ADVANCES TO BUSH SETTLERS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 204, 26 February 1912, Page 2

ADVANCES TO BUSH SETTLERS

! A DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT. In the House of Representatives l«it week Mr. G*. Laurenson (Lyttelton) asked the Government to consider the propriety of immediately abandoning the rule under which advances to workers and advances to settlers were refused to settlers in bush districts. The view hitherto taken had been that when the timber was worked out in these districts they would go back. As a matter of fact, however, the decline of the timber industry would be more than made up for by the growth of dairying and agriculture. Mr. Laurenson named Ohakune as one of the districts he had in mind. The Hon. T. Mackenzie said that he had no desire to reflect upon the officers of the Department. At the same time, he felt very strongly that their conclusion that a town like Ohakune was going to go ba«k like a worked-out mining township was entirely without justification. Anyone could see that it was in a fair way to become the centre of a prosperous dairying district, as Raetihi had already become the centre of a prosperous agricultural district. At present Ohakune was the centre of an enormous timber industry, which was likely to last for many years. Mr. Malcolm (Clutha) said that he came from a bush district, and woald have been glad to support the proposal before the House but for two reasons. One wa,s that members had been sent there to get a vote taken on the amendment submitted by the Leader of the Opposition. The country was anxious to get a vote taken on the amendment at the earliest possible moment. He trusted that the result would be a change of Ministry, which would result in the Department under review being handed over to a Minister whose progressive methods would make such a discussion as had taken place unnecessary. The Hon. R. McKenzie contended that settlers in bush districts ought to be *ather more encouraged than settlers in open country. Mr. Wilson (TaumaTumii) declared that advances were refused to many small settlers in this country without any reason being given. The Prime Minister undertook to hava the mater reinvestigated.