GROUP SETTLEMENT SCHEME

Hokitika Guardian, 24 January 1929, Page 3

GROUP SETTLEMENT SCHEME

MAKING FARMERS.' WHAT WEST AUSTRALIA IS DOING. AUCKLAND, Jan. 22. The system of the "Government paying for everything, does not bring the best results, commented the Hon M. F. Troy, Minister of Lands and Immigration in the West Australian Government, who arrived by the Ulimaron this morning, accompanied by Mrs Troy, to spend a few weeks in New Zealand for health reasons. Mr Troy is an enthusiast as far as land development is concerned. “It is a great recompense for office,” lie said, “to see; the actual results being achieved in the vast territory, millions of acres of which only a few years ago were considered useless, but which experiment and practical experience have shown to be valuable for wheat growing and dairying.” Referring to the group settlement system Mr Troy' said that in the initial stages it was necessary for the Government to do everything to launch the scheme successfully. The initial difficulties had been great. “But- we will get through all right,” he added with a smile. He explained that approximately 2400 immigrants had been brought into West Australia and settled'on locations in groups up to twenty, working on a communal basis. For three months they received sustenance allowance of ten shillings a day, tins being treated as an advance to he charged against them later on. The land selected was in the south-western coastal belt, and dairying was. the objective. After the first three months the men were placed on. contract, woik for clearing, fencing, ploughing ana general development. The Government paid for everything, and if the ground had to be resown it was stall the Government that ha'd to foot the “We wore not too satisfied with the scheme,” said Mr Troy, “and when I took office about two years ago, with the consent of Cabinet T instituted reforms and was responsible for a complete change of procedure. The scheme was reconstituted entirely. We decoded not to create any additional groups but to consolidate and establish what had already been done. Before proceeding further the locations were visited and a thorough examination o the land was carried out. We foam that some selections were unsuitable and these were abandoned m the meantime and the farmers placed on bettei land,' which is being brought up to the same state of development by Government assistance as the land.jacated In other cases the locations were increased in size, and, generally speaking, every step was taken to make a success of what.had been undertaken.”

«\ow,” said the Minister, “we ar.e reaching a stage when the properties can be valued by a hoard set up foi the purpose and each settler placed on his own responsibility. The farmer so helped up to this stage can now go to the Agricultural Bank and receive an advance for improvements according to valuation, and the Government ceases to pay for all farming operations. We have brought the settler bj progressive stages up to a point where he lias experience and it is now necessary to allow him to see that his future success depends upon his own ininitiative and efforts.” . The whole scheme, according to air Troy, was carried out in conjunction with’the Empire Settlement Act, the Commonwealth Government being empowered to raise up to £34,000,000, a large portion of the interest being paid by the Commonwealth and the British Government, the interest rate on what West Australia borrows working out at about 2 per cent over a period of ten years. • ‘ Any money that has been lost under the group settlement scheme,” said Mr Troy, “has in my opinion, been due to the selection of poor country and the necessary experimental nature of the scheme, but that is all being rectified now. Tire land we have abandoned will all come in ° n ’ “V development that has ahem y *' v place has had a marked effect on the dairying industry. Our output of bivttor is rapidly increasing, and in a voi j short time not only will we be able to provide for our own requirements but we will be able to export our suiplus. In the course of a very few >£»* T anticipate that dairying will be a very prosperous industry m the southwest We have made mistakes, as were bound to do with a now scheme but wc are now reaping the benefit of our experience.’