CALL OF THE LAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 777, 25 September 1929, Page 7

CALL OF THE LAND

SETTLEMENT POLICY WANTED IDLE MEN AND IDLE MONEY The need for a definite and progressive policy of land settlement ancl development in New Zealand was strongly urged by Mr. Y\\ J. Holdsworth, addressing a meeting of the Mount Albert Terminus Ratepayers* and Residents’ Association last even—ing. A denial to the suggestion in some quarters that people did not want to go on the land was given by th© speaker. Applications were being received by ’ x Sfl I.eaguo daily from people anxious to take up farming, he declared. He supported this assertion by stating that JO married men at a Public Works camp near Auckland wanted to take up farming. but were unable to obtain assistance in this direction. Alter tracing the activities of t © I.and Settlement League during i.s three years’ existence. Mr. Holdswortlx expressed the opinion that it was tragic that the Government had been slow to accept the offer of the former Secretary for the Colonies. Mr. L. S. Amery. and Herd Lovat. who bad offered to place millions at the Government’s disposal for land settlement purposes. Mr. Holdsworth offered a comparison of the land settlement schemes oC Canada and Western Australia with the method adopted in New Zealand. Ho considered that the Dominion would, not have passed through the depression it had experienced had the* immigrants from Home, who merely swelled the ranks of unemployed, been trained farmers and had been put on waste lands. The idle lands, idle men and idle money must bo co-ordinated to pass the period of depression, lie concluded.