The Daily News. THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1919. SOLDIER SETTLEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 April 1919, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1919. SOLDIER SETTLEMENTS.

The question of the advisability or otherwise of forming settlements of returned soldiers in New Zealand has been discussed for some time, the arguments for and against being fairly well divided. "When the subject is viewed from a theoretical point of view it presents many attractions, and were

it not for the fear of the invariable black sheep there is no doubt tha the scheme would be favorably en tertained. There is an adaptive ness and resourcefulness abou New Zealanders that was promin ently in evidence during the wa: operations, so that we may take i for granted that under prope; guidance and supervision, couplec with the requisite financial assist ance, many of our returned sol diers who have.had no experience sn the land would become prosper ous settlers in the course of time if enabled to acquire suitable lan< and transport services. The de mand is insistent for greater pro iu'ction, that being the main mean for coping with the economic pres sure consequent on the war. Th< advantages to be gained by thi formation of soldier settlement! may possibly be illustrated by re ference to a scheme that has beei ?volved in Canada for the estab lishment of a co-operative com naunity farm settlement in Britisl Columbia. The idea is for thret lundred soldiers, representative o: almost every trade, and including skilled farmers and teachers, t< obtain a block of land, in the frui region of Okanagan Valley, when semi-tropical summers are experi enced, on a collective loan fron the Government, to be adminis tered by a trust committee fo; community improvements, as wel as for equipping each farm. Thej ask for the land to be cleared a brush; also a sufficient amount o: free range for grazing, and ai abundant water supply. The com inittee proposes that" instead of ad vancing £SOO to each man to pa: for stock and improvements, thi Government should provide thi community with an equivalep sum, to be administered by a trus committee, with proper safeguard; and securities that each individua would get his share, arid be indi vidually responsible for repay ment. The scheme contemplate; individual land ownership, but i community purchase of supplies jommunity lumber mills, and othei plant. It is agreed that each o: the soldier-settlers will work foi the benefit of the community inder experienced supervision mtil all the necessary improve ments have been made and eacl individual farm placed on a pro luting basis. One of the manifest advantages of this project is thai t constitutes a self-contained com. aunity, so far as work goes, anc ;herefore gives employment tc irtisans as well as farmers, and as :he returned soldiers include al: sorts of men there is a greatei cope for production. For the first nonth or two, while the soldiei carpenters are putting up tht louses, the men will lead a camr ife, and it is expected that in sis months all the houses will b< jrected. There are a good num !>er of expert farmers among th< soldier-settlers, and these men inder the supervision of an experi sriced foreman, will plough, culti vate, _ plant, seed and crop, etc. sufficient land for the first year': requirements of the community They propose to plant, in bulk, foi the first season, all the necessarj :rops required for the community auch as wheat, corn, onions, par mips, cabbage, tomatoes, etc., an< my surplus crops from this sea son's cultivation will he held foi :he benefit of the community ii general. A sufficient number o implements, such as tractors ploughs, cultivators, and seeders ffill be purchased to carry on thi: :art of the work. As the soldier: iccome settled on their farms thi nore advanced stages of co-oper ition will be brought into opera :ion, for providing a centra n-eamery, packing plant, refriger itors, shipping facilities, purchas ng and selling organisations. Ap ;arently it is a .jommon-sense practical proposal that is capabl if producing satisfactory results iDd the attention of the New Zea and authorities might well be de. rated to some such scheme here, We know what co-operation has lone for the dairying industry, md there is no reason why it iliould not do equally good ser]ce when applied td soldier settlenent. With proper safeguards it hould attain success. Canada is sertainly moving along the right mes in providing land for solliers, apart from the co-operative Am, as well as in the direction of inancial assistance.