SOLDIERS'AND LAND

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3118, 23 June 1917, Page 6

SOLDIERS'AND LAND

Sir, —There have been a lot of lottera appearing in tho Press re above. Now, sir, I would liko to suggest that the cooperative factories (butter and cheese), the looal branches of the Fanners' Union, also s the Fruitgrowers' Association, etc., take this matter np as follows:— Tho directors of a factory know what land is suitable and available- for dairying in their district. They also know its value. Any returned soldier _ who wants a dairy farm in a certain district applies to the directors, and they can submit to him what land is available, also their opinions as to its value. Hβ then, if a practical man, can mako hia selection, and if he is in need of financial assistance he will have the advice of men who are farming on similar land, which should gTeatly help him.

Tho greatest help you can give a man is when he!is in need. As most directors' meetings take place once a month, he could be advised at those meetings by a full board of directors, until ho was acclimatised. I have known men who have been farming ,all their lives coming to this district, and for the first year or so •lose meney through not knowing the district's peculiarities. The greatest loss has been through buying their stock in tho wrong districts. There are many things that appear simple, but which prove very costly to a man, starting farming, which I feel sure could be avoided under a system of "help your neighbour." If a soldier wants a sheep farm let him apply to the looal branch of the Farmers' TTnion in the district he would like to settle in.' Tho same applies to the fruitgrowers. . If th , ? above suggestions meet with anyone else's approval I would be only too pleased to meet them and go further into the matter with them.—l am, etc., L. I. HOWELL. Paraparaumu, Juno 19, 1917.