C—9a.

15

We also consider that there is not enough time spent by Rangers when visiting settlers : owing no doubt to the vast amount of work that the Rangers have to do, they can spare, only a limited amount of time at each place. Rangers, to gain the confidence of the settlers, must spend time and enter into and discuss their difficulties thoroughly. If this is done we consider better results would be shown. Dairy Herds. —We desire to make a few remarks in connection with the dairy herds we visited in the Marlborough District. The majority of the soldier settlers on dairy-farms are not doing as well as they should do. The results given by these herds are very unsatisfactory, and although the majority of the cows are looking well we found them with a low test, and the amount of butterfat was very disappointing. Something must be done in the direction of improving the herds, and one noticeable feature is the lack of good bulls. Fully one-half of the cows that are being milked should be cast out and replaced. These remarks more particularly refer to the dairy-farms in the Flat Creek, Opouri, Carluke, and f;he Sounds districts. Inventory of Live and Dead Stock. —We desire to report that in two instances —those; of Anderson, of Flat Creek, and Rogers, of Opouri Valley —the inventory of the live and doad stock as given, to these settlers was not handed over at the time of taking possession. The two places had been vacated by G. Billingsley and. Dryden respectively, and, judging by the statements of Anderson and Rogers, and other evidence in the districts, these settlers did not have a fair ileal, having to be content with less than they were led to believe was on their places. We do not exonerate the settlers altogether, as they should have insisted on a proper inspection and taken delivery of what was there, and had allowances made for stock and implements, &c, not handed over. Wo consider that more care should be taken in these matters. General. —We have found in many cases, where the high prices given for farms have been where relations have sold to relations, and who have got away with the cash, these people arc the ones who have benefited by the boom prices and the efforts of the Government to assist discharged soldiers, and not the soldiers themselves. We desire to recommend, if at any time a property falls back into the Government's hands, that preference should be given to discharged soldiers. This we mean to apply to good places ; but there are other properties which we would recommend be thrown open to the public—the question of which to be so treated to be decided by the Land Board. In conclusion, we desire to congratulate the Government, together with the Head Office and the Marlborough Land Board, on the amount of patience and consideration displayed with the everlasting trouble that confronted them during the period of the slump and subsequently. We believe that with average prices for all primary products the settler will do well, although economy must, be their password. We have endeavoured to be quite candid in our remarks, and have gone into each and every case very carefully, and have come to the decision with a fair mind both to the Government and the settler. We also desire to thank the Commissioner of Crown Lands, the Chief Clerk, and the staff for the consideration and help afforded us during our work. Nelson Land District. We visited and inspected 371 farms. In general the position of the settlers is not the best. In our opinion, after a very exhaustive inspection, the greater portion of the properties on which the returned men have been placed is of poor quality. It would appear that property-owners in many instances who sold to the soldier settlers retained the best of the land for themselves, and disposed of the poorer parts. In other cases, where this did not occur, the quality of the land at its best was only second class and of low productive value. As is shown by the percentage of successful men, hereinafter appearing, those who were fortunate enough to secure good places with good quality of country are, considering all things, rather few. No fault can, in general, bo found with the type of settlers, they for the most part being hardworking and industrious ; and it is no fault of theirs, on the average, that things have not turned out successfully. Of course there are a few exceptions, some being found who have dono practically no work on their places, owing in the small minority of cases to dilatory habits, but in the greater number of cases to war disabilities, they being quite unfitted for the arduous work of making profitable farms out of rough holdings. Then, again, it is perfectly obvious, as will appear later in our report, that the original valuations were for the most part far in excess of the, real value of the land, and even if markets had kept up to pre-war standard, in a great many cases it would have been impossible for the men to have paid their way and made anything approaching a decent living. It follows, therefore, that as the markets collapsed, and, as we have said, the general productiveness of tho land being low, the settlers were faced with the impossible task of paying too large an amount in interest and instalments out of a minimum of revenue. The whole of the money received had to be paid out in meeting or endeavouring to meet these payments, and left nothing available for building up flocks and improving the properties, which have consequently gone steadily back. We shall deal later with the position of those settlers whom we have classed as " temporary failures," but we may say that, in our opinion, notwithstanding the difficulties they have had to contend with in the past, and will have in future to contend with, they will eventually, with judicious assistance, make good, allowing, of course, that markets have reached bed-rock and will improve from now on. In regard to those we have classed as " permanent failures " a very difficult position arises. They are, of course, those who have got into what is well-nigh a hopeless position, but even in some of these cases it is hard to say that they will not eventually come out all right. It is a matter that will have to be given the most profound consideration before any really drastic step is taken, such as taking their places away from them.