FRUIT FARMING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 127, 29 May 1918, Page 6

FRUIT FARMING.

LIVELIHOOD FOR SOIO>IERS,

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. A large and representative deputation waited upon the Minister of Lands, the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, this morning, to urge upon him the desirability of establishing small fruit farms in the vicinity of towns for the settlement of returned soldiers, who could then engage in such industries as fruitfarming, beekeeping, and the like. The deputation was introduced by Mr. C J. Parr, M.P., who said that while they recognised that the Government had acted with liberality in the matter of what might be called the "broad acre" policy with regard to returned soldiers, they thought that it was equally the dut;. f the Government to offer inducement i men who were unsuited to the 1:»..i labour of ordinary farn-Ing to go ill for email areas near the towns. He wished to stress the point that this was not a local matter, but was of great importance to the Dominion generally. It was well known that'Hawke's Bay, Central Otago, and Nelson had excellent fruit-farming lands. It wae true that returned soldiers had not asked for fruit farms yet, but there was nothing at present to offer them. If they were given the opportunity the Government would be flooded with applications from returned men. Speaking of the scheme itself, Mr. Parr Raid that the suggestion was that the Government take up areas of say 1,000 acree, plough and lay in fruit trees, and allot sections of from five to twenty-five acres per man- Help with capital would have to be given for ijs first few years. Beyond this the deputation did not pledge itself to any particular scheme. Mr. Parr said that the matter was of groat social importance, for it meant settling returned soldiers in homes of their own, where they could live with their wives and families, The chairman of the llendereon Fruitgrowers' Association, Mr. F. G. Platt, spoke of the scheme from the point of view of a practical farmer and a representative of a large fruitgrowing area. He assured the Minister that the expert knowledge and advice of the fruitgrowers established in the Henderson district would be at the disposal of any returned men who settled in their midst as fruitgrowers. Under a co-operative principle, by which certain farm implements could be loaned to the newcomers, the initial expenses of fruit culture could be greatly decreased. Mr. Boddie, a member of the Executive of the Fanners' Union, said that he had been appointed at yesterday's Conference of the Auckland Provincial Branch of the Farmers' Union as one of a committee of three who were appointed to go into this matter. While they recognised that every returned man should be encouraged and assisted to gc on the land as farmers, there were other avenues of useful occupations and other ways of utilising the waste lands of the Dominion other than ordinary farming. As a representative of the Farmers' Union he wa3 ready to promise that that body would render every assistance in its power towards repatriating every man who had done his duty in the great war. The president of the Nurserymen's Association, Mr. F. B. Bennett, eaid that his Council -was fully in sympathy with some Mich scheme as that which had been propounded by members of the deputation, and they would be pleased to give every assistance in the direction indicated.

Mr. G. A. Green, who bad formulated a workable scheme that would allow of the settlement of returned soldiers on small fruit-gTowing areas, spoke particu- | larlv of the financial aspect of the propoeaL lie said that what was wanted •was a good workable scheme, under State control, for five yeare at least. Hβ 1 said that the orchard colonies should not jbe lees than a thousand acres each, near Ito railway and water carriage, civilisation and control, well roaded, and each section planted to the extent of abont ' three to eight acres. The State should jbe prepared to advance to each returned I soldier up to £150 for buildings, a similar sum for preparation of 1 land, trees, planting, etc, and i £250 for maintenance for five or six I years, which, with a capital vadue on the j section of £250, would make a total of £.8110. Mr. Green also urged that the work of arousing the interest of soldiers in civilian life be started in the hospitals j and convalescent homes in England. ! Other speakers included Mr. A. B. Chappell. registrar of the Auckland Uni- | versity College, and representative of i the Workers' Educational Association; ■ Mr. Boare, representing the Returned . Soldiers' Association: Mr. Watson, a returned soldier who hnd already made the experiment of settling on "a fruit farm • Mr. H. A. Robertson, eeeretary of the Swanson. Ratepayers' Association, and Mr. T. Hopkins, of the National Beekeepers' Association. Mr. A. Harris, M.P., said a few words relative to the Government policy for the opening up and settlement of the land. Re fully supported the scheme advanced hy the deputation, and urged that the Minister srrt it before the GovI emment.

I In reply to the deputation, the Mmis- , tor stjited that he had bei'u deeply interested in the remarks made by the various speakers. He had already had the scheme examined by a practical expert, who agreed with the proposals generally. There was one point, however, which he wished set right and that was the au!»----i ffestion that soldiers should be sought out a<; soon ac possible. As a matter of fact, this system was in operation now, and wounded and invalid men were approached in hospital with the idea of interesting them in their future civilian life, and of definitely fixing their future occupations. A conference of the heads of the Government Departments had been arranged to see what could he done in the matter of repatriation. This did not moan that the (Government had done nothing in the past: soldiers' educational facilities had been arranged, but j these, unfortunately, had not been taken advantage of to any <rreat extent. Aγ- ! rangements had ak-o been made with ' trade unions by which returned men. who had loot time as a result of a;oing away, could <jo back to their work for wa<res representing just what they were worth, and the Government made up the difference between this and the minimum wage fixed by award. He could quote : a number of other working schemes deal--1 ing with the welfare of soldiera. It was his personal opinion that it would be wise for the Government to make arrangements for repatriation in the direction urged by the deputation, and he would like to see the experiment made. He would have much pleasure in placing the matter before the Hon. W. D. S. jMacDonald, Minister for Agriculture