BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 123, 16 February 1918, Page 8

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

MARRIED MEN ON FARMS QUESTION OF ACCOMMODATION The Board of Agriculture held lengthy meetings 011- Wednesday and Thursday, The board had a lengthy conference with the National Efficiency Board and discussed with, them the provision of accommodation for married men on farms and stations, the training and settlement of returned 6oldiers on the land, seed-growing, and reafforestation. Reafforostation. The question of forestry was discussed by the two boards, and it- was decided to again address the Prime Minister 011 the necessity for the creation of a separate Forestry Department under a scientifically trained forester. It was pointed out that the great work in front of him would be to develop a policy of conservation of the small remaining area of native forests to be left in New Zealand, and the regeneration of such po.rtion of land which had been bush and was now useless for settlement; to underplant bush where suitable areas are available, and to continue the planting of other areas "suitable for the purpose. At the close of the meeting a joint , deputation of the Board of Agriculture, the Council of the Forestry League, and others, waited upon the Prime Minister to urge that something should be done 011 the lines suggested. Accommodation for Married Men on Farms. The question of. providing better accommodation on farms for married men with the view of reducing the drift of farm labour from the country to tho town was very exhaustively dealt with, and it was pointed out that owinj* to tho largo increase of other, burdens that have been taken by the Dominion the'only chance of maintaining the standard of living would be by a rapid and sound expansion in the productivity of tho country, and that a married man provided with a suitable house with moderate conveniences, having a plot of ground sufficient for vegetable, garden, and land sufficient to keep a cow, pigs, and fowls, is comparatively well off in rural districts, even if only earning a small actual cash wage. A schqpie to facilitate tho erection of cottages for married men on farms which had been draftedv.by Mr. Hunt 011 similar lines to the provisions as to workers' dwellings in the town was adopted, and a further proposal to initiate some small village settlements in tho backblocks was formulated with ' tho view of securing advantages of friendly intercourse and mutual assistance between the families living in the village and so that the individuals occupying these cottages would not feel tied to a single employer and would, within moderate limits, be able to carry their labour to the best market, or at any rate, would have the feeling that they could. Village communities of this class might have the advantages of "having a co-operative store, school, and hall accommodation, and other facilities which would not be obtainable by thoso resident in detached cottages situated 011 their employers' properties. Soldiers on the Land. The joint boards also discussed the opening -up of Crown and Native lands, the cutting up of private estates, the best tenure for leasehold lands,_ and the purchase and subdivision of suitable land for the settlement of returned soldiers. The question of how to meet tho case of returned soldiers who prefer . to live ; n tho country and who were , willing to take up some light farm work but were unable for health reasons to' undertake very heavy work was also carefully considered. Various sugges- 1 tions as to the best methods of helping men of this type were put forward, and it was finally decided to make a strong appeal to tho farmers through tho National Efficiency Boards of Trustees and the various committees of advice throughout the Dominion to take returned soldiers without farming i experience and enable them to gain a knowledge of general farming work. V/00l Paoks from Calcutta. It was reported to the board that as the result of inquiries which had been made in regard to the shipment of wool paoks and corn to the Dominion, the Union Steam Ship Company had written stating, that a vessel had already left Calcutta this year, with corn sacks and wool packs, another was leaving at an early date; and that altogether there would bo ( six sailings during tho year, so that there was every reason to believe that there would be an amplo supply 01 botlj wool packs and com sacks foiv ■New Zealand requirements. It, was hoped that nothing would interfere with the arrival of wool packs earlier than last j;ear.