C—9a

10

As a matter of fact as much as £2 2s. 6d. has been taken off'a ewe and her lamb round about Hastings this season where proper farming has been carried out, and this where three or four ewes to the acre have been carried. Prices in Wairoa and Gisborne districts for mutton and lamb seem to run about Jd. per pound less than hereabouts. Beef is now worth £1 per hundred for ox, which price should make a four-year-old bullock worth breeding. Now, if we take such places as Porangahau, the greater part of " Crownthorpe " and vicinity, " Ardken," " Hurakea," and similar places, capable of carrying one and a half to two wet ewes, as well as dry sheep, and a breeding-cow, or its equivalent, to about 7 acres, it will be seen that there is not much to complain about, under normal circumstances. Some one may say the estimate is too high, remembering the slump year; but as we propose to practically cut that year out it need not be taken into consideratiorf. Now, with regard to future prospects for sheep-farmers, they are of the very brightest, for the simple reason that there are less sheep in the world to-day by scores of millions than there were twenty-five years ago. The Argentine alone is running less sheep by thirty millions than it did at that period. Australia has less sheep than five years ago by many millions ; New Zealand has about four millions less ; the United States of America is unable to produce enough mutton and wool for its own consumption ; and so on the world over. According to a statement issued by the Department of Commerce, Washington, recently, there is also a very serious shortage of cotton, this commodity having jumped recently on the New York Cotton Exchange by 4 dollars a bale, with every prospect of a, further rise. Another pointed fact is that there are practically no reserves of fine wool in the world, indicating that the medium and cross-bred wool which we produce in New Zealand must rise in value considerably ; indeed, the rise is here, and must continue. Tn face of all these facts, is there any reason for pessimism in so far as the " returned soldier on the land "is concerned ? We think not; but, on the contrary, we have every reason for the greatest optimism, if given the chance we suggest. Blackberry Menace. —This is undoubtedly the most serious problem the Dominion has to cope with on the noxious weeds schedule, and one that will have to be dealt with sooner or later as a national proposition. We suggest that the best method with regard to soldier settlers is for the Government to subsidize them £1 for £1 on what is spent on eradication under the contract system. Government to set out an area each year on sections infested, call for tenders to cut or grub ; owners to have right to tender ; the work to be done to the satisfaction of Supervisor or Ranger, or some some other practical appointee of Lands Department. We do not think it wise to remit rent on account of blackberry, because no more clearing would be done than at present, but it might be an inducement to put in extra effort if they knew they would get a proportion of their rent back by way of subsidy. If some such suggestion as this is not followed up, we fear that it is only a question of time when some of the men are pushed right off part of Pakaratahi, Kaiwaka, and other places where blackberry has a serious hold. In our opinion the Government are to be congratulated on the selections made by their Land Purchase Boards, who seem to have been most careful to select the best they could get of what was offering in this district. It. is apparent to any one who takes time to observe and think that where land was taken up in poor localities they have been careful to select the best of it, and where possible to cut it up, so as to include a proportion of good with the bad. In a few cases it has not been possible to do this. The access to some settlements and individual farms is very bad, and if there are many unemployed seeking work from the State, many of them could be usefully and efficiently employed on these tracks. Taranaki Land District. We find that almost all the troubles of the soldier settlers are attributable to the slump in stock and produce, following the inflated values ruling when the settlement, scheme was launched. Valuations. —We find that every precaution was taken in the appointment by the Government of men as valuers who had great experience as farmers, and who were accepted and appointed valuers by banks and investors lending money on the security of land. 'That mistakes were made in some cases is proved, but in almost all instances the Department purchased under the selling-prices then ruling, and vendors in many cases accepted and soldiers gave second mortgages for the balance over the price paid by the Department. In the cases of land which was purchased in excess of its value no suggestion of anything corrupt can be sustained : an honest error of judgment was made by men whose interest in the welfare of the returned soldiers was undoubted. The men on almost all the special settlements are in difficulties, and we have submitted a report on each settlement. In the majority of cases the soldiers have 'hung on in the hope of better times, and a balance-sheet of their business shows that a great-many of them had only a poor living off their farms during the slump. With few exceptions the soldiers will make good settlers, and the percentage of failures will not be greater than those recorded in the past history of land-settlement, when the abnormal times are taken into consideration. That heavy losses will have to be faced by the Department is certain, but this is also the experience of stock and station agents and all institutions making advances on the security of land and stock.