LAND BOARD ELECTION.

Southland Times, Issue 18842, 7 June 1920, Page 2

LAND BOARD ELECTION.

To the Editor. Sir, —In your leading article of May 25 you refer to Mr Hargest as the candidate that should be elected to the Land Board as member for the Crown tenants. No doubt Mr Hargest is a very suitable man and it is very desirable that the returned soldiers should be represented on the Board, but in the opinion of a number of those interested in the forthcoming election their member should be appointed by the Government as a matter of right. The present vacancy should be filled by a member elected by the Crown tenants, who would naturally represent and be in sympathy with returned soldiers occupying Crown lands. In this way there would be two members on the Board with the interests of the returned men at heart, one appointed by the Government and the other elected by the Crown tenants, which would give more equal representation than at present exists. Judging by the number of candidates who have all been promised support if they would contest the present election the Crown tenants apparently would like a change, whether this is the general opinion or not the poll will decide. Personally I am not in favour of placing returned men in the bush or on high-priced lands. I advocate putting them on Crown lands, giving them blocks large enough to carry 1000 sheep, the Government to assist them in fencing and erecting small homesteads on each block. My experience of returned men is that 25 per cent, of them are ruined in health and are not fit for hard work. I am sure that these men should get a chance of making a good and easy living and if this was assured I feel confident they would not mind going into the back-blocks. It would be far better for the Government to settle and bring in the back country than to put returned men on dear farms, which require practical farmers to work them. In the time of depression, the returned soldier (who has very little capital) who is farming on dear land will have a very hard time of it, but settling them on cheap Crown lands, by draining the swamps, surface sowing and keeping the rabbits down, these men would come out all right. Quite a number of farmers with this class of land in my district are doing extremely well and are getting better prices for their stock than those on high-priced lands. I am also in favour of opening up bush lands in small blocks of 250 to 300 acres, giving intending settlers (especially married men) every assistance to take up this class of country, letting them have the land as cheaply as possible so as to get the country settled.—l am, etc., J. CARNEGY GARDNER. Clifdcn, June 5.