LAND FOR THE WORKLESS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 557, 12 July 1909, Page 4

LAND FOR THE WORKLESS.

The proposal of thq Government to throw open' for' selection some 400 small farms as a means of providing for retired Civil Servants, suitable applicants from the ranks of the. workles's, and others desirous of going on tha land and carving out homes for themselves is commendable. There can be no doubt that if suitable land;is available and reasonable assistance is forthcoming many sturdy settlers might be gained, for the country at the present time in this way. Jfatiirally Civil Sorvants who have been rotired on account of the age limit can hardly bo regarded in this light, and wo do not suppose that many of the younger men are likely to take to farming of the kind pro-, posed, but there'should be no/difficulty in finding suitable applicants for the land provided the land is suitable. It'Btands to reason that if Me. Budpo's scheme is to be of any use in assisting to relieve the existing distress it has got to be hurried forward with, the utmost dispatch. So farhe has been a jittlo hazy in his announcements on the subject as to where the land is.situated; If,'as promisod, the sections are to; be available- early in the spring there is not muqh time for surveying and other nebossary work to bo done, and wo should be glad to hear that, this preliminary task has been put in hand. One danger attached to these small.farm schemes; is that, tho holdings arc somotimes made too small for a family to mako a comfortable living on; This, according to a recent;, correspondent, has boon a drawback'to settlers in the, vicinity of Pongarpa, pome of whom appear to have found their holdings too small. With 400 {sections promised, the Minister may bo inclined to err on-the side"of■ restricting the-area. : While this might serve his immediate purpose of providing, for 'a greater number of families than would otherwise be possible, it would prove a serious-mistake eventually.. Bqtter to provide for. 300. familiescomfortably.thah to have 400 families struggling along under, conditions which eventually must force many, of them to leave their holdings. We trust, that ; the Minister will give 'this aspect of the matter.his.serious attention,, as woll as recognising that expedition ; in throwing open the ; land for selection, is of vital importance..-.; "'.,..■:■-,: