SOLDIER FARMERS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 310, 24 September 1921, Page 2

SOLDIER FARMERS

THE THAINING FARM AT TAUHERENIKAU , A VISIT BY THE MINISTER WORK IN MANY BRANCHES The Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister in charge of Repatriation, paid a visit last week to the Department’s training farm of 570 acres, for tubercular soldiers, at Tauheronikau. Ho was motored Over the Rimutakas by tho Director of Repatriation (Mr. J. R. Samson) and mado a thorough inspection of the various activities’ at tho farm. The Minister informed a representative of this paper that ho was highly pleased with everything he saw there, and had come away well satisfied with tho Departments efforts to train tubercular men so that they could take up email holdings of lapd with every prospect of success. It was very 'evident that the Department had as farm .manager a capable officer in Mr. Brydon, who it might be mentioned was a returned soldier with long service, and eo far aS the general farm activities were concerned nothing better could be wished for. There were over 50 men at present in training, and Mr. Guthrie answered a number’ of questions put-to him by different trainees, who were given every opportunity to question nnd cross-question the Minister In art' entirely informal manner. As for their training the Department was very much indebted to tho officers of the Agriculture Department for. all tho assistance rendered in the various sections of the work. The' Minister was shown round by the instructor in charge of each section, and was much impressed hvthe enthusiasm of the instructors, all but one of them being returned soldiers. Mr. Booth, in charge of tho apiary, had a big nnmhor of keenly interested mon round him nil busy at the. hives, which ware located in a picturesque nnd ideal spot, well sheltered. Similarly, Air. Sinclair, in the poultry section, bnd all his men working in pairs, and they seamad to he having a busy time judging by ’the hundreds of chicks that were to be seen in the various cornpnrtmonts with hundreds more expected from the incubators in a few days time. Tho fowl. ,-ere like the bees—very busy-cacklmg continuously, and the output of eggs at tho present time was about 30 dozen d< Whcn Mr. Guthrie inspected the horticulture section, which is Under the able direction of Mr. Curran, the men weie awav at dinner, but there were. evidences on all sides of good work being done, with the usual rush of ■ spring work crowding upon them. Very few of the men cared for training in pig-broeding. and the Department was therefore not now doing much in that direction. In the big kitchen, where throe women cooks were employed, everything was spick and span, and the Ministers inquiry brought forth the response, No complaints." The men certainly appeared to be supplied with excellent food, nn<l plenty of it. Mr Guthrie then inspected the additional buildings which have been erected under the supervision of Mr. HMainland, a member of the W ton District Board, who had used almost entirely timber from old buildings purchased by tho Departinent from Featherston Camp. He had dl9 P’ much ingenuity and had done wonders in the economic erection of splendid cubicles, each,man’s room built on the latest fresK-air principle, and opening directly on to a sun-verandah,; a dining hrill a commodious' recreation roomwhere there were, inter alia, two bi - Hard tables, supplied by the. Y.M.C.A., Staff buildings; store houees, etc. Manv other matters wero viewed by tho Minister, including three or four hundred additional fruit trees that had been planted by the horticulture trainees this season; new baths and conveniences that' had been erected; separate quarters that had been provided for tho instructor and staff, and a cottage to -accommodate tho women cooks; the rose beds and shrubbery that had recent!}' been pianteod with a view to beautifying the grounds round about the men s quarters; the-store in charge, of Mr. Whittic fl. returned soldier, with sanatorium training, who was responsible to the Director of Repatriation as regards protecting the interests of tne Department and tho trainees. . ■ The farm is run to eonte extent on aanaitorium lines-rest periods-regailar meal hours and times for rising and re-tiring-medical examination by a tubercular specialist eveiy three months, etc. In addition to this, the Department s tuberculosis officer (Mt. Die farm once a m6hth, and, attends to the individual inquiries and wants oi the trainees. This officer keeps in clow touch with the medical officers of th« Defence Department; the sanatoria a Pukeora and Cashmere Hills the Pen, sTons Department and tho Lands Department. . , The trainees on the farm appear to be a good stamp of man, and notwithstanding their disability, the great majority of them looked very well indeed. ■ Tho expense of maintaining a training farm of this' description, said Mr. Guthrie, is of course considerable, especially when one considers the sustenance allowance's that have to lie paid to the trainees, many of whom are married men; but really good work is Being done, and the Government is determined to sro that those men aro thus given an opportunity of successfully repatriating themselves and becoming again useful settlers in the country. In conclusion, Mr. Outline said: 1 repeat, I have come away from the farm very highly pleased indeed, and well satisfied with everything I saw there."