CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18487, 15 September 1925, Page 9

CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

SMALLER HOLDINGS IN N.SW. («r CASI.Z —rxEss association—comuoirr.) (AUST&ALIAH ASD K.S. CAJBUt AS3OCIAXIOK.) SYDNEY, September 14. In a comprehensive statement regarding closer settlement the Central Council of the Producers' Association claims that landowners are not holding up closer settlement and that no organisation of primary producers opposes it.

It is considered that the type of closer settlement most useful to the country is that which comes about by natural processes. To have reasonable chance of success on the land migrants must have capital and Australian experience. Subdivision of estates had been in progress for many years. In 1892 there were sixty-three flocks of sheep of 100,000 or over and 151 flocks between 50,000 and 100,000. In. 1923, the latest official figures available, there was not one flock of over 100,000 and only twenty-sir between 50,000 and 100,000. During the same period flocks of from 10,000 to 50,000 sheep had decreased from 891 to 446, while flocks of from 1000 to 10,000 had increased from 4455 to 6912. and flocks of from 100 to 1000 from 8317 to 13,918.

Up to June 30th, 1921, the Government had acquired 1841 estates for closer settlement, tno aggregate area bclSg 3,798,000 acres, at a cost of £13,719,000, and these had been divided into 7707 farms.