"LINKWATER DALE."

SUBDIVISION FOR SOLDIER

SETTLEMENT

CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT

METHODS

A correspondent writes at some length 'regarding the "Linkwater Dale-" frcttlomcnt which will be made available for soldiers at a ballot on September 9th. This property is situated at Mahakipawu. and was acquired from. Mrs Gregg somo time ago. The letter is as follows; "'fc would like to point out that- "the delay in bringing for.yard this land iov settlement will throw a heavy buy* den (for the first year especially) on the Successful soldier applicants. The reason is plain- On ■or about that date tlvo local factory will be commenoing operations. But the soldigi* fottlqr vtust waiifcx weeks, mayW months, before he will be in a posi- . tion to place his niilk cans in liis^. cart ana drive off- to the factory. And yet all this time—from the day . ho draws the section—lie is paying rent, with not one penny coming in. Another consideration is the outlay that is necessary before he will be ablo to commence operations• In the first plaoa Itidst of the; sections require fencing; the boundaries will require to be fenced 'off, and there is. necessary intern jI .fencing. Postsare very scarce, wire is very deal", and this job alone will take some time. Then he must build a cowshed and a dwelling house unices he is content to live in a tent for sv i-wh.il-:?. He must nave a horss awl cart, and then h<4 must buy cows— at the- very worst time of the year, when cows' are just coming into* profit and therefore harder to procure, and also doaror. "Now, what' will the Lands authorities do once. the ballot is ovav? Will they consider they have done their duty j"ust by drawing Jv particular niarb'le, or will they its© their best endeavors ijo see that theso men are able to make the most (under the circu instances) of tho season just cpoittnencingj, whilso prices are good? An officer should be appointed to see that these soldiers are supplied with their fencing material, timbor, and stock at theearliest opportunity. It can beeasily understood that, opart from the vent, it is going to cost tho settlers a tidy little sum before they can take anything off the land." Our correspondent expresses what he considers is a popular opinion in the Grove district—that this par- . ticular " property was not acquu-ctt advantageously as far as price goes. |In view of the dduy in making tho sections available for ballot and the : fact that the best part of the seaeoiV 1 will be ■pvor before tho soldier s,ettlers can hope to be reasonably established he- considers it only fai/ that the Government should remjtthe rent far the broken period at- ■ least—-from the drawing of the ballot um.il January Ist next.