UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 711, 10 July 1929, Page 7

UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM

METHODS OF SOLUTION KING COUNTRY PROPOSALS (From Our Own Correspondent) TATJMARUNUI, Tuesday. The wastage to the Dominion caused by unoccupied lands, and the widespread problem of unemployment, has been engaging the attention of a number of influential men in the King Country, and several schemes have been put forward for bringing idle areas into productivity and at the same time providing work for many of those who are so greatly in need of it. At the monthly meeting of the Taumarunui Chamber of Commerce, a proposal put forward by Messrs. T. P. Davis aud J. Corlett met with considerable support, and appears to lay the basis for a practical solution of.the twin problems, provided the Government can be induced to lend its support. The general idea of the scheme is that large areas of unoccupied Crown lauds should be placed in charge of competent supervisors, who Would arrange for bringing them -'nto a productive condition, road them, and carry out other necessary preliminaries to settlement proper. All work would be done by open or co-operative contract, the State finding the capital. This capital outlay would be recouped by loading the farms with the cost ] of improvement, possibly cased on i each farm’s individual productiveness, j When sufficiently advanced, the areas ! being dealt with would be cut up into | suitable holdings and allotted to perj sons qualified for and desirous of 5 taking up farming. The most prac- | tical labour methods, up-to-date j machinery and the contract or co- ! operative system would, it is claimed, reduce the overhead expenses to a minimum, and enable many of the unemployed engaged ou the work to finally take up land themselves. Thus temporary relief to unemployment would be given, to finally provide permanent productive positions for qualified men.

Alternative schemes are the setting up of advisory boards of successful farmers, or the establishment of a central land board, but these latter proposals would refer more particularly to the King Country. The subject as outlined has been represented to the Minister of Public Works when in the district, and the chamber's president, Mr. A. S. Laird, was instructed to bring the whole proposal before the chambers of commerce conference.