CHILIAN LAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 28, 23 June 1914, Page 3

CHILIAN LAND.

NEW ZEALANDERS - SETTLEMENT BEING FORMED.

Messrs l'\ J. Stratford and G. A. Hurley advertise ill another column that they will be in the South Taranaki district to give particulars of a scheme under which individuals are being asked t» join with others in sending delegates to Chili to inspect 14,250 acres of partly improved dairying, grazing and wheatgrowing land offered at £2 per acre. Mr. Stratford is a New Zealander well known, as a sawmiller, and for the last three and a-half years has been living in Chili. He desires to get about a dozen men with some capital and a good knowledge of dairying or general farming to buy and work the land. He says that this land is rolling downs equal to Palmerston North land in quality, but not quite so level, and nearly all capable of being ploughed. He has photos, maps'' and consular reports to show those interested. ■Referring to more general features, Mr. Stratford points out that Chili stretches in a narrow strip from the torrid zone to Patagonia, in all 3000 miles, embracing every kind of climate and soil. It has good laws, and is the best-governed of the South American republics. The, country is peaceful and self-respecting, and life is just as safe as in this Dominion. Education is free and compulsory. There are free practical schools of agriculture in seven cities, seventeen industrial schools covering all lines of industry, and 2200 primary schools with 4729 teachers and 172,000 pupils, one university, and 15 normal schools. There is a military academy, also four military schools. The university has faculties for law, political science, medicines dentistry, physics and mathematics. The Catholic University takes law, civil, engineering, architecture and agriculture, whilst there is also a National Conservatory of Music, School of Tine Arts, National Observatory, Institute for Deaf and Dumb, and a School for the Blind, public libraries, National Museum, Fine Arts Museum, and Natural History Museum. There are about 400 papers and periodicals, some of which are, modern and have excellent telegraphic news. They are mostly in Spanish. There are several good papers published in the English language, and inland postage of papers is free. Labor is performed by Indians and Chilians at about a third it coSts here, and it is excellent for most purposes. The northern portion of Chili is mineral, whilst the central and southern parts contain lands varying from rich irrigated lands in the north to the poor and frozen sheep lands of Patagonia. In between these there is a district about 400 by 100 miles of the richest agricultural and pastoral downs, and most of it capable of growing everything produced in any part of New Zealand. j Mr. Stratford claims that Chili very easily leads the South Ainercian republics in its government and laws. Land titles are freehold. Bcvenuc is raised principally through the Customs. The people .are happy and contented. The climate of the Valdivia province is almost a counterpart of that of the Wellington-Hawkc's Bay districts. It has about eight months of fairly dine to hot weather, and four months of wet wintry weather, during which toe the roads are very muddy and blocked for cart traffic. ' Cartage is carried on over the excellent umnctalled summer roads. For a distance of about ten miles each side of the railways wheat is grown and harvested Avi't.h the most modern machinery, but oil the smaller farms it is frequently sown in 'the ashes after a burn and harvested with a sickle. The bush is similar to ours, without undergrowth. You may Tide through it by cutting an occasional branch. .Apples are cultivated by everyone for cider, *nd grapes are grown worywhoro. They niav In; bought for a penny per pound. There arc 259,000 acres devoted to vines and orchards! Cocksfoot and'rye grass, vyhieh grown in luxuriance, can be sold at good prices in local markets. Butter imported in tiijs from THuropc or locally made by hand sells up to Is tid in the summer and 3s in tbe winter, and finds an unsatisfied markot. A gentleman in Hastings who recently returned from Chili stated a *ew days ago that he had paid 2s Gd a pound during his six years' residence the,re. Stock is dear. Uhe Government has largely assisted in the importation of liigh-priced Shorthorns from England, and the herds are quickly improving. Most cattle from outside come over the Andes from the Argentine. There is a fine chance for a breeder of high-class cattle and sheep:. 450,000 catj tic are slaughtered annually.