LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 28 March 1918, Page 2

LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

At Bendigo on March 8 (says r.n Australian exchange) the Minister for Lands (Mr Frank Clarke) outlined his land repatriation scheme for. soldiers. He said that under the Act men applying for blocks of land had to pass a qualifying test as to their capabilities. | The benefits of the Act would largely be limited to those who had, had previous farming experience, as it was dm-; practicable to train a large number of soldiers at short notice for farming. At present only 7 per cent - of. the soldier applicants for land had had experience of wheat-farming. If this low percentage continues . there would be no need to purdhas'e estates for wheat farms, as there-were 500,000 acres of :new Mallee land which were to be opened, lip. Forty-eight", per cent of the"'applicants experience in mixed farming and dairying, which was one of. the reasons whY the Camper-* down estate \had been bought, and why he was putting the whole Western district through a sieve "to discover more dairying land. In taking up land repatriation the municipal councils should .invite the. co-operation- of the patriotic' committees. One" of their dirties '.would, be to help the soldier settlers i when they went on their blocks. A great, problem before the new settler was how to feed himself during the first, few seasons. Men now on the l^nd could greatly assist by farming | with soldiers on the' share system. !