SOLDIER SETTLERS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 138, 7 March 1941, Page 9

SOLDIER SETTLERS

Acquisition Of Land For Farms

STATEMENT BY MINISTER

The acquisition by the Crown of 20 properties comprising about 29,000 acres for the settlement of discharged soldiers was announced yesterday by the Minister of Lands, Mr. Langstone. He said that all these properties had been offered .to the Government and that there were some in both islands.

Recognizing the need for land for settlement of soldiers on their discharge, the Lands Department, said the Minister, had been on the job ever since the outbreak of the war acquiring properties where the situation had been suitable and the price had been right. The 20 properties, comprising about 29,000 acres, which had been acquired at the moment, had cost for the land alone about £155,000. Of course a lot of extra money was required for development, for stocking, for buildings, water supply, and ail the other necessary equipment to establish settlers on the area.

“We have received also,” the Minister continued, “numerous offers of properties which are being considered by the Lands Purchase Board. Of course, many are totally unsuitable; the land would not be worth acquiring. Naturally many people have got possibly a liability which they want to get rid of and they ask to be relieved of it, which means the Government purchasing. Under no circumstances, however, will the department buy land unless it stands up to the closest and most searching- scrutiny as regards productivity, its general suitability, and location.

Settlement on Approved Lines.

“With regard to selection and settlement the Lands Department is working in close collaboration with the Returned Soldiers’ Association, which is very interested in the settlement of the men who return from this war, and shortly there is to be a meeting and each and every property will be considered jointly by the Lands Department officers and the R.S.A. repre sentatives, and the settlement will take place on approved lines. “It is not the intention to settle any one property completely at ■ the one time,” continued the Minister. “What I mean by that is this: the men will return in groups and on an area that may settle ten or a dozen soldiers possibly only three or four may be settled at the beginning and the rest will be settled later as the circumstances warrant.” This was desirable so that, as groups returned, they would be-well spread out and the land meted out as fairly as' possible. Qualification of Settlers.

Due consideration would also be given to the qualifications of the men who went on the land. Some possibly would have some qualifications and would be able to go farming right away. Others would need the help of training to gather the necessary know ledge to undertake present-day farming. The system would be adaptable. No one would be finally selected for a farm unless he had the ability and the bent for farming, and that was where the valued assistance of the Returned Soldiers’ Association would come in. Some of the men on their return might think they wanted to go farming, and till they had bad a pretty good taste of it, they would not know whether they liked farming as an occupation or not. The whole scheme would be dealt with so as to achieve the very best possible results and to avoid the mistakes that occurred, not only in the previous settlement of soldiers, but also in the ordinary settle ment of much of our land.