The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, MARCH 5,1926 CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 March 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, MARCH 5,1926 CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

1 Tin; President, of llie. Funnors' L iiion Branch at .Mataintii wrote, us this wool; on the subject of tho cutting up of Hohutu township ro.v.-rve for closer settlement. Tlicre scents to be a differoilce of opinion a.s to whether the reserve in question. .should best be cut into two or four holdings, hut both sides are agreed as to the principle involved. The fanners’ body suggests two. the authorities through the hand Board, four. As we have examined the position, the procedure is experimental in .seeking to provide land for landless laborers who have not the means to go right on to the land, and make a living off it, hut for those who may follow their daily avocation meantime, and in their spare time and oil days gradually establish a home. In the centres there are facilities for establishing workmen's homes, so in the country, the same principle should apply. ami the opportunity he oll'ercd. As i to the area considered sufficient, in such l cases, it is for those controlling tie land to say. The area must not bo too large <:r the cost would he prohibitive to the men for whom the land is intended. Nor must it ho too small, for there must ho room for some cropping and the starting of a herd. We do not know tie- precise class of land in tin- Walaroa case, hut «e have the Arahura Valley in mind at the mo me,lit. and if the land is capable of ranking with that, forty acres would he a very good beginning. Many of the southern residents "have the idea that area is everything. To some of ■ our districts, and Wataroa is not any exception, there are some large holdings, and they are not being made the most use of. Year after year they remain in the same condition—good enough to grow grass for stock feed, and with that the holder is satisfied. But the laboring man on or about the farms and roads, has no chance of acquiring holdings of that nature. So has come about tin? desire and the demand for land for the landless, who will go upon it, improve it, and become permanent producers. The country needs more of that class, and there .should Ik- room for many such in 'Westland. If the man on the small area can make a .success of it, he will soon he in the way of acquiring a larger holding. But it is well to get him in the way of succeeding on tho small area, before placing too great a burden on him with a large area.. The latter will be beyond his resources, both in cash and labor at tho outset, and ho would he a struggling settler all his life. We bar.? seen a good deal of that happening with the ex-soldiers who rushed on to the land—they have overburdened themselves, and will bo in difficulties for a long time. The Band Board would be guided by its officers and by the practical opinions of the members, all of whom have a sound knowledge of what can he done with land. Their verdict was for four small holdings and it appears to us it will lie no gn?at. hardship to offer tho land as such. The areas will he within the means of the class of people primarily intended, and if the right people get on the land we are sanguine the result will he a stepping stone to greater success with a genuine landsettlement policy—the placing of more people permanently on the land. When we relleet on what has been done with the small areas in the Arahura Valley we feel the tnon? hopeful. Comparing the sustained success of dairying there with other parts of the district where much larger areas are held, we ar? convinced that for capital invested the Arahura settler has much the better return. However, we are glad to see closer settlement principles are favored, and feel that both sides are anxious to achieve tho same end, so that for our

part we leave it to the experts to carry out tlieir plans in their own way.