SOLDIERS’ SETTLEMENTS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 316, 28 December 1916, Page 3

SOLDIERS’ SETTLEMENTS.

(TO THE EDITOR.]

Sir,—ln reference to my scheme for settlement, I have now received a definite promise from the Governj ment that it will be honestly con- ! sidered on its merits early in the i New Year. In the meantime wit h your kind permission I wish to bring the matter more forcibly before the public, but to do so in one letter would make it too long to be reatl with interest. I therefore propose to deal with it in three, which I will call “The Egg” “Will it be H.v -lied?” “The Progeny.” The. egg.— i Why does a hen lay an egg? With an object. Why am I scheming? With an object, and that object is to try and assist in making the future existence of our brave soldiers (after the war is won) as pleasant and comfortable as possible, and nt the same time a benefit to the State. This I maintain can only be done on the one hand by increasing the population, developing the productiveness of the country, and attaining a higher state of efficiency, and on the other hand by keeping down the cost of living, reducing taxation, minimising unproductive expenditure, and instituting a retail cash system non-recoverable by law. There will be thousands of men not only our returned soldiers, but others from the Motherland, longing to settle to an out-door life, and.it is up to our Government to realise this latter aspect and be ready with a tempting bait, as also to provide necessary shipping accommodation the minute these men are discharged, otherwise off they go to some other land, which will be no good to the Dominion or the Old Country. Many office positions no doubt will be kept open for the returning men, still they may not all be satisfied to go back to an indoor life, and therefore it might be as well only to discharge those men who have occupations to go to. Before the war, the burden of National debt was about £7O per head of every man, woman and child in the Dominion and it is reasoable to suppose the end will see this increased to £l5O. Is it not therefore encumbent to organise and work together so that every available means are adopted to make this extra burden as easy as possible to carry, otherwise the younger generations will necessarily be deprived of the essential opportunities of becoming independent, a chance which every soldier (who has so nobly offered ins life for home and Empire) is certainly entitled too. No matter whether the sum total of his worldly goods are only five bob he has earned the right to expect from his country and those who stayed at home the chance to make a start, the chance to prove himself. To show the necessity for increasing population and output, let us look at the relation of the two principal products to the National Debt during the last ten years : 1906: meat exported, 100,000 tons, valued at £3,000,000; 1915, meat exported. 180,000 tons, valued at £8,000,000. Showing that although the quantity has not doubled the value has trebled, consequently from two to three millions of this increase may dis appear at any time, and must b< made good by increased quantity The same applies to wool in a lesser degree. 1906, wool exported, 70,00 v tons, valued at £7,000,000; 1915. wool exported, 90,000 tons, valued at £10,000,000. Hoping these few remarks will justify the existence of the egg. I am, etc.,

NAT BEAMISH Hastings, December 27th.