LAND SETTLEMENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 July 1938, Page 3

LAND SETTLEMENT

DEMANDS BY THE FARMERS’ UNION OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG MEN. POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT CRITICISED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.! WELLINGTON, July 14. The urgent necessity for an adequate land policy for New Zealand was stressed by speakers at the Farmers’ Union conference today and a remit was carried that the Union press for a definite policy by which farmers' sons, sharemilkers, and farm labourers, after certification for competence, can be assisted to acquire farms of their own. Mr D. G. Gordon, speaking to the remit which gave rise to the motion as carried, said New Zealand had a Minister of Lands who had definitely said he would not give titles and it seemed useless to look to the Government for assistance in land settlement. There were men in a position to take up land who could not get it and who were drifting into the ranks of labour, and being lost to the farms. The only solution lay in the subdivision of private land in an attractive way. Captain H. M. Rushworth, M.P.. said that while he was not interested in politics at all, in fairness to the Minister he would say the latter had been misrepresented on the question of titles —1746 titles had been issued since the present Minister came into office. A delegate: “Freehold?” Captain Rushworth: “Freehold and leasehold." He added that the Minister had been referring to small farms on which many thousands had been spent. Captain Rushworth said he was in favour of the remit. There was only one solution, and that was to make farming profitable. Mr A. M. Carpenter said the reimposition of the graduated land tax had not opened up land, but had caused it to be abandoned. In Britain the land had been derated. Mr A. E. Lambert said that if the Government had any policy it had no uniformity of policy.