LAND SETTLEMENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 272, 13 August 1919, Page 7

LAND SETTLEMENT

A NEW DEPARTURE

RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION SCHEME. From several quarters the suggestion lias been made tuat blocks ot undeveloped land should bo acquired and broken in by groups of returned soldiers. Tho chief difficulty has ifteu. the necessity for such an undertaluiig to bo promoted and controlled by. suitable personnel which woiiid afso necessitate a certain degree of selection in the membership ot each group. Tne New Zealand .Returned Soldiers' Association has decided to ascertain the extent to which the proposed scheme will be attractive to the returned sokliev. With this object it, has. made tentative inquiries, and has secured tho offer of a returned soldier with a very, wide experience of men and land to organise n group. It is understood that the Minister of lauds, is favourably disposed towards the scheme, and tho association anticipates no 'difficulty on this score. Tho final line.-i of the scheme have not been definitely decided upon, but the broad plan is that a number of rcturneu soldiers suitable to the size of liw property to be acquired will begin work at a contract rate to bo agreed upon for All that 'is necessary for providing accees, etc., to tho Tho sections into which a block will be subdivided will bo balloted for by the men at a time to bo decided upon, The scheme- wiii ensure that .tne property will have .appreciated considerably over tho price, ot which A was originally bought, by virtue of tho facilities provided by the members ot tho settlement working in co-operation, and a considerable goodwill will bo represented by each section at tho time when taken over by the soldier; The scheme is one which should appoul to every returned soldier who is prepared to put his back into the work and tho increment reaped by the settler m the course oi a few years will bo much gieater than that gained by tho settler, of more highly-priced land. There is every likelihood that a iine typo of wttler will come forward, and the .association hopes to have tho scheme in running order in a very short time.