A SOLDIER SETTLEMENT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 251, 11 July 1918, Page 8

A SOLDIER SETTLEMENT

i MR. GUTHRIE REPLIES TO A t'Kl'iiC PIONEERING IROU3LES interviewed by a reporter yesterday, the lion. U. n. Gutline, Minuter t>l Uiiitis, iiuci Minster m charge oi the Suti'ieiiieuc ■oi ltetumed Soiuieis on tuti Land, cUutJ that jiia uttemioii hail Utu tiruv.ii iu a paragraph appeariiiu in. Unit day's Ikhiimox, belDtf uii exli'iiuli U'uui a opcccii nuue by .ur. lianuuon«, president of tun Union, iliuuiliuii, lvfariliiig me doiuier (Settlement at T* Ainu "Apparently Mr. Hammond does not think tho settlement is going to be successful, but Jhe does doc suggest any means by which tlio Government could improve the existing condition of affairs. Might 1 just ixuoto part-of an interesting telegram that i received u few days. ayo from a southern member of i'arliaiiient icgarituiK the treatment of returned tfdtiiw settlers on the Stalker Settlement by iliu settlers iu that dwlrint:— "'Just returned fiom Stalker Soldier SiiltlcmvMit on ildeiidulo l'lain. Xcighhouring larmuvs held ploughing ben ior soldier eicttlers with result that sixty teams at work jviulting in whole oi jiew fiii'ins being ploughed. Later neigbboui'ii will disc, cultivate, and sow land for soldiers. Tlue practical demonstration ol help deserves eimuuragement.' "The abovo work was organised and curried through under the. leude.rbhip of Mr. J. Duulop, chuirniiin of the Jj'aruici-s' Uuioti in that district, abiy assisted by n lui'ge number oi tho eurrouiiding eettlers. Thia ia practical astiistance which the Government appreciates very greatly, aud is much more helpful than bojuiu of the criticisms that nre levelled iu connection with the administration of isoldier netlkmente. "As at .niiuy other new tiettlciwwls in this country the returned soldiers were placed on the land before it ivas roaded. This occurred because of the demand existing for laud, and tlio soldiers had (o bo placed on their allotments before the land lias really properly prepared -for their reception. 1 visited this settlement myself, and 1 am convinced that in time it will duly prove to bo a successful settlement. While it istTue that the soldiers on this area have many difficulties, these troubles will vury eoou be overdome. Temporary reading was arranged to let the iseltlere out in the direction they wished, because it was impossible to liavo the main loading constructed in time. When this reading ie completed, the settlers thye will, I am sure, bu ([tiilo r-atirsned with their condition!). I understand that tho settlers liavo had some trouble about getting , the necessary implements for their work, but this is being attended to at present, so that this trouble will soon disappear. "With areas of this kind, settled quickly as To Miro was, thero are bound to be. troubles iu (he early days of the settlement, but these aro inevitable in the early stages of all new settlements."