"The Digger."

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 27, 17 September 1920, Page 8

"The Digger."

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER .17, 1920. LAND. We have frequently referred to the practice of placing men on land of poor quaiity and which has been bought at a high price. Several -cases of thfs sort have been brought into prominence lately, and the Clifton Settlement is one of special interest owing to its close proximity to our own surroundings. The settlers on this land have now proved that they are unable to make any headway under the present eonditions. This, land, was bought, for £10 per acre and cut up into twentyTnree sectionsr . During a period of three years, only ten of |he seetions were taken up and the ba.lance of the land is standing idle. An investigation committee visited the settlers and found that they were a good class- of farmer, but considered that the area* allocated to each settler was too sinall owing to the poor quality of the land. The settlers themselves have asked for a reduction in the .rent. After many months of agitation, in which this journal played its part, a Special Committee has visited' the Settlement, "and 'practically re. commends an increase in the area of the farms. This is an admission that the claims of the settlers were just, and that the Government had placed men on land which was so poor that it could.not pro- • duce a suflicient margin, after rent, etc, had been paid. The land was sold to the settlers at £.11 per acre, and its present value is £8 10s per acre. It is stated that many of the men left the property, and left all they possessed for the succeeding tenant. Another estate is the Tiraumea, which is stated to be poor, onesheep country. At the present time the settlers are clamouring for redress. The area is 10,130 acres and was bought at ihe end of 1916 for £81,000, It was rated in the Eketahuna rate-book at £19,050, and its capital value was £44,000; therefore the Government paid £37,000 mora than the capital value of the land. Then the unim proved value was put up and the

soldier pays taxation on £38,000 or 100 per cent. more than the large landowner paid. At the same time, four large e'states adjoining this property have been increased 36 per cent. The owners of this estate paid 2d in the £ on £19,000 ; at the present time the soldiers are calied upon to pay 3 3-16d on £38,000. The farmer owner paid £158 in rates and the present soldier tenants pay £600. Another case is one in which the unimproved value of the place was £3,658 and the soldiers were placed on it at £14,000, In Taranaki a speculator bought land at £30 per acre. The. own er was an independent man and was not anxious to sell, so put a high price on it. This land was afterwards sold to returned soldiers at £45 per acre. The former- owner declared that he was making more money out of it with the interest on the money than he could get out of it by farming. So it will be readily seen that "all is not gold that glitters" as far as the ' Government' s land tpolicy is concerned. The speculating parasite is a menace and decidedly unpatriotic. The soldier maintained land values at the risk of life, and arrives home .again to pay war iriflated values, and • in many cases to struggle along on land which is not reasonably good.