SOLDIER SETTLEMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 August 1919, Page 5

SOLDIER SETTLEMENT.

H.S.A. SCHEME TO BE GIVES A TRIAL. COMPREHENSIVE PROPOSALS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The general secretary has sent the following letter to the Minister for Lands:— "With reference to our interview with you, when you so kindly offered us 40,000 acres of good bush land under the scheme we submitted, this association heartily thank you for the offer. We arc now.taking steps to inspect this land and report on its suitability foi such settlement. As was suggested, we attach a general scheme of settlement which we prcposo should bo put into force. This, of course, would be subject to any alterations which would make for the improvement of such settlement If our scheme is approved by you and the land you mention proves to be unsuitable we would be glad if you would allocate another block. We should be also glad if the Government would allocate some blocks of unimproved swamp land, which could be broken up into about 100 sections, for dairying, tfnd this association will undertake to provide men for its settlement under similar conditions, especially providing for the man with no experience who wishes to go on the land. I would point out that such a scheme offers the following advantages: (1) It settles men in groups of comrades; (2) it allows a man without capital or knowledge pf farming to take up land; (3) it brings in land now unproductive; (4) it Li an efficient means of training men who have no knowledge of the work on their own farms; (5) it is ono of the soundest methods of repatriating men who on return found their places in (he towns filled by women; (fi) it is cheaper for the Government to advance money to break in unimproved land than to pay high prices, including the unearned increment created by winning the war, for land in a hifiii slate of production; (7) the soldier will have the unearned increment, if any, instead of innd speculators; (S) it 'will tend to steady land values; (B) there is no better way of settling soldiers than to pla.ee them on land they have fought for and provide for their financing and training; (10) we believe such a scheme to- be financially sound, and that it is in the best interests of the country generally to upset as little as possible the readjustment in employment which has taken place during the war by providing returned men with land "that, by their labors, they may increase our products and enrich our country." Draft proposals for settling a suitable block of, say, 40,000 acres of Native innd by returned soldiers include: (1) Tenure to be optional, with right of purchase; (2) the Government to survey the block into 40 sections, with a reserve of approximately 50 acres, suitably situated, for a centro comprising store, dairy factory, school, hall, etc.; (3) the Returned Soldiers' Association to select and recommend to the Land Board 40 return, ed soldiers, 10 with experience in bushH£' dair s rin K- and sht op fanning and .10 who need have no such experience; it will not..be .necessary, .that any have capital: (4) all settlers to be of suitable age, pHysically'flt.and willing to fulfil the conditions of settlement; (5) the Government to provide the necessary capital for foiling, burning, and grossin? and fencing 100 acres on each holding, also the amount necessary for buildings and implements required, the price of the land and the cost of these items, together with the cost of roading, if any usually loaded on such settlements to be proportionately loaded on to each section, but to he free, of interest fori Ave years and thereafter charged for at usual rate of interest and sinking fund; (0) roading and all other work to be done jointly by the settlers at ordinary contract rates prevailing in the district so far as is possible the whole of the arrangemeht of the work and method of carrying it out to be left to the soldiers comprising the settlement for their mutual decision; (7) if possible, those selected for settlement to comprise a portion of carpenters, painters, and plumbers, whose services would be available for the construction of all buildings, etc., but such in no way to interfere, with their instruction in duties of faming; (8) if block contains paying milling timber arrangements to bo made jointly with settlers for its milling and disposal; (9) instruction in farming: One of the 10 er.'perienced men to be selected on account of his experience and general knowledge to be superintendent of the settlement until the work of roading, fencing, falling, burning, and grassing, and instructing are carried out, to be responsible to the Lands Department for the proper carrying out of the work, to have the nine other experienced men as assistants, and to be responsible for a class of instruction of one hour's duration oach evening, whenever such is practicable, and for similar profitable employment during wet days; (10) system of balloting 10 sections to be selected, which are evenly distributed throughout the block and to bo ballotod for among the 10 experienced men, the other 30 to bo balloted for among the inoxpenenced men; this is to ensure that the experienced men, are distributed amongst the others and immediately available for help and advice; (11)' settlers to aecide what joint measures they can take in the interest of settlement "in the way of the transport, supplies, and buving of seed. ■■ -,TS TARANAKI '• ; ' ' HEAVY LIST DEALT WITH. At a special meeting of the Taranaki Land Board, this week, extending over ihrec days, .a heavy list of, soldiers' applications for land, qtc, were considered, and in several eases, as a result of conferences of the board and the parties concerned, the prices asked were reduced, more or less to the benefit of (he incoming soldier. There were considered 114 applications for financial assistance from discharged soldiers, and loans totalling .£116,635 were recommended for the approval of the Minister of Lands. Thirty-eight applications for financial assistance to purchase farms, totalling £88,031, were recommended for favorable consideration by, the Minister. One application was left in the hands of the Commissioner. Seventeen applications were refused, mostly on account of the high prices asked, and 11 applications were deferred for further information or valuations. Twenty-nine applications for financral assistance to purchase house properties, totalling £18,300, wore recommended. Ono application was refused, and two applications were deferred for valuations. Six applications for financial assistance to build houses, totalling £4,450, were considered, and nine applications for financial assistance to purchase stock, !