GARDEN SETTLEMENTS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18220, 3 November 1924, Page 13

GARDEN SETTLEMENTS.

A NEW MIGRATION SCHEME PEOPLE WITH SMALL INCOMES. (FROM OUR OWN COiBEaPOKDIKT.) LONDON, September IS. Sir Roland Bourne, who has liad twenty-five years in official positions in South Africa, has suggested in a letter to "The Times" a scheme for forming garden settlements in the Dominions, The settlers of his project arc neither farmers posssessed of enough capital to buy Luid. and stock and begin their lives anew, nor labourers possessed of no assets at all save the will to work and the courage to succeed. They belong to that ever-increasing army which finds that a small fixed income is insufficient to meet the heavy taxation and the high cost of living, that are a legaev of the war. His original plan provided for the establishment in South Africa of "garden settlements." with irrigated holdimis of from, two to five acre's each. The settlers, while- not, agriculturists in the .suae sense «s their I younger and stronger brothers in the broader spaces, could add to their in- j I'diw bv market-gardening, poultrykeeping,"'or dairying. The community spirit c.nild| be fostered and the common cost of living reduced by the establishment of a central club house or mess, for those whose lives had been spent at the office desk a. trained manager would l>e at hand to help in the cultivation of trees and crops and to advise on the care of live stock. "At the worst,'' writes Sir Jioland Bourne, "the man whose real bent is not agriculture, but the enjoyment of :iu open-air life, with games and sports available, in ;;. .sunny climate, will find this more pleasantly and with less expense than anywhere else." Scheme Elaborated. In :i second letter the originator of the scheme elaborates it. "There must be established in London," he says, "a powerful organisation of prominent men. i:nd women which has no financial interest whatever to serve. It must be ready and fitted to deal, not -with South Africa alone, but with any part of the Empire in which 'garden' settlements' for people with small fixed incomes enn lie established successfully. It might be styled 'the Empire Community Settlement Committee.'" It should perform the following functions :

t'l) l*>y down in general and some detail the conditions which all garden settlements must fulfil. <2)'iSend representatives to South Africa :iml other suitaMe countries within the Empire to obtain the cooperation of Governments and other public autliwities—educat'onal particularly—find very reliable land comI»nies, private persons, or .syndicates, municipal authorities, etc.. prepared to establish under the.se conditions garden .settlements varying in size and character 5.7 as to suit all tastes and needs; make provisional arrangements with them lor doing <-o. (3) Give full publicity to "approved" garden settlements- thus arranged and invite applicants. . (1) Examine their suitability in all. respects and if approved, recommend them to the managers of the garden settlement most suitable to thcMi. (.->, Obtain and rivc to opp]»« l most full and reliable wf«n»ti«r.» to local conditions, educational *•»?■ ties. etc.. at each 'approved gWden settlement. , „„««rs of < m GenenJlv keep ;£■£&£ fo|. settlements well.np to «J«J""", eyiiavo filling properly the condition* ta«J a* J

agreed to give; arrange assistance in passages, freight for household effects, rail journeys for accepted settlers; provide help and advice in the numerous contingencies which will arise and multiply when the movement gets Sir lioland ha-s asked a few prominent people to form a provisional committee to consider these proposals and decide what further steps can be taken. He hopes that the committed will be formed by the middle of October and in a position not long afterwards to make public some announcement a:* to how the movement will be given practical shape.