IMPROVED FARMS.

Dominion, 24 February 1913, Page 8

IMPROVED FARMS.

HOW THE SETTLERS ARE FARING. ; ; ' rURCHASE OF STOCK. Tho story to date of an interesting departure m land settlement is told in a report which has just been furnished by the Lauds Department to the Hon. VI.. I'. Jlassey (l J rime.iiinisteraml Minister for ' Lnnds;l The report,deals' with'the improved 'farm settlements' which 'were established during the winter of 1909, when a considerable number of men wero put of employment lowing to various causes, tbo principal'ones, being reduction of ex- ' penuiture 6u public works, retrenchment .. in ,thc Public Service, and, it- was. stated, general finaacial stringency.' '," "■' In order to all'ord tlie unemployed married ~men with families dependent''.'"on "...them an opportunity V»f establishing themselves in small holdings,' :,',the report continues, the Government decided.to set aside blocks : ot land f6r. settlement under the. Lands Improvement and Native Lands Acquisition Act, 1891, and the regulations thereunder.- The co'n- . ditibns under which the lands were nllot-'-Ud, briefly stated, weie:— . , '■' (a) Selector to Teside and improve : his holding under an agreement with the 'Minister for Lands. .'•■>''. ■■'-.-.. ■' (b). Payment-to selectdr for ,bushfelhng, ; -''ploughing, draining, and grassins. ' (c)' Advances for buildings. ' ... ' (d)' Payments and advances to be added to capital value of. laiid when lease ,"':-.'■ or license, issved. .i . : '-'(e) Lease-or. license not to issue until .- settler.had proved his bona fides, '.'(fj'lloldingnot to exceed 200 acres. ','■■';ln,addition to.the settlers, being,paid for.''effecting improvements on their own -hoidingsi they Wero in many cases further assisted'!. by; being employed upon ,the road works necessary-to. give'access k to the.-i swtions'in' the settlements./, \- ' - .Six;improved farm settlements were /established. These were in the Auckland district, the Rangitoto No; 1, of 52 hold-. : iugs ,'(6809. acres);, Rangitoto No.. 2, -18 .holdings (3351 acres); Korakonui, 16 holdings ■ (2781 acres). ■ ! .■;. ' m '■'"..-■ In the Taranaki district: The Tangitu . Settlement-,'''of 83'.holdings; (i 4,232 acres);. -and the,Maparii-Settlement, or.3B,"holdings (6311 ncresj. - '■' In- the Wellington district: The! North .'Waimnrinoi.Set'tlement, of 102 .holdings (14,293 acres). ■ ' :,'.: ■■' .' ■■.-- : Total; 314 holdings, 47,910 acres. >. . '. Thb tWo Taranaki battlements were pro-. •claimed in 1909 and tho others in 1910.-...' -' "It v was inevitable," the report: con-.'■.tjniies,'-"that'.sam'c'."of the settlers would fail even under the liberal terms under winch holdings ware allotted. ''When ssc'.tions re7erted to the Crown,, tho unem r ployed difficulty. having'disapi>eared, they ;were not 'again allotted, .but,were, witH- ' drawn, from.the settlements and opened ,on the optional system. Altogether. 35 sections, containing, 5559 acres, we're so j'witlidrawßifrora.the sjx'setttcuieuts. ;.. "' '"Owing largely to the impecunious state of the settlers; the difficulties of access and also probably to the settlers'.lack of .experience in breaking.in bush country, and/notwithstanding the-liberal terms ; upon .which the,lands were allotted, tho . settlemehtstWere threatened with failure. . Thp..;Department ,-wpre, .(therefore, obliged :4o step., iu : -and pureha'se.i stock.-', for the .; ; mpstt needy ones,',who -had ,-not; obtninekl .rflieir titles, and'were therefore unable to raise funds dn the. security of their hold,"illgs,'., ; ;; '-■ - '■ ~ :' .'.-■ ;' '."In;the Wellington district the North' ■ Waimarino Settlement contained a large Vquantity of, marketable timber, . which i prevented. tha.' sections from. being imme T diately";occupied, and the. arrangements ■made with ~sawmillers to cut tlie timber have, ;by delay- 1 <\ occasibnedl'delay''in' bring-'-ling-'somo.oi' tlio secticihs info' grass.' SpeaK- [■ ing' generally, however, grass was. plentiful,'' but. stock'Vas scarce.- .Taking into ,the weak financial state of jth.e.settlers, ',-ind- the fact.'that if they , wero nofc assisted the grass oh most of' the: ;yo'uld. Ev't-i' waste,- it wns'decidicd.fo purchase, for their uso-'cows which were secured to the' Grown by stock mort j Kagi;s. InTcsp,ect : of .thc-'Taranaki settle- ' meii'ts of; Tangitu and' Jlapara, authority ' was.'issued'for.the'purchaso of C2O cows, at-a cost 0f.X3500, tho number of Settlers assisted being, 75. ,In the case of North • AVaimarino,yauthority Was'given to.purcaw' 300' cows'for 38 settlers; ata, cost of' .' ; ;E1500;-and. in the case, of-the Auckland' settlements of .Korakonui- and Rangitoto Nos. Innd-2,,authority, was given for the.purchase; of 220 cows, for' 27 settlers, at a, cosfof'.El2so:.. .-■:,;.;,-- \ - a.. • i 'To-dale.. .75 settlers on the Taranaki settlements havij'-been' provided with 616 .j'cP\vs,','at ; .{i.cb'st-'of'JC3slß.'. -In North AVaitriiiirimv 20 settlers ha.ve\been, provided .with'!lTS cows.-at.a ea.st of\ '4.992, and' in' l.'tlij.'caso,' of settlements. 18-sot-'/tiers ihnvo.been provided with 142 cows, "'a't-a'Cost:6f:ie6o. :'.','V'V.'.:•'.'■'- :■-.'. V : ' .By instructions ! fronVMr.'-Mas'sey,' ...worth ,'of; dairy, stock purchased .for •,the settlers'during the early part of the .'present summer. ,'.., ■;--- .-■ -'.-Nineteen settlers in. Taranaki have paid off =CC3O,-thus, redeeming-their bills of ./sale: :■;■■".'-''■:"'': ■'-'..'■'". ■''■''"■.' -... • ■' ,