OVERSEAS SETTLEMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 November 1920, Page 12 (Supplement)

OVERSEAS SETTLEMENT.

MR. C, TURXOR'S TOUR. IMPRESSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. Loudon, 2(ilh Aug. In a report to the Royal Colonial Institute on Lund Settlement for ox-ser-vice men in the overseas Dominions, Mr. C. Turnor considers that noV, more than ever before, it is of Imperial importance that every man placed on the land should become an elVective producer of food with the least possible delay. Healing with the strategic side of emigration, he remarks that all the Dominions stand in need of population, but it does not require a. lengthy study of the problem to come to the definite conclusion that it is Australia that stands in the supreme need of increasing its population. "We have only a limited white population within our cast Empire; it must be carefully husbanded, and above all oh'orts must be made to check emigration to foreign countries. We cannot in the present acute crisis afford to lose a single citizen. Unfortunately and regrettably, the advances for establishing the e.vscrvicc men upon home land arc much less generous than the provisions made hy the oversea Governments.

NEED OP CENTRAL AUTHORITY. Mr, Tumor regards the question of the relation of the Imperial Government to the overseas Governments in the matter of settlement as one of great importance. He states that it is essential tor the Imperial Government itself to take the initiative in organising a settlement policy. This country is parting with man-power, its greatest asset—transferring it to other parts of the Empire. The Imperial Government will have to provide large loans if ell'eclive settlement on a large scale is to be achieved. Therefore the Imperial Government has an indisputable right to guide population into those parts of the Empire which, from the strategic point of view, stand in greatest need of population: and, further, it is its clear duty to see that the population so guided is settled under the best, and most scientific conditions that can be devised. It would now be for the Home -Migration Authority to influence the intending emigrant in the right direction; in many cases they have no definite idea of the part of* the Empire they wish to settle in Sound arlvice would be welcomed and would be' sullicient to turn the scale; it would in no way lie a case 'of using I "undue influence."

THREE STAGES. "The first stop mu»f be the creation of a central and Imperial migration authority, with requisite power to deal with this great problem as a whole. "Tlie second step is for the Imperial fiovcnimonl. through the medium of the ahove authority, to enter into close consultation with the (lie overseas fioveniments in regard to migration. Time is pacing, yet comparatively little has been done in this direction. '

"The third step should he. (he appointment of Imperial land settlement representatives in each Dominion." IMPRESSIONS OF NEW ZEALAND. Mr. Ttirnor describes New Zeafand as perhaps, the most ideal country in the world for agriculture. "No one who lias not visited New Zealand can begin to underbuild the ideal agricultural conditions that exist there One lias altnust to come to Die conclusion that the land of New Zealand must lie outside (he 'cursed area.' 'By the sweat of thy brow.' etc., cannot be applied to the New Zealand dairy farmer

• Personally, in no country outside of Dennjark have ] been so much impressed with (he high state of organisation of the business side of agriculture The climate is so favourable that in the Xorth Island grass provides winter as well as summer keep, and nowhere is (lie farmer called upon to provide elaborate buildings to shelter his stock in winter. A small amount of supplementary hay and roots is all that is e.-.-ential On 301) acres of hill country the experienced sheepman can make a. good living in the I-lawkes Bay country, where even the poorer classes of grassland will 1 carry a sheep and a half to the acre; this area one man can look after practically without resort to outside labour. At the present high rate of prices lie can make a very good income, and he lias a considerable 'margin safety' i.e.. to allow for a considerable fall in prices. Each ewe, including sale of lamb and wool, brings in a protit of 30s. On all this class of land a certain number of cattle are run as well as sheep; their function is to eat down the coarser grasses and to keep the farm in good condition for sheep. "Of course, in New Zealand, as everywhere else, the farmer bas to face adversities; in the hill country in the South Island a late snow will cause serious loss in the fioek; and an extra dry summer in the Hawkes Bay district may dangerously reduce the amount of 'keep.' But for all that the adversities with which the New Zealand farmer lias to eope are fewer in form than in most other countries."

WAITINGS. There is one danger tliat will have to lie guarded against. In the case of the dried milk and casein factories the farmer gets no returned skimmed milk, and is tempted to send in all his milk and to retain an insi>llicicnt amount for his yoiiii" slock, which sillier in consequence; and the quality of the live stock will lie adversely all'ecfed if precautionary measures are not taken. NEW ZEALAND'S (IKKATEST ASSET. '"lood land and iiiediuin land litive now reached prices that, may he fairly termed exorbitant." says Mr. Tumor. "In fact, all hind is iniieh dearer than it is in the I'niLeil Kinc'dom—-this in .spile of tin- thousands of miles of transport before New Zealand produce can reach the world markets. There is no doubt that the present prices are abnormal, and therefore dangerous. I.aml is by far .New Zealand's greatest asset, and when its price becomes, abnormal the inevitable slum)) must follow sooner or later, to cause financial disaster to many, and to delay the nation's progress it may be for many years. These high prices are particularly disastrous at (lie present moment when flic (iocerumiut. has to buy large areas of, land for I lie returned soldier—every day it becomes harder to buy land at a price compatible with the economic success of the settlement or settler." THiP MISCHIEVOUS AdMXT. The spirit of speculation is rife in the land. Mr. Tumor is convinced that this more than any other factor has caused the rapid increase in land prices. "Few qeopls in New Zealand seem to have