LAND FOR SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2632, 1 December 1915, Page 7

LAND FOR SOLDIERS

A DIFFICULT PROBLEM

THE HAWKE'S BAY DISTRICT

There are certain areas of land in the Hawke's Bay province whioli tho Government lias under consideration for soldier settlements. Last week the Hon. A. L. Herdman, AttornoyGeneral, visited several parts of the district in connection with the land referred to To a reporter yesterday the Minister said that he was shown some good land in Hawko's Bay, land which would do admirably for soldiers who had been brought up in the country and had some knowledge of the principles of farming. "I have suggested to Mr. Massey, continued Mr. Herdman, "that ,the "Under-Secretary of Lands, Mr. Brodrick, should, report upon the land inspected, and' that, if possible, steps should be taken to set it aside for soldier settlements.

"Settling the soldiers on land is gojng to prove a most! difficult undertaking. Just at present tho problem is an easy one, because very few returned soldiers, havo intimated that they want land, and there is, I am assured, sufficient Crown land available to meet present demands. But lam looking forward to the time when tho war is ended, and when, perhaps twenty thousand soldiers at tho least return to this oountry, many of them demanding land. The Government will no doubt prepare for this, and take steps to met such an emergency when it 1 arises. Suitable blocks should be selected and proclaimed under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act, and careful preparations made for the subdivision of the land, with a view to giving soldiers suitable holdings when they return. The Government will also require to decide whether it will be necessary to restrict ordinary settlement in order to make sure that there will be sufficient land for returning soldiers. But the Minister of Lands has these matters in hand, and he and his officers are taking an active interest in the soldier settlement problem.

"When in Napier,_ I visited the Soldiers' Club Room with the Mayor, Mr. J. V. Brown, and I was much impressed with the excellent work that is being done in the way of recruiting and for returned . soldiers by the members of the National Reserve."