LAND SETTLEMENT DELAYS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 213, 3 May 1932, Page 4

LAND SETTLEMENT DELAYS

One of the most outstanding' results of the difficult times New Zealand is passing through, is the fine response of business and professional men and farmers in responsible positions. All over the country they have shown their readiness to employ their experience and knowledge in the service of their fellow citizens who are suffering as a result of the depression. A great deal of very valuable work has been done gratuitously since the inception of the unemployment relief schemes by members of the local committees throughout the Dominion, often without any real recognition of their eiforts, either by those whose interests they have tried to serve, Rotorua being one of the exceptions, or by the Government whose unemployment policy they have all too frequently been called upon to mold into some sort of workable shap©. A partjeularly noticeable feature has been the prompitude with which every constructive suggestion made by the authorities — they have been few enough, unhappily — has been seized upon and developed by men whose special knowledge entitles their view.s to serious consideration. Quite as noticeable has been the consistency with which their work has been officially neglected or ignored. It is now some months since the Minister responsible for the relief of unemployment first told the country that it would be his special purpose to take unemployed men off the uneconomic activities on which they have so largely been engaged in the past and put them "over the fence" and on to the land, where they would be engaged in really productive work. This statement was, in fact, the first made by Mr. Coates on his assumption of office more than six months ago. But the months have gone by and almost nothing has been done to give practical effect to that promise. A greater number of men admittedly are now engaged in useful productive work, but the increase in this respect has at the most no more than kept pace with the increase in unemployment since the promise was made and it can therefore, with justice be said, that Mr. Coates has so far failed. That the problem is a difficult one, pa^ticularly tin its financial aspects, there is ample evidence. There is, however, if anything still more evidence that it is by no means insoluble. All over the country, practical men in finance, commerce and farming, appreciating the Minister's difficulties and growing increasingly impatient at the prolonged delays, have formed committees among themselves and worked out schemes applicable to their local conditions. The efforts of the Mayor of Rotorua, Mr, T. Jackson, and his committee* and of the Whakatane committee, are cases in point. These proposals have been forwarded to the Minister and the Unemployment Board for consideration with offers of service in putting them', or, incleed, any other practicable scheme into operation, but so far as any practical result to date is concerned, they have been completely ignored. Such action on the part of the Minister and his officials is in the cireumstances, entirely incomprehensible. There may be perfectly good reasons, |inancial, or otherwise, for. the delay. If so, it surely is the duty of the Minister to be frank with those whose services have been so freely olfered to him and tell them what they are. As it is he has not even been courteous. Meantime, the position becomes steadily more grave as hope dies and patience becomes exhaustedv Offieial inertia cannot much longer be permitted to stand between the unemployed and that relief which unofficial effort has amply demonstrated it is capable of affording. Possibly -combined action could get the results which local effort has failed to achieve and a general conference. of all those in the Auckland- province,. who have interested thepiselyes ip .the a , development of seftlement schemes,, should be called for the