“A LIVE ISSUE”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 840, 7 December 1929, Page 7

“A LIVE ISSUE”

MR. HOLDSWORTH ON LAND 3 SETTLEMENT ! ; LUNCHEON ADDRESS “With a better system of land settlement we would get over a lot of our troubles, and would once again be on the way to prosperity.” These were * the concluding remarks made by Mr. J W. J. l-loldsworth, in his address at i the New Zealand Land Settlement * and Development League’s luncheon 5 on Friday'. " “During the past few years the league has indeed been active in ~ problems facing the Dominion. We have waited on Ministers, organised . conferences, waited on the Prime Min- ■ ister, and have called meetings of local • bodies. During the last election campaign, by our propaganda we made land settlement a live and real issue,” continued Mr. Holdsworth. The position today was not only unique, but rather disturbing. There had been a favourable trade balance - over the last tw r o years, but unemploy- [ ment was rife, and y r et there was plenty l of money awaiting investment. There i was no sound reason for that uncer- ; tainty. The league was a non-political i organisation, but it could not close its I eyes to the present political position. The party in power was one which was ■ practically led by' parties not in power. “If President Hoover, of the United ; States, thinks that agriculture is of sufficient importance to call a special • congress we claim that it is of sufficient importance for our Parliament ; to devote a whole session, or part of a session, to the question of land settlement. New Zealand is paying a heavy ’ penalty for the oversight in this respect,” continued the speaker. “I have recently returned from the j South, where I met many leading business men. Tliey r all agreed that it was land settlement that this country was sadly r in need of. If we show the courage, initiaive and real enthusiasm, the capital will be there, and New Zealand ■ could then well claim to be one of the 1 outstanding countries in the world.”