The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1930. PEBBLY HILLS SCHEME

Southland Times, Issue 21088, 21 May 1930, Page 4

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1930. PEBBLY HILLS SCHEME

It is disturbing to learn that the Pebbly Hills afforestation work is to be carried ■on at a comparatively leisurely rate, especially when one of the reasons for the decision to take up this project is that employment will be found for a number of men out of work. The area, we understand, is 6000 acres and Mr Taverner, who is in charge of the Forestry Department, referred to this figure the other day in a manner which implied that the whole area was to be planted this year, but it seems that this is not the case, and it is a fair thing to ask why the Government intends to set out the planting of the trees in the more expensive way. The official report is that only 1000 acres will be planted this year, and this means that if a fairly big squad of men is put on the job the whole of the year’s programme will be filled in a few weeks. If 1000 acres represents the limits of each year’s work, the cost of planting will be materially increased, while the amount of relief work afforded will be too small to have any appreciable effect on the unemployment figures this year. This year, it is anticipated, the problem will be acute and surely it is better to enlarge the

effort this winter rather than spread the relief in a thin layer over the six years. There should be no shortage of trees. The Department has available, we believe, all the trees it requires for planting the whole area this year, and if Mr Taverner will agree to pushing forward with the treatment of the 6000 acres he will not only cut down the cost of planting, but will provide sufficient work to last a goodly number of men throughout the winter. At the same time it is good that attention should be drawn to the rumour that the majority of the men being sent to this afforestation area come from Dunedin. This work is being carried out in Southland, and while it is desirable that work should be provided for all the unemployed, Mr Taverner, who is the Minister in charge of this operation, should not permit it to be said that his sympathies in connection with a Southland undertaking lead him to secure preference for unemployed in Dunedin. The overwhelming proportion of the men so far sent out to the Pebbly Hills area come from Dunedin, and this is inexcusable if there are still men in Southland ready to take this work. As we have already said, provincial boundaries should not be used to restrict the provision of employment of men seeking work, but provincial and electoral boundaries should not be influential enough to afford a preference to men from a particular place. If this report is correct, Mr Taverner should take steps to remedy the ill before it has gone too far, and the Southland members should see to it that this scheme is not made an Otago relief project. The Minister of Internal Affairs, who is also member for Awarua, is personally interested in this project and the Southland League, if it is satisfied that the proportion of Otago men going to Pebbly Hills is too largo, should ask Mr Perrellc to use his influence to divert Mr Taverner from a course that is unfair to the unemployed of this province.