LABOUR CRITICISM

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 451, 8 February 1933, Page 5

LABOUR CRITICISM

UNNECESSARY MEASURE Wellington, Tuesday. Fears that the ordinary allocation for the unemployed will suffer as a result of the operation of the provis-

" — " " ' " ' "Ul— ■— ions of the Small Farms (Relief of Unemployment) Bill were expressed by the deputy-Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. M. J. Savage, in the House of Reprdsentatives to-night. While agreeing with the main objects of the bill, Mr. Savage maintained that there were enough laws on the Sbatute Book at present to carry out any land settlement policy. So far the Government's attempts at land settlement had increased unemployment; The Government had abolished graduated land tax which' thinkers considered was the best possible means of preventing land aggregation and making available land for settlement. Now it was1 intended to take questionable means to provide Ior thet taking of land that wiaisi not fully occupied. What was wanted was a means whereby men with small means or no means who were fitted and anxious to take up farming, could he settled, * Loading the Fund The Government was not facing that problem hut was loading the Unemployment Fund to a limit of £500,- : 000 for the purpose of relieving the Land Settlement Fund. Instead of formulating a progressive policy, it was duplicating tlie existing laws. This could have no; otheri purpose than that of fooling the people. Falling • prices would never be cured by increased production. "We ean trade the produce of the land for other things that we need but if production does not pay, we must adopt isome other scheme," he said. "We are not paying sufficient attention to the balancing of the in- ! dustrial ledger. Why should we not have more balance of industrial life in the community? It is the A.B.C. of rural economy or any other eode .of economy, that we sh'ould strive for ; better balance in our industries. "If it does not pay to export primary produce, we had better take stock and .see whether it would not he bet- | - ter, instead of producing niore butter j to manufacture more clothes or other | articles that are needed by the peor i ple. The best thing that can be said j about the hill is that it is a gesture i in . th'e direction of land settlement >" hut its worst feature is that the Un- | employment Fund is to be* substituted f for the Lands for Settlement Fund. I This will mean that allocations for the Unemployed will be less and the j powers of Parliament will be handed over to an independent- hoard," |