THE GLADBROOK SOLDIERSETTLEMENT SCHEME

Evening Star, Issue 16550, 9 October 1917, Page 6

THE GLADBROOK SOLDIERSETTLEMENT SCHEME

[Bx Oxm Special Commissioner.] ■ Of lato«months the freehold eatato of Gladbrook, at Middlernarch, and the largo adjacent area of hill country known as Gladbrook Station, and held upon lease from tho Government by the proprietor of the freehold, have been much in the public eve. _ The lease of the station was reaching its expiration, and in the early months of the year, following a visit by three members of the Land Board, it became bruited abroad throughout' the district that the Government had in contemplation the breaking up of the leasehold to provide sheep runs for returned soldiers. The rumor soon assumed the finality of positive assurance, and a movement was forthwith initiated, under the leadership of Mr W. D. Mason, to organise local public opinion, in order to ensure that tho proposed subdivision would be carried through with the idea of settling the largest number possible of soldier runholders .on'the area. Just at this very time an announcement, bearing tho impress of authority, was made in the Press of Dunedin, stating in effect that the proprietor (Mi> John Roberts, C.M.G., Dunedin) intended to cut up the private estate of Gladbrook to provide farms for returned soldiers. A local committee was set up to look after the interests of soldiers in the proposed subdivision of the leasehold. But the announcement of the intention of cutting up the freehold, which is all fertile, agricultural land of great value, retarded and circumscribed the operations of the committee somewhat, for it was felt that if the estate were also to be broken up the subdivision of estate and station would run concurrently, and would have to be treated as one large question. In the intervening months many rumors have gained currency as to the probable scheme which would bo submitted, and tho announcement, made first by the 'Star* last week, that the Government had, acquired the estate and proposed to subdivide it to provide farms for somo 30 returned soldiers came as a surprise to most people, except those who had some inside information as to what was being quietly done. Now that the surprise has passed away, the general feeling is one of' satisfaction that such a great measure or scheme of land reform is to be put into practice, and that the policy of closer settlement, which has the hearty support of every progressive thinker in the country, is to bo carried through in the interests of the brave men who have returned, or will yet return, from tho war.

TfiE GLADBROOK ESTATE. A casual survey of the Glad brook Estate convinces even the man who knows little of agriculture of the splendid value and the great ■ possibilities of the large and beautiful tract of country it absorbs. It is bounded on the west by the great Rock a u d , I " illar Range, and anyone standing on the lull face and looking downwards casts his glance over an extensive plain, divided into paddocks, through which numerous creeks wind their way. The plain begins at Sutton and stretches for miles and miles northwards to Hyde; but that portion of it from Sutton to Middlemarch railway station is taken up almost wholly by the Gladbrook Estate. The railway runs thus directly through the proposed settlement, with a railway station at each end. Practically all the freehold has been cultivated. There are a few stretches of land close to the mountain foot (such as the Hundreds and the woolshed paddocks) which have not vet been broken up or cultivated, "bnt that may yet be done, although the richer paddocks are those which are farther removed from the mountain. The estate is well sheltered by largo belts of plantations, public roads run right through its whole extent; the climate is good, though sometimes sevei-e frosts c.iuse damage and strong winds shrivel up the vegetation. The rabbit post has also to bo taken into account in weighing np the possibilities of the scheme; but, as elsewhere, it will probably be found that under closer settlement the rabbits will rapidly disappear. The whole area is well fenced and hedged, the building.* are extensive and in good order; and there is a very fine homestead, with all the usual offices, the disposal of these to the best advantage will provide one of the problems of the settlement. Among the minor attractions or advantages it may be mentioned that the many creeks are "well stocked with trout, and that there is direct telephone communication bv private wire from the estate to Dunedin. These detail?, incomplete though they be, may give to those who have not seen the estate some idea of its attractiveness.

BEATING SWORDS INTO PLOUGHSHARES. Now that the intentions of the Government have been publicly declared people are beginning to discuss the probable details of the Government scheme, winch _ has not yet been revealed. Perhaps, indeed, the scheme has not yet been fully formulated, and in the Middfemarch district, where so many farmers have for long tested the possibilities of farming on the eamo scale as any intelligent subdivision of Gladbrook will ensure, the experience of long years will heartily and sympathetically be placed at the service of the soldier-farmers, or tho Government officials under whose regis the .soldiers are to be settled. The process of beating swords into ploughshares will probably be a difficult and delicate one, but the soldiers will find everywhere willing hands ready to assist them. So, without any apology, may bo ottered the gist of interviews held with two of the shrewdest and most successful farmers of the dMrict. Their views and then- judgments cannot be lightly dismissed. Their knowledge and experience and acumen give their deliverances a, weight which cannot be gainsaid, and in the final and ultimate settlement their views—which are identical with those of most other farmers, such as arc proposed to be settled on Gladbrook—must camgreat weight. Tho ipsissima verba are not reproduced, but a free paraphrase and a fair summary of the speakers' opinions are herewith offered : A FARMER'S VIEWS.

Without a. doubt," began Farmer Number One, "the proposed scheme, whatever at turns out to be, is one of tire greatest and best things that has over fallen to Strath laien. I have always been a strong supporter of closer settlement, but somehow it has not been able to make much headway m this district for many years. All the suita-blo land was in occupation, and unless Gladbrook and ono or two other places were broken up we might talk as m-uch as we liked f,f closer settlement, but we could get no ' forarder/ for there' was no land available on which to settle Now, however, we aro on tho threshold of realising what we have so long longed for. Tho spirit of tho proprietor or proprietors of the estate in offering it to the Government is much to bo commended. Some of us were determined, on the expiry of tho lease, to do all possible to have the hill country, held on leasehold, cut up into small sheep runs for the benefit of the soldiers, and formed a committee to take up the matter. But at that time we did not think that the estate would bo offered for subdivision. Since then, however, wo learned that negotiations' were quietly going forward, and that knowledge has been mainly responsible for the fact that the committee have lain low. Now the committee may well take up then- task and discharge the duty entrusted to them of seeing that in every possible way the interests of the soldiers are safeguarded and protected. " Wo have very little detailed information of what the Government scheme is ■at all, but that there Ls some scheme in existence is evident from the fact that in tha House it was definitely stated that the estate would be subdivided into some 30 farms. Isow, one can scarcely believe that the Government would draft any definite scheme of subdivision without any consultation with tho farmers of the district, all of whom have life-long experience of the difficulties and possibilities of such a scheme, and are heartily in symoatny with such proposals as are being made. Ono suggestion I would offer would be that the Government should invite the co-opera-tion of a committee of practical local farmers to assist them dn solvimr the many problems that will arise. I know the local farmers would willingly assist, and 1 am ftuite sure their assistance would be in-

valuable. That will commend itself to all sensible men. Besides, any scheme at present in existence must be almost wholly an office scheme, drafted from maps and official data, but not worked out on tho actual spot, for -we all know that there has been very little of a close examination by officials' paying visits of personal inspection. That is one criticism I offer. It is not right that such, a scheme should be earned through without reference to the local farmers. ARE THE PROPOSED FARMS TOO LARGE?, " Another valid criticism is this: Prom the Press reports we learn that the Government propose to subdivide Gladbrook i"^ 801110 50 farms - A* there are about 6,000 acres of land in the estate that will moan that each farm will run to about 200 acres. Now, the verdict of everv practical man will be instantaneously and emphatically to tho effect that the proposed area is far too large. There as* many objections to giving such a large aroa to each farm. Let us consider some. The idea of such a subdivision as this is, I take it, to settle as many soldiers on tho land as can live comfortably upon it and find sufficient remunerative labor on their holdings to make it unnecessary for them to go to seek work elsewhere. They must be kept regularly employed on their own places.. And it must be always kept in mind that while it wouM probably be far more profitable for a soldier farmer to hold 200 acres, the idea which must prevail must be that it is far more important and imperative_to settle 60 or 80 soldiers in positions where they can make a comfortable living than settle 30 in positions whero they can amass small fortunes. There can be no fixed limit as to the average, I admit, for some of the paddocks—a very few near the foot hills—would require to be cut into 100-acre blocks to equal a 50-acre block of the richer land lying farther away from the hill. But taking the average paddock, a block of from 60 to 80 acres ought to be quite sufficient to keep a man in comfort and enable him to rear his family in equal comfort. Some 16 years ago several pastures of Gladbrook were cut up and subdivided—the largest cut was 100 acres. All these subdivisions have been splendid commercial successes. There has not been a single failure. Let me cite one instance—it is known to everybody here, and the farmer concerned is frank enough about it. This farmer got a block of less than 30 acres. He began, as I take it the soldier-farmers on Gladbrook will do, as a dairy farmer. In one of his early years his net profits from his herd of I*o cows or so were over £l6O. Year after year he has continued with unbroken success always attending him. He has improved his farm in every respect, reared his family in comfort and independence, and added largely to his original holding. Now the point is this: what that farmer was able to do in leaner years than these the soldier-farmers of Gladbrook can do with an equal area. But I would not propose to limit them to anything like 30 acres. Give them double* that acreage, say 60 acres, and I am absolutely confident they can on such a farm make a very comfortable living. While on this point let us see how such a reduction of the area of each farm would affect the population. -It would mean that instead of having 30 houses on the estate we should have nearly double that number. The leasehold carrying at present so many sheep, and subdivided on the basis of the number of sheep carried, not upon the acreage, would give at least 10 sheep runs carrying from 1,000 to 1,250 sheep, so that the total addition to the population "under such a subdivision of the leasehold and estate would represent from 60 to 70 families. How that would benefit the district and the nation need not be elaborated. If the Government really propose to cut up the estate into average blocks of 200 acres, the proposal must be fought tooth and nail. It will not be fair in the public interest. It will be equally unfair to the class who are meant to benefit and be benefited. THE FINANCIAL PROBLEM.

" The financial element must not bo forgotten. Quite obviously it is apparent that a far less amount of capital is necessary to take up 60 acres or 80 acres or 100 acres than to take up 200 acres. And the vast majority of soldiers who will seek to take up land will not have much capital. Certainly there will be soldiers who can take farms of 200 acres, or even greater areas than that; but this point should not be lost sight of: that such men can find land at almost any time. The class to be chiefly considered in this respect is that class of good honest workers who have every qualification for becoming successful farmers except the financial means. Now, even if the Government were to assist generously with finance, it would be a great public saving to have the areas of the farms made as small as will be compatible with success. Thus two men holding- "100 acres each could he assisted at the same cost as one man holding 200 acies. One other point I would make: We are told that the estate is to be cut up for returned soldiers. Now, if that means that onlv those who have already returned or who will have returned when the subdivision takes place—l ami assuming that the subdivision will not be unduly postponed—are to be allowed to participate, it will be very unfair to tho boys who will then bo fighting and who aro equally entitled to a chance. It scarcely seems possible that any such idea would ever be entertained, but on« never knows what the Government mav propose to do. If the subdivision takes place shortly, care should be taken to allow tho boys -at the front to participate in the ballot through their relations or nominees in New Zealand. At present although the Middlemarch districthas sent away over 80 men to the front out of a population of about 750—perhaps the highest percentage in Otago—only verv few have returned, ;md out of these only tliree or so are absolutely landless. The others are sons of farmers who own comfortable properties. While quite admitting that every one of tho brave fellows deserves equal consideration, for what all equally endured, one would wish to see those landless men treated with special consideration, if that were possible. "Tlia.t the subdivision will prove a success no one doubts. For the individual the prospects are as promising as can be wished, while for the country there is the infinite satisfaction that it is encouraging tho growth of that ' happv peaeantrv, the country's pride,' which 'older countries haro despised and rejected, almost to their own undoing." And here I must take leave of Farmer One. The other farmer's views will be given in another article, which will be briefer, simplv for the reason that his views are identical with much of what has been written above.