FARM SETTLEMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 58, 26 July 1912, Page 8

FARM SETTLEMENTS

SCHEME EXPLAINED. Ohristchurch, July 22. At the recent conference of the Agricultural and Pastoral Societies of Canterbury the housing of farm workers was under discussion, and Mr. M. Murphy, ex-secretary of the Canterbury A. and P. Association, ventilated some advanced views upon the subject. In the course of an interview with Mr. Murphy a Press reporter to-day obtained some further particulars of the suggested scheme that are of interest at the present time, when Labor matters in the country are in such a precarious condition.

"I think," said Mr. Murphy, "the scheme is capable of greater expansion than is apparent at first sight, Blocks of good land should be secured, to be iubdivided into Jots of not more than three nere». If of greater extent than this I think it would kill the idea of laborers' homes. Such blocks should be situated in the larger farming districts, the section* to be sold or let on lon§ leases with a purchasing clause, extending over lengthened periods. Annual payments would be made providing for a sinking fund, which would in time secure 'th» freehold to the occupiers. Should an occupier desire to retire from the scheme he should be allowed to sell his improvements only.

"The settlements should be laid out with a view to becoming rural centres, providing ample spaces such as commons where the young people would find room and encouragement to induge in games. Schools would be provided if not already within reach, and an instructor could be appointed to instruct the occupiers regarding the growing of fruit and vegetables. As to the best system of working their sections lectures could be given during the long winter evenings. A rea-ding-room could be provided with papers and periodicals, and occasional entertainments might be given in the same building.

"If the workers and their families are ever to be reconciled to living away from the large towns, they must have at least some of the attractions of a city life. Boys and girls reared in the country under pleasant social conditions would grow up into mefj and women preferring a country life to any other. "The cost of living would be about one-half that experienced in the towns, and the system would be a kind of training ground, fitting the thrifty ones for taking up larger holdings. While it is admitted that the majority of farmers' provide comfortable accommodation for their unmarried 'handa, it is always so in the case of married men with families. It is certain many employers would be pleased to be freed from the responsibility of providing continuous housing for large numbers of laborers.

"The demand for farm labor is not like that in workshops —continuous—■ for at certain seasons of the year the demand is much greater than during the rdsit of the year. The owners of the suggested sections would be very glad at such times to have the opportunity of making a cheque, which would enable them to meet their liabilities to the Government and other creditors.

"My scheme may bo rather Utopian, but we cannot get away from.the fact that great (hanges are rapidly coming over the industrial world. The farming industry of New Zealand is threatened with stagnation for want of suitable and sympathetic labor. To my mind one of the greatest problems we have to tackle is how to attract a rural population. I may be reminded that village settlements were started some years ago and have not proved satisfactory. My reply is to ask how the scheme an instituted could fail to be a miserable failure? Take the village settlement at Dromore, for instance, The. unfortunate settlers wen: allotted about twenty acre* each of miserably poor land, a few inches of soil on shingle. They were unable to grow vegetables or anything else, and had to send elsewhere for what (heir land should have supplied. They did not have a chance, and the best thing we can do is to draw a veil over that failure, and begin again de novo."