WHOSE FAULT?

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 8, 9 July 1931, Page 20

WHOSE FAULT?

FABMEII? JHE OLD INFLATION ISSUE CR6.OK.ED FENCES Tho tragedy of revaluation, ah acuto phase in the evolution of land settlement, is well known in Now ZealandTho- -revaluation of soldiers' land, and all tho„.post;.mortem '. evidence.,,given', concerningi-the- original valuations, will .prevent history from beiitg ■fepeatp.d.ft They 'havo reached the i'qvalu'atibhftstage in-'connection with, certain;' Strande- settlers fi'bm tho; Old ' Country^-Ss=iib'.were settled in Victoria .in post-war;/immigration--oiim-s;|ttienVent The usual argumenl#hasfta:risehftas ,; to how much ■6f tlib?.ljlanift?3s':(lU]B;.--tO''-'tlib'land valua- , and;- hpw; much to. tho settler'aft incompetence*' Should" tho. valuors have; providodftihfttli'eir 'valuations., a margin, price-falls4iko that' which' has tho failure to mcotithe.'slumpftisftduo ftto. big:,- mort- . gagesf to' littio 'farming' C.4pae|iy?-'ft'Theso old subjects, are boitig 'rOlnypstigato'd' .lit; Victoria,' .'ft. prob-. tinic. .ft certain: individual f annliigft ftaueeessesft iv [,' thp; distressed area -iniputo an individual. cause to thoft various"! farming; failures.' The[ troubieV;'Su£gest' ; ' : tho '- officials,"; is! ,more dub'to',-tho mini than 'to the farm/ ,|andioiie.bf fhem'says thatßi'itish'iihnii-' 'frantsftare-pooVft'farming,'' 'material ill' Australian, Perditions. '"-But '■■} :in- Ausfttraliaiiiihd'ftN'ew Zealand' .there -. havo jbeerijith'busands. of, farming: failures/on: .the 'par'fcCbf; sorts of the soil, so land of: -rbirth-lbecorhes a side issue, and ..tho old ftaispuM.concerning'tho. .merits otftthe, ilarmesfaiid' the merits of jtho original [valitatidnftremains.-. -.- ' ft '.- -' ifiwHAT DEGREE 01" LOADING? i'ft Tho. discussion in Victoria is interesting as throwing a sidelight on' tho (questions .of , valuing that .■ will arise ' when 'Govcrhnioh't-ihada farm's' in New. Zealand are selected and financially :-< ft loaded. Ax)parcntly it is not suggest"'Ped'.inthisl country! that each farm. :: --:'"s'hall bo. loaded with its full share of - ' fttho'cost of, pu'rchaso by- Goyornuient ft';'ftand_of-bre'aking-in by Government with '; ■!:_"i'eHef. labour. Unless tho . next five ft;i.'3'bars':seo"paatQval. prices rise as steeply ft, "fislftthe'yfthavo fallen in the last three, .',ft years!, .[.any. "attempt ..to load ft;!,j"sattlers' lauds with full cost-of-pur--!;~.j.ehase v ,and breakiug-iu wotild appar--./.ently.'mcan a return of tho vicious .•.fteircle—devaluation,. revaluation, ro- -.•■ crimination, liquidation. - ft.-.-ftft Anyone who has the success of the '.ft'-lvew Zealand Government's farm-,'■••••■-niaking operations.at heart should read ft ;: '. *svi{h"care the following submission to -f "-"tho Victorian Koyal Commission (chair- - .man, Chief Judge Dethridge) by the representative (Mr. Nathan) of the ', fj.etitioning British settlers:—ln the ft ftongihal fixing of tho price of the .-M,'.'blocks settled, a wrong procedure was 'vjft followed. The original price of tho, ■ft;' land was taken, and to this was added ftft-.'the cost of roads, drains, clearing, sur';i. ivoying and subdividing, and any other "■ recharges.' When an officer Wjis sent to •'•!' rvalue each block ho was apparently ...' given figures showing what the scheme had cost so far. Obviously ho then: /../made sure that the valuations he fixed sufficiently high to cover tho • .'costs' of the scheme. He contended /'[ftthatftif an independent man, who was '';'; mot handicapped' by knowing, any-' "^ft-thing about tho costs of clearing ; roads, .';'!' ,'aiid other charges, was scut to, value " ftthe land ho-would, take'it, as ho found "''-rjt.ftand niost likely- place an .entirely ;', different valuation- on the land from '-. .that made.by tho offleial man. , ;,'.' The Crown docs not admit any gon-. ...era! over-valuation. OFor the Govern-!.i'jment-'of Victoria, tho Assistant Crown Solicitor. (Mr. Knight') sought to show that the settlers' -ivould not follow tho, adyice* of supervisors in working tho S>! • jlaM 1 , that the land was of excellent

quality, anil that everything possible [was done to help the men to succeed. Mr. John Kay, farm supervisor for tho Victoria State-liivers and -Water Supply Coinniisssiohj stationed at Koehcstor, U'fio said that ho had boon advising settlers for 23 years, was asked by Mr,', Nathan: "Do you think that tho blocks tiro living areas?" ./ Mr. Koy: '"They-tiro riot;.living-aroas for men who are hot experienced. I have recommended that larger areas should.bo given in certain eases, and this,.is"being-.donb; J '•--"•■ ■•■--• .-.-..•■.-i .: ■

MARKET GARDENS—IF DRAINED. Witness'admitted that if tho laud was solely a market. gardening project, there ivas a limit to tho plan of rolibving a settler, by, increasing his.... area. 110 agreodftthat. fivoftacres of niarlicj; garden is'.Us:much as ono man can be expected to manage. ....

..Mr. Nathai':ft;".Thoftland\was sold[to thoftoverseas men ft as* being only lor nnu'ket';gardehiiig. ■'- '..< W'ituess unfolded a scheme of variety" prbduction,'.ft ; !Bcforrii\g .to tho Halltun Valley aiHl..Nari'o Warren- areas, where many oV;ersoasft.-mcir...wcrb settled; .he said that/whoro possible it' was advisable -for, tho ft settlers 'to engage in a variety of. .production.,:': They ; should' keep about six cows." ftWhon 'the' land was. drained; there should:'- bo • excellent prospects [fof'ftnrark'o'fc'.gardpaiug. v From his ftobsprvations...tho. settlors had not adopted; the-..right' tillage.methods. Ifo .had" : :nqt. scenft.ii. good ft fallow. They soemodftto- think''that fa}lo.wi'iig'.!coiisistallowing tho land;tbftlicw.- j.Whciiftth'o ground had: l)e'eh s wedl'Avbr]?cd,';it'>vuilldCbccdmcftniel-' lofw"alVd : sli^uldl'pacilfta'highsta to- of ;prpft [Some of-tho 'settlers'could' to (; b^er- / o'(^pipdftiii : Which;! the^ v ;Were.-bctter .fitted than'i'or market' gardening*: ■ Others' '.'were- vbrjft contrary -mehft- --ft They <-.insisted... tilaj; Hj>ii;: methodsiJVOI-e.".right : and'Would-,.iioit takeftadViepft;'ft.While they ■ adheredfttb tldsfta : t.titudoftthoy.;.Avould,have no.h'ppc [of; success. .-ft Lac k: of drainage -and the ;condition; of.,thoiiiiarkets'had been hail:dicapsVft,; One 1 : settler, oh. a block of ; 19 pas- : [tuto/iindftwas hpw-.viinuiiig eight'fteows, which ivoro returning £7 a week. POULTRY AND PIGS. I Witricss had bad extensive experience with poultry. , Ho began in lOlu without any 'knpjvli dgo of poultry, and next'year ho cleared 14s 7d a bird. His returns-had never been less than 7s 9d a bird, ft • That was When food prices wore 'high.-- ' ;.Tkero ■' word shillings in poultry; but in pigs. Settlers should give mdro' attention to pigs. The common idea among tho overseas-men was that any. sort, of sty or shelter.was good,enough for pigs.. That was very ."wrong. , They, should.be given good, warm sties. ..--.. Chief Judge Dcthridge:' "Treat the pigs as a member of tho family in fact.", (Laughter.)

Mr. Roy: "With proper management pigs pay well. A good brood sow should return £32 n year profit. Sixsows could pc run on two acres. This system of pig-raising could be applied accept on the low flats. •

. Mr.'Nathan: "Doyou think that the' land is worth £70 an acre ia-its present state?" "'ft

Mr. Koy: "It depends upon what returns tho land will give. , We have a man six miles from Rochester On a block on which' four overseas settler's had failed. He is now the wealthiest, and most successful man in the area. He had had,.no .experience of farming before, but had'adapted'himself to the'" land.- It - all. depends on the . man every time. " '

r ADAPTABILITY TO PARMING. ! " "Havo. you had any experience iii judging tho adaptability of people for farmingi'"—" Yes."-- '; Chief Judge'Dethridge:',"ln a scheme'; of this kind there is always bound to bo a considerable percentage-of failures.. The risk of failure is so great .that the greatest possiblo caro must bo exerr cised in selecting settlers. That is only a matter of commonsense, and the Commission realises it.".

Mr. Ernest-,K. Kyplands,,-chief supervisor of irrigation settlements for tho Water-Commission, said that there were 81 leases -in -the Hallam Valley and .Narro Warren .settlements, [with

an average of -'A acres ouch. Tlie drainage system adopted was good, and tlie land presented excellent opportunities for good-production.. There-were no vacant allotments, and tlie demand for blocks, greatly exceeded tho, suppi}-.. -[ The permanent pastures'on the tylocks were making wonderful . progress, yand with efficient management tho luitd would cai'i'y two cows.'-to three acres.' : 'Everything possible was done for tlie settlers by the different departments. Tlie chances of success-depend-ed- upon the-man, his methods, and the. market. . Keplying to Mr. Nathan, Mr. Kyolands said it was incorrect that the Water Commission -.shelved-.committee recommendations in favour of writing off arrears, of rent i: ; the cases of certain settlors, ft ■ ft NOT KINDNESS TO LEND. ! Ho agreed that -the .Commission had advanced too much money, and said that personally he would retard, advances as much as posible. It was not always kindness to.lend a -'man money. If it'eaino down to the survival of the fittest the men Who :borro\vcd the least Would be more successful. Mr, /Thomas -Edward .Chippendale, supervisor for tho -Closer Settlement Board, gavo,: evidence.to; show that everything, was- done .to ; . help aiid instruct tho settlers when they first took over their blocks., ft [They were given advice about .working, their blocks and in procuring [stock:; aiid' implements. Most offt;t!lipm".k.iiewft nothing .whatever about-:ftfai'huug. ,'ft Tlve!y -seemed willing biit' coiild','iiot ftdo-tho..''.ordinary farm [tasks.ft!ftllo:shpWed' somo'.of them how to (iroct ■their'fbnc6s, ; b'utthey could not ;makoft' : t!io:.feneb straight.;! Land belohgiiigjtbftothpr peoplo'-Avas fenced off, aiid; thbft/fciices naturally had to bo' J3uilod; r dowii--,andro-ci'ectcd on,the right boundu.ry.ft/ftMairy, complaints had been madoftibgai'tling his supervision and his sblection.oftstp'ckftahd-horses, but, in no case was .there .ftariyft,.justification for these.;,;-.'GoodVcows^yero'ruluod by the inoxpbrioueodi settlers,;, and naturally When.,they,; wereftsold. brought less than had been given, fpivthe'm.jft,; No overseas lnaiiftwas: so , adaptablo.; a.3 the general inexperienced' Australian who ; .took up farming. . . , ; [

Tho Eo'yal Commission adjourned,