LAND FOR SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 195, 13 May 1919, Page 6

LAND FOR SOLDIERS

| CONDITIONS OF CANADIAN SETTLEMENT | ("Times" Correspondent.) !'' •:, Toronto (by mail). | The Government, by Order-m-Council, ' has taken action to provide land for re- | turning soldiers.'. A' Bill to ratify tlio. | regulations adopted: will be introduced in I ' Parliament early in the session. / . j j The Settlement Board is authorised' to t make immediate purchase of land, stock, 1 and building material forqale to settlers. I . As far as is practioablo the soldier will | select the land on which lie desires to [ settle, but the price will bo snlgect to revision. In all the provinces qualifica- | tioa. councils will be established, and ; these will determine whother or not the j applicant is likely to succeed as a farmer. :: '■ •Purchase will be made with the assjstonce of the Settlement Board, which ■will also require soldiers to. pay 10 per •! cent, of the purchase price in cash. Ordinarily, when sale is made the obli- j gation of the purchaser outstanding may i , not exceed ,£9OO. There is, however, a 'provision in favour of those unable to ! pay 10 per cent.' who have had successful : experience in farming or are otherwiso i qualified or equipped to be farmers.. In such cases the balance outstanding may j be ,£IOOO. • Interest on unpaid _ balances | , ■ will be 6 per cent., and all will be re- ; ' payable on the amortisation plan in 25 ! annual instalments. The amount which I may be advanced by the board for stock j and implements has been raised from i *£300 to .£IOO. These advances will be j repayable in four annual instalments. ! But no payment will bo required until i i the third year, and for the first two ! years no interest will be exacted. Fur- | ther assistance of .£2OO may be granted [ for permanent improvements, and On ! account of building material supplied, i which amount will be ropayable on the | same terms as the balance against tho land. i In the West there are between 25,000,000 and 30,000,000 acres of idle land within 15 miles of the railways. There is littlo doubt that much of this land can be se--1 ■ cured by the-board ,at fair prices with- ( out expropriation. • Already 10S-7 loans have been granted ; ■ to' sdkliere, aggregating w£277,157. If 50,000 soldiers should take land under I the revised regulations the acreage involved will be between 8,000,000 and 10,000,000, and the loans might run up to' ,£50,000,000. All thought of placing I soldiers in the Peace River country or in remote sections of the older provinces has been substantially abandoned. It : .is recognised that if soldiers without i farming experience are to succeed they ; must bo placed within .reasonable dis- ■ tance of railways and markets and assisted with the best expert advice that i can be provided. Even those witli farmi ing experience will be reluctant to go j beyond the settled' agricultural districts. It is understood that the Canadian- ■ Pacific Railway will also set aside 160,000 ! acres of land for'settling.soldiers in communities under conditions not less favourable than the Government prescribes. j . The. effect of the Government's land ijolI icy-should be to increase the population on the land materially, while agriculture generally should benefit by the expert supervision which will be exeroised over tho farms of soldiers. It may be added that the Ontario Government will provide ,£SOO for any farmer who desires to build a house for a labourer, repayable in, 20 annual inj stalments, and probably other provinces, participating in the Dominion Governi ment's appropriation of £5,000,000 for . , Housing, may do. likewise..

! - During the next eighteen months tho i United States Agricultural Depnrtmont ! vrfll expend' i£100,000,000 on road-build-J . KUl.Oflfl. man • f ' •