REPATRIATION.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16430, 25 January 1919, Page 8

REPATRIATION.

LAND FOR SOLDIERS IN

CANTERBURY

In an interview yesterday with a representative of "The Press," tho Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Lands, and a member of the Repatriation Board, gave some very interesting information, especially respecting the provision already made, and to bo made, for land for discharged soldiers in Canterbury. Mr Gutlirie said that there were soveral proporties under offer to tlic Government in Canterbury as well as in other districts throughout the Dominion, and in different parts of tho Dominion the Lands Department had large areas awaiting settlement-. Tho policy of the Department was to provide land for discharged soldiers in all districts, so that discharged soldiers would be able to settle in tho district, with the conditions existing in which they were acquainted, so that it would not bo necessary for an Otago man, or a Canterbury man, to seok for land, say, in Auckland. The difficulty experienced was not in obtaining the amount of land required, but in purchasing it at a price at which discharged soldiers could bo placed on it with a full chanco of making it a success. For this reason tho Department Had had to "turn down" many dosirable properties because, at the price nsked, the Department could not see that thoso who took it up could be successful. Ho cited instances where, by refusing the offers originally made, the Department had been ablo, ultimately, to secure land at a price which mado the success of the settlers possible. In one caso the owner wanted £38,000; tho land was ultimately acquired for £32,000; in another case £37 10s per ncro was asked, and the area was finally acquired for £27 per acre. Tho Department was not going to give tho capitalist, or tho a chance to reap unreasonable profits at the expense of the soldiers. Mr Guthrio gave tho following information respecting discharged soldiers' settlements in Canterbury:— Aero- Sec- SetSettlement. age. tions. tiers. Seaforth ... 516 9 7 Clayton ... 2,360 5 5 Cricklewood ... 3,906' 8 7 Leeston ... 198 5 4 Senfiedd ... 1,329 4 4 Craigmore ... 2,113 9 7 Homebrook ... 1,130 16 0 McGregor ... 326 2 1 Bruce ... 1,164 3 3 Ashton ... 2,147 0 0 Buckley ... 1*660 3 3 Paddy's Market ... 60 1 1 Lee's Valley ... 26,196 16 . 16 Rollesby ... 8,000 2 2 The Homobrook and Ashton Settlements have not yet been thrown open for selection. In addition to the settlements above set out, a number of sections have been purchased for individual soldiers under sections 2 and 3 of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act. Othor Crown lands in Canterbury which are about to be subdivided for settlement by discharged soldiers, are as follows:— Acres. Snowdale ... ... 30,000 ! Woodstock ... ... 2,000 Rhoboro Downs and Glen Lion Runs ...• ... 60,000 Tlio Rhoboro Downs and Glen Lion runs are to be subdivided into Bix pastoral runs, averaging 10,000 acres each. Already three Repatriation officers, who will work in conjunction with tlio District Repatriation Boards, have been appointed—Mr Burbush, Auckland; Mr Batten, Wellington; and Mr Tennant, Otago. Mr Guthrie, in reply to a question. 6aid that he did not know tho reason for the delay in appointing a Repatriation officer' for Canterbury. Owing to absence from Wellington he had been unable to attend tho latest held meeting of the Repatriation Board and did not know what had been done in tho matter. In respect of the District Repatriation Mr Guthrie said that they would be established in the four military districts, and each would have a regular staff sufficient to cope with the amount of business to be done. Those would devote the ■ whole of their'time to repatriation matters. "We will know," continued Mr Guthrie, "the number of men returning, and also the trades or professions thoy want to take up. We have had a very encouraging response to the canvass mad 3 up to tho present time, and an far as wd can see we will be able to cope with the men, in the matter of finding them suitable work, as they roturn "Tiip fear, has been expressed .that, in respect of returning men who are desirous of settling on the landt we would 'not have land ready for them. The number of-men who will have to be provided with land, judging by past experinnco, is very much over-eetimat-o:l. Of the 26,0t)0 men who have returned, 50 per cent, have intimated that they require rto assistance of any kind—men with their own farms, or professions, or trades, to go back to. Our experience in respect of land settlement" has been that we have assisted 12S0 discharged soldiers, and if that proportion continues, there should be no difficulty in providing land for them. Wo are looking forward to many of tho returned men, who want to tako up "land, desiring to make improvements on unimproved land for themselves, and to meet this demand we are h(ldittg largo areas of Crown lands, which afe being surveyed, and cut up, and money has been for roading them when they are applied for." ADMINISTRATION MATTERS. Mr Guthrie'said that one of his reasons for making an extended tour <f Canterbury and Otago was to get in touch with nil the discharged soldiers' settlements possible in the time at his disposal. ' I recognise, with others engaged in the administration of the Lands Deportment," Mr Guthrie continued, "that the administrate of these settlements is one of the most important matters the Department has to deal with, and probably requires special treatment and care. I have all along recognised that the establishment of these settlements entailed a great amount, of work on ths existing Land Boards, and, as far ba>:k a*? 1915. considered that one of tw> things should be done —either that tho Bnards should be strengthened, or that there should oe separate Boards in administer tho discharged soldiers' settlements. T have now got. Cabinet sanction to a proposal that I liavo had m mind for a considerable time past, namely, tho appointment in the larger of the land districts of Supervisors • f Soldiers' S"ttlements. TKeir special duties will be to keep in touch with ) II the work Going on in connexion with these settlements, and to be advisers and inspectors :it the same time. They wiH be offers of the Land Binrds. and will attend the Board meetings and report on the work done d'trn" tV period' between meetings, and will keep the Boards in close touch with hat is goins on. and bring the renuirements of the seldier-settl n r s di recti v before the members of the Boards I quite nise that the officer® of Land Boayds have done admirable work in connexion j with the settling of soldiers on the land ; but it was not to be exneted that such an extra amount of work' cou'd be overtaken with the required despatch )y officers whose time wis-fully occupied prior to tlr's addition to duties. I reco<misP the diffi-ulty ahead in obtainina the service- of the men who possess ' the special qua!ificnt : on* f-r the work of ' supervisors, but I have in my mind one or two men who, I believe, will fill tho position satisfactorily."'