EMIGRATION TO VICTORIA.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13909, 7 December 1910, Page 10

EMIGRATION TO VICTORIA.

The Hon. Mr McKenzie, Minister, of Lands for Victoria, and Dr. Meade are returning to Melbourne after a very successful emigration crusade in the Mother Country. Tho Victorian Government is offering liberal terms for settlers on the irrigated lands, which are being disposed of in large areas for close cultivations, from about 10 to 200 acres, the latter being the maximum. These are not much sought after by Victorian selectors, who preferred" to take up larger holdings of the smaller lands, but Mr McKenzie be~ b'eves that when the productive qualities of the irrigated land have been, demonstrated, they tvill be in eager demand by the local.settlers. Tho deputation had no difficulty in getting British applicants'; in fact, there are at present about a thousand more applications than can be entertained. The passage to Victoria costs £12 per head, and four-fifths,of this is advanced by the Government, to be repaid in seven years at 5 per cent, interest. The price of the land is fixed as in the case of resumed lands in New Zealand,-so as to cover all the cost to the Government, and the freehold is acquired in about 35 years by a series of annual payments to cover 4j per cent, interest, and a sinking fund of 1J per cent. No payment is required for the first ffive years, so as to enable the settler to get some return before be.is called upon to pay. Re-aggregation of areas.is prevented by the ingenious expedient of embodying residence in the title. The irrigation settler may sell his section in time, but the holder must reside upon it, even after all the payments have been made, and the freehold secured, otherwise the section is liable to forfeiture to the Crown. Mr McKenzie met with most success in Scotland, and least in Ireland :, in fact, he found active opposition to any form of emigration in the latter country, and therefore confined his attention to England and Scotland. Altogether the deputation visited some forty centres, delivering addresses, and fairly earned the success they achieved.