SETTLED ON FARMS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 79, 13 January 1949, Page 4

SETTLED ON FARMS

Total of 6771 ExServicemen

MINISTER GIVES DETAILS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 12. A total of 6771 former servicemen of.. World War 11 have been settled On their own farms by the Rehabilitation Board, said the Minister of Rehabilitation (the Hon. C. F. Skinner) to-night. This number was substantially more than half of the 1£,082 men graded A for immediate settlement since the scheme began.

“The largest category in those settled is that of 4705 men financed by the Rehabilitation Loans Committee on to single units which the applicants bought direct from the vendors,” he said. “Another 728 men have been* permanently settled on subdivisions of Crown blocks, and 175 men have been similarly placed but are awaiting the completion of financial adjustments with the Loans Committee. The number of Maori former servicemen placed on land through the Maori Rehabilitation Finance Committee is 78, not including Maoris settled through the ordinary channels open to Maori and pakeha alike.

“Another 295 men are at present employed by the Lands and Survey Department on the development, of Crown subdivisions to which they have been promised the titles when *he farms have reached a satisfactory stage of production. “Finally,” said Mr Skinner, “790 graded former servicemen have been placed on farms without the need for vehabilitation loan assistance.

i‘The number, including freehold and -Crown and private leasehold tenures, still awaiting settlement, is 5311 grade A men, and the Rehabilitation Board is doing its utmost to have ’hem placed with as little delay as possible. “Under training in various types of farming at the end of November were 700 former servicemen, and another 704 were awaiting to start their training courses. Altogether 2482 men have completed courses since the beginning of the scheme. In November 43 finished their training. The majority sought training in dairy farming, 1014 having received tuition in this kind of farming, sheep farming being second with 547, followed by sheep and agriculture (328), mixed farming (212), fruit growing (91), horticulture and market gardening (81), poultry farming (39), agriculture (28), beekeeping (22), hop and tobacco growing (18), and pig farming (1),” he concluded.