BACK TO THE LAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 795, 16 October 1929, Page 10

BACK TO THE LAND

LAND SETTLEMENT LEAGUE’S OBJECTIVES BASIS OF ALL WEALTH ’•While we are talking of land settlement, other countries are putting it into force and getting results. The Governments of many small Central European countries we are prone to look down upon are miles ahead of us. What can be done in those countries can also bo done here.” So said Mr. W. J. Holds worth in the course of an address on “The Aims and Objects of the New Zealand Land Settlement and Development League,” at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon this afternoon. Air. H. T. Merritt presided and delegates oL’ the Associated Chambers of Commerce now in conference in Auckland were present. “Land settlement is the most outstanding problem facing this country today,” Air. Holds worth declared. He briefly outlined the objects of the leagLie, which aimed at assisting in every way to develop idle lands and assist by finance and advise all those who wanted to take up farms. The league had been successful in bringing the question prominently before the public by addresses to public bodies, deputations to Al.P.’s and Ministers of the Crown, and had arranged that each of the three parties in the House would treat the problem apart from party politics. The publicity afforded the subject had been instrumental in making it the leading question at the recent elections. “During the past few years we have been getting the wrong type of immigrant,” said the speaker, who instanced many cases of men who refused to go out into the country, preferring to stay in town and live a more leisurely life. “Canada, South Africa and West Australia are providing every facility for immigrants who are taking up land and these countries are getting* the pick of immigrants. In West Australia they arc spending £34,000,000 on their land settlement scheme and settlers can get the money at two per cent.,” said Air. Holdsworth. “In the competition for the right class of settler, how can we compete with these countries with our poor system?” In New Zealand many people desirous of settling on the land were writing to the league asking for information. If a definite attractive and practical scheme was put into operation unemployment would practically ceaso and business would improve to a marked degree.” “While the League of Nations is trying to prevent war, we in New Zealand are overlooking one of the most potent factors in producing it,” said Air. Holdsworth. “Our very national existence depends upon a happy, contented people thriving on their own holdings.” Ho concluded with an appeal for leadership and statesmanship to outlino and put into effect a definite policy that would enable those possesing small capital to become farmers and develop the resources of the Dominion, as out of the 06,000,000 acres of possible agricultural land only 19,000,000 were now under cultivation.