SOLDIER SETTLEMENTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 196, 14 May 1919, Page 8

SOLDIER SETTLEMENTS

! Sir,—With reference to tho statement made by tho Hon. Mr. Guthrie, Minister 1 of Lands, in your issue of yesterday in ' regard to the powers of land boards to ' postpone, and even remit, rents on lands ■ settled by returned soldiers, I desire to state that, when 1 made the remarks.! did when the Kopane eottlers interviewed the Minister in D'eilding, I quite under- ! etood and I fully appreciated the liberal- ; ity of. the regulations by which laudboards are enabled to assist Ihcsu men during the first three years of their farming operations. Tam also well ; aware that as a general rule—in every ; case so far as I have had personal knowledge—members of these boards spa.r« r.o effort, and, indeed; ofteii strain their powers, in order lo lielp settlers, but my : contention to which the Minister reftrred is rhirt it would bo a wise and sound policy for the Government to adopt to permit all rents to bo held over for th& first year, except where the individual settlers desiro to thfa contrary. If tms we're done settlers would have a chance of a fair start. ' They would have timo to secure their stock and get their ftnees and buildings up without being handed with a load of debt, (Tally increasing, without an income to counterbalance it. Any man who has started on a bush fatf'm or milking cows, all on borrowed money, knows how haudioappett tucse soldier settlers are with their r< nt and interest miming from the jump. ■ . : The Minister and the Department are, if is admitted by all, most anxious to make these soldier settlements a success, and are always considerate in their treatment of settlers who have grievances, but they insist, and rightlj so under the present policy, that each .man's demand for remission or postponement of rent uiust 1)0 separately hea.vd and considnrcd by the land board, and that may. b? quite ■ ri»ht from tho Department , <s point of view, but many men will put up with any amount of "hardship before they will apply to tho board for help, and I believe even now some ate Borrowing money from outside sources at high rates of interest so that they may carry out their engagements. . , Tho first and second years is the crucial time. To begin with, the settlers have very little incomo; first-class milkiuff cowe can hardly be bought except at prohibitive prices; a good herd must be bred and culled and improved and well fed beforo the best results can ho obtained, but there can be very little artificial feed the first season on rcost farms, so tho position-is an extremely difficult one for the soldier settlers who have to mnko a living wage at this time over and above rent interest, and working expenses. In.' my opinion tho soldier settlers are not getting the chance thnt they aro entitled to and that the country wants them to have when they have to pay rent and interest on stock and plant from tho .day they start to occupy tneir land. 1 consider tho best way would be to let tho men have at least the first year rent free. 1 feel sure that from'the State point of view tnls would, be a good policy in the long run, and would give good' results so far as the men are con-cen.ed.-I am, iu'artou, May 7. ,