SOLDIER SETTLEMENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 137, 5 March 1919, Page 6

SOLDIER SETTLEMENT

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF LANDS

Comparisons have been made recently ' to' the disadvantage of New Zealand bethe efforts of the Governments in Victoria and.in this country for tue settlement of soldiers on the land. A state. ' ment was made by the Minister of Lands, the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, yesterday showin" that a great .deal more is being done in New Zealand than is commonly supP °"We ate holding all.the runa falling in for subdivision among soldiers, accustomed to hill-conntiy fanning, in cuss thev >vish to continue, in that direction, said the Minister, "but we are also supplying , land suitable for fattening sheep and for mixed farming, (agriculture and •pasture) and for dairying. The limit of advances in Victoria for this purpose/is .£2OOO. Wβ are advancing liberally i£ to .£2500, -but we do not stop at tins figure if the security is regarded as good, enough to justify an increase. The £ow Zealand Government does not wish to institute comparisons.with any other Government in the British Dominions tn re-, card to provision made for returned *ol- ' fliers-but it is only fair to New Mi- • ffi'to .mention, that the Government ' here fa ahead of other Governing, in the aggregate has spent more than WWfcOM i, providing farms, .at » I ™ l^*t*f New Zealand's, for returned soldiers, but we have no detailed evidence has been dono in Victoria. In New Aeii ■land the provision for sqhl.ers indmlw thepurchase of Native ands, aml the ■ Government is giving absolute, preference to returned bo dun m *« "J"* ment of all Crown lands. A laige niea of this kind of land will bo available eventually for returned men capable of undertaking tho **»«"" - f * Th ™ {Sforrn^rsTiirUS P S«rSW. itwos.imDortant for returned soldiers, for their to get into touch with Government Departments and obtain definite official information about thesetttement opportunities They should *ot , allow themselves to Ik misled bj tho vague statements of irresponsible l-ws™. ■nVith regard to proposals for orchards, wo lave toblvery carVful," Mr, Guthrio continued. rt V7e cannot ;be too venturesome just now, but we ore prepared to work on safe lines. The reason for tho BeceWv caution is that .the market on which New.Zealand was importantly, dependent in South America has been missml through tho diversion of steamer., through the Panama Canal. . Consequently the former service to ports on th* east side of South America has been • dislocated, and it is not known when 't ■ will be re-established. . We have to look •.fov other inarketgon the west coast ot •America rather than-.the'east. The Goverument, said the Minister, was encouraging men who had a bent for market-gardening. to take up small areas rear the centres of population where they-had the best prospect of sueces3. The limit of help in this tod of home-mating was .£IOOO in New-Zealand, compared with ,£BOO in Victoria. The .same remark applied to poultry. In this line the limit In Victoria was .£OOO. but the New Zealand Government would • advance' up to £1000, and would go even' to .£2500 w help a man in establishing . himself-in a larger- way ne ft poultryfarmer. - , , , ■Up to the present there had not been a very great demand for farming of this kind (poultry, orchards, and fruit), which required speolal -knowledge. The means of education had been provided, but tho returned men-had not a very great desire to go in for a period of training. Probably, a$ the sohemes of settlement clime to be better knows, the soldiers might, take a larger interest in this kind of opportunity to secure a comfortable .living. '■•. ' ;