FOR MEN WHO SAVED THE EMPIRE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 March 1917, Page 2

FOR MEN WHO SAVED THE EMPIRE.

(To tfie Editor.) Sir, —That active military service ever a prolonged period tends to alter a man's character, his outlook on lii'e, and, for all time, his power of self-control and application, is a well-established fact. .After the South African War the fact of these mental changes made it very difficult for returned soldiers to secure or retain positions 'of employment, In the men returned from the present war, whom I have seen, the condition of loss of power of continued application to work has been quite marked in many cases, especially those who have been on active service tor some considerable time, while in many there is a good deal of loss of memory as we!!. .Now, these men are not fit to go right out and battle their way along at once. Of thus,' who are taking'up farms new, a few may win through, hut a rood many will fall into the hands of the farmers' pawnshop--, and go 1.0 the wall. 1 know thai the authorities are giving this mat. tor a certain amount of considers!lion, but it is evident- that ihe amount and importance of ihe menial change caused by prolonged service has no! been realised, and, too, the pie war idea of skimping measures hi' Ihe purpose of saving money is influencing the schemes proposed, Tins is the time of all timer.—the greatest opportunity there will ever be of milking New /calami int.. a country of primary produ-eer:.;. Jl is lite one 'time when the hulk of the present or late town dwellers ran be persuaded of the beauty, freedom, and usefulness of a life on the hind. Jf this opportunity is iakeu advantage of tn the full great good will be done l.o'ih to the country and to the people who are settled on ' the laud. To put returned soldiers on the land without previous training and discipline in farm methods is to invite disaster, and waste the money which is so sparingly given to the real men who have done their bit, Besides, not many men in the state of mind f have mentioned will want to go on the laud alone. They long for company and friendship, nun prefer to spend the period, till tliev become normal again, in Lewi!. Anyone who has studied town-bred men whom stress of circumstances has compelled to go to the country to work knows thai, under favorable conditions, a love fur country and distaste tor town lite grows in them ; and that is the lines on which my scheme proposes to lead the town men in be j'armeis. In fact, many soldiers ate not fii to tackle any kind of work without being under care and discipline, and as the war goes on the condition of those returning will be worse than at present. To tackle the returned soldier problem successfully we mm-: put away all our oldtime ideas, of economy, the difficulty of getting money, etc., and recognise practically that the country ready belongs to the State, and that the private owner is only a tenant at will. This has already been recognised in the application of the war taxes, but we shall ha\e to go furthei by establishing definitely the State's right, and then leave the unneeded surplus to the private owners. The scheme for settling the soldiers on the land which appears to me to be a practical one is as follows: The (kiveniment shall secure and set aside huge blocks of suitable land in the rough state, say in manuka, tutu and fern lather than bush, as the men will only be fit for light work for some time. Each block of, f-i}', ten thousand acres shall have is sufficient number of men allotted to i! to lake ii up in farms when it is ready, and the men have gained sufficient strength and experience to go on their ' The soldiers shall not be discharged from the Army, but shall remain under military discipline and have oflieors iii charge.' Suitable camps shall be established in position.-; favorable for working the land, Suitable civilian instructors shall be appointed to direct and plan the farming operations, and i<> instruct the men, At each camp the men shall bo paraded eacli morning, divided into appointed working squads under non-commissioned oflieors, au'l directed as to work by instructors. Lu this way by easy gradations men would gradually come to be able to do a good day's work each day witfioui the wearing strain of responsibility they are incapable of bearing. There would be lectures in the even, ings on Ihe theory of farming, and as improvement progressed and the men be. came capable, farms would be individualised ami given to ihe men suitable for them. Alter one year of disciplined country life almost every one would have regained his norma! condition, and a very large proportion would have developed into potential farmers. An attempt o! the kind wilboul military discipline would fail. t'nder the proper kind oi discipline if would almost surely be a success. The cost is a simple mailer for finan cial experts. from the rend! of the re. cent loan, and from the (otalisator re turns we know that there is an immense surplus of unneeded moliev in the conn try. and it should be easy [or Umse skilled in the process of squeezing the taxpayers to get it. I hope. Sir.'that ihe members of Parliament and the head military authorities will cut this out and read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest it.— i am, etc., '[<•. WALLACK McKKNZIK. 198 Willis Sired. Wellington, .March 11th. 11)17.