LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17428, 15 March 1917, Page 5

LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

PRESSURE.ON THE GOVERNMENT^? ■ ■■ *.. {■ , ' ■' THE POSITION IN, CANTERBURY*; — M. ."-'5 s ; .“That the Government'lbe tinged to/ provide more suitable land ta OWWi terbury than that already acquire®): for the settlement of returned)'' soldiers.” ' ... p| In moving the motion at yesterdajr*,; meeting of the Patriotic Committee,' 111)) 11. B. Sorensen said-that men desirous of taking up land in Canterbury seemed to require heavy- financial ranging from £2OOO to £2509 at least,;; 1 and the Applications Committee;.thought that the Government shouM% acquire blocks suitable for closer sub- ' division. •••.* ••T'. Mr J. H. Blackwell said that in th« case of the Lees Valley subdivision ? \ blocks ranged from 1500 .to 3000 acres.and were quite unsuitable to 99 out, of 100 returned soldiers, and the only mcawho had beed'able to apply were those;-; lucky enough to get friends to back 5 them to the extent of £SOO/ Effort’*!. / should he made ,to get areas suitable,/ for dairying. Mr S. Orchard said that the IhfflerM wood Estate, at Flaxton, which waaTby: sale had been represented to him as ah 9 area that would allow a soldier to makfr a living on 50 acres; ■ ‘ Mr J. J. Dougall said that the Lees / Valley ballot showed the need for ; t greater Government assistance. The;; limit was £SOO, but.no soldier could gcf|l to the Lees Valley ballot, without *; > guarantee of-£IOOO. The motion was carried. Speaking later, Mr T. Stone said that) 1 no man could take up 3000 acres with a backing of no more than £IOOO. HkV would require 500 sheep, apart front.)? buildings. It was placing the applicants in a false position. He knew of §SO acres close -to the terminus, of twp/ trains, and within four.br five milbs of:;;. Cathedral Square; subdivided would sottlo thirty returned, soldiers at; least. The committee should assist thtt small men. Those who were wqH. enough off to go'on 3000 aci;es'of land | would probably get assistance ffos£?;i their families in -any case to become, sqnatteys. ■ 1

— : — "■■■'%&% x •. . .; . ■/;••• *l- - CANTERBURY, SECTIONS, v 3

• -T - . [Pie Pbsss Amociattok.] ' TIMARU,- March 14. The Land Board,to-day by: baliotK disposed of five grazing rubs, a subdivision of. part of the Clayton ruH near Fqirlio, and :qne at Burkes Pass, to - discharged soldiers. - There were""' nine applicants for'the six runs. The • successful men are Messrs. Caskey, ‘‘ Jobes, Trotter and M’Connel (of Fair- j lie), Galing (of ana - Guinness (of Timaru). % For eight- farms in the Cricklcwood ■ soldier settlement there were only'-:-two applicants, and these were. given;; a farm each at the upset They arc. Messrs Horgan and Waddell,;v; both of Christchurch. , __ / '•■/