SETTLEMENT OF EXSOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1918, Page 6

SETTLEMENT OF EXSOLDIERS.

NEARLY 4, MILLION EXPENDED. |

(By Wire—Special to News) 1

Wellington, Friday. |g Almost a million sterling lias been S spent on .the acquisition of properties for S tile settlement of discharged soldiers. The w Minister for Lands (the Hon. Guthrie) | has had a table- prepared giving details | of all purchase.-. "'The experience up jjjj to the present has been fairly satisfac- g tory- 1 iui»ht say it is good. It ex- 1 oeeds m y expectation,*," remarked the | Minister. "One fact which had Co be | faced was that there was a desire on K the part of soldiers 'to form settlements | of their own instead of merging into the '| general community. Tlie 1 otal amounts jj spent in the various districts were: — 3 Auckland £372,771; Hawkc-s Bay, £7S, : $ 263; Taranaki, £39,744; Wellington, | £•280,493; Marlborough, £30,530; Nel- | son, £355; Canterbury .£.165,033; Otago. | £45,290; Southland, £20,051; a total 1 of £941,'550. The particulars- of pro- | perties in the Taranaki districts are as $ follow: —Tututawa, purchased from A. Ij. | Perry, 7'iS acres, £8744. Three hold- I ings of 731 acres were selected of first | class dairying and' mixed farming. , The $ prospects of success were fair. Two | selections were forfeited for non-fulfil- | ment' of conditions, two forfeited lots f were just reselected, the settler doubt- | fill. The Parkes settlement was pur- | chased ffom H. and G. Parkes—397 j* acres, £13,000., Seven sections of first- | class dairying; good prospects; no for- jj feitures; six selectors shaping well; one i doubtful. Brayden settlement purchased | from A. J. Huston, 040 acifes, £IO,OOO. jjj Six holdings selected, 550 acres, the un- p selected S2 acres, first-class dairying; jj shonid he successful. B

Mr Guthrie stated the need of training on an instructional farm for the benefit of returned soldiers who lacked experience of land had been recommended by him three years ago in Parliament, •lie was certain it would be a wise step. provided tho soldiers themselves would accept it. "Unfortunately," he said, "our experience in this matter has been most discouraging. We set aside a very .suitable block of land of 1200 acres in 'the Canterbury district for an instructional farm. The Canterbury Patriotic Society undertook the expenses of management. The society's chairman was vary enthusiastic ..about the enterprise. The understanding was when the farm was no longer Tequired foT training purposes it would revert to the Government and would he available for settlement by returned soldiers. Our experience has proved that soldiers are not prepared to go on the farm and accept the privilege of training under a good manager. After that experience nothing further has been done, but by thai, I do not mean to say it might not ibe found necessary to make another attempt, probably in another locality. It takes all sorts to make a world''