RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 56, 4 November 1915, Page 3

RETURNED SOLDIERS.

MR C. P. DONNELLY’S OFFER. Per Press Association. j Wellington, October "27.

A suggestion and a generous oiler have been made by Mr G. P. Donnelly, of Hawke's Bay, in connection with the settlement ol' returned soldiers 011 the land. Writing to the Prime Minister, Mr Donnelly -suggests that the .present Land for .Settlement Act should be ■so amended as to allow; the creation of a Military Board, consisting of the Minister fob Lands, the Crown Land Commissioners, and five or six hide--pendent lauded proprietors. One d's-’ trict might extend from the Tauranga, Rotorua, arid Taupo districts/to the Manavvatu i Stream, thus including large areas whi«h at the present time are lying practically idle and unproductive. Mr ; Donnelly suggests the names of farmers who might serve on the'hoard, ajid the first stop- should be the establishment of a military depot. For this purpose some private hind might be'* purchased and'worked in conjunction with several largo blocks of Crown land in the Petanodistrict. The board would collect funds, and gifts of sheep, cattle, amt horses,, ami would arrange to have the., farms ready stocked and tit for oecu-. pation by men returning from the*', front. The soldiers would have tin/; opportunity then to become prosperous, settlers. The imperial Government had settled soldiers- on the land in the Auckland district alter the Maori wars, and the system had been highly successful. Similar work was most successfully carried out by Hon. J. DOrmond. When he was Superintendent of Hawkes Bay alf the hush lying between Takapau and Woodyille was cleared by the sc tilers, and they not only cleared their own lands, fenced them and grassed them, but also mad© their own roads and assisted lit building railways. Mr Donnelly said he thought h e was safe in saying that in both Islands a quarter of a million pounds would be subscribed for returned wounded soldiers, and he also felt certain idiat every farmer, runholder, merchant, and storekeeper wouldj help by giving something to go towards stocking, grassing, and fencing the farms, thus saving the Government from the necessity of imposing taxations. It his 'proposal were carried out, he would he prepared to give £IOOO cash and 1000 two and four-tooth ewes (when required), 15 rams, 50 two-year-old heifers, 1 Shorthorn or Polled Angus bull, 1 thoroughbred stallion, and 5 mares, besides fowls and about £SO worth of station stores. In order to carry out this scheme it would be necessary, said Mi Don nelly, to have good storage room arranged for in all the principal centres of both Islands, in charge of an officer and staff, to Receive all goods, and military camp’depots to have a similar staff,'to ifeceive, all stockjwhen required. He; would suggest that the area of land to be given to each individual should be in accordance with his rank,; viz., privates, an area when fenced mid grassed to carry 1 breeding ewes; non-coms., an area when fenced and grassed to carry -

breeding ewes; lieutenants, an an-' wheir fenced and grassed to carry UJL breeding ewes; captains, an area .vhenfenced and grassed to carry 1»00 breeding ewes; colonels, an area when fenced and grassed to carry I ' uu breeding ewes; generals, an area when' fenced and grassed to carry 2000 breeding ewes. , The majority of the land would >e second and third-class, and lie also recommend that the ballot ,e done away with, and every section drawn for to ensure every man getting a block.