LAND FOR UNEMPLOYED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 478, 11 March 1933, Page 4

LAND FOR UNEMPLOYED

The wisdom of promoting land settlement in this district . has long been recognised by the Rotorua Unemployment Committee and it is to be regretted that so far little progress has been made in that direction. This is j not the fault of the committee, because genuine effort has been made to push this method of dealing with the unemployed problem. There seem, however, to be obstacles in the way of any comprehensive programme ! of settlement and it is saf e to say that the obstacles raised are not of the committee's making. I There is plenty of land (both

Crown and private) available and suitable settlers are ready to take up any holdings offering, but up to the present it has not proved possible to finalise any one scheme with the Government. Although nothing definite has been revealed it is understaod that the unemployment I | committee met with yet another J ; check to its operations on Thurs- | day. A large area of land was | ! shown to be available at a nom- ! | inal figure and unemployed men |I | ready and anxious to take up j the holdings, but the Govern- | ment appears to hesitate to take | the necessary steps to provide the finance or give the committee official backing in its proposi- 1 tion. In view of the fact that 'land settlement is aimed at under the small farms scheme it . is sincerely hoped that the opportunities in this district will not be neglected. With the con- ! clusion of the session the Minister of Agriculture will proba- ' bly be in a position to give more j time to this important question I ancl his co-operation with the j local committee is earnestly deI ; sired. The condition of the unj i employed in Rotorua is likely to I j be desperate this winter and the j 1 possibilities of profitable clevel- | opment work should not be neg- ( lected. It is understood that the !Hon. Adam Hamilton intends to visit the district and there is a very strong desire that he should thoroughly investigate the local committee's proposals.