SMALL FARM SETTLEMENT.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20630, 20 August 1932, Page 11

SMALL FARM SETTLEMENT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir, —With reference to the comment of "Bawbee" in The Press of August 10th, I have to say that my suggestion is that the plots should vary from two to ten acres, thus giving the unemployed settler some choice. As far as the cost of unimproved land is concerned, there is no reason why the areas should not be larger. But beyond ten acres we should be getting into the small farm, nefeding norses, implements, and other live and dead stock and entailing a capital outlay beyond the financial capacity of the country. Moreover, the successful management of a farm producing goods for sale is beyond the capacity of many folk. In my opinion more than five acres would be only an encumbrance to most people. Anyone who has intensively cultivated even a quarter of one acre knows what an immensity of work can be put into it. Another objection to larger holdings is that the dwellings are thereby thrust further apart, and the community spirit in that degree destroved. But I am not greatly concerned about matters of detail. The main thing is to get something done for the unemployed by broadening the basis of independent employment. At present nothing is being _ done for them except in the direction of pauperisation.—Yours, E. "RAJtLE VAILE. ''Br-oadlancK" IZotorua, August 16th. 1932.