ENGLAND’S LAND SETTLEMENT

Hawera Star, Volume L, 10 January 1931, Page 14

ENGLAND’S LAND SETTLEMENT

The new Government Bill for land settlement proposes to advance loans for equipment and buying stock, and to make a personal allowance up to £SO for the first year. For those not making use of this, £509 is a minimum sum with which to start farming five acres.

It is said that there is a. strong demand for small holdings and every facility is given to enable men to secure such small farms

There are special opportunities provided to enable such men to gain experience at county farm institutes, of which there are about thirteen in England and Wales. Terms vary, but at most of them pupils can receive practical instruction and board and lodging for about £1 per week. Those who can afford more can he trained at the universities and) agricultural colleges, and those who cannot afford as much must obtain their knowledge by working as hired labourers.

Under tlie new Government proposals fifty demonstration smallholders are to be created for instructional purposes.

A writer in an English paper says that in his experience the smallholders and family farmers are standing the present crisis better, as a whole, than the large farmers. They are doing so because they have little or no outgoings for hired labour —which means that they work longer hours, more intensively, and possibly for less remuneration, than farm labourers.

They find their hobby in their work, and the fact that whatever they make is theirs reacts favourably both on their skill and enterprise and on thp interest they find in their calling. This attitude of mind is essential in the smallholder who is going to make good.