state this opinion in the face of the clamour of the secondary industries for higher protection, that he will prosecute this policy with the utmost vigour. In so doing we hope that he will also realise that the present rnaehin-

ery for land settlement is out-of-date and needs modernising. It is the sheerest folly to settle lands which reed particular husbandry from Wellington or Auckland, for it is inviting nothing but disaster to bring men from the gum lands, the cities, or from any other district to the pumice areas and simply leave them to struggle along by themselves. Local oversight and sympathetic treatment in finance is essential, and any scheme on a large scale which does not recognise this factor is foredoomed to failure. Unemployment will never be solved by increasing customs taxation and though land settlement is not a panacea it is the soundest and most economic policy in view. It is not antagonistic to the secondary industries, but its fulfilment will do far more for these industries than is realised by many.