Physically Unfit Men Cannot Become Farmers

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7059, 6 November 1929, Page 4

Physically Unfit Men Cannot Become Farmers

DEPARTMENT’S EXPERIENCE Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The economic pensions committee appointed to inquire into tho conditions and circumstances of physically and economicaly incapacitated soldiers opened its Wellington sitting to-day, evidence being given by John Henry O’Donnell, Controller of Accounts in the Lands and Su vcy Department. He said that unfortunately, a number of the soldier settlers were inexperienced and physically unfit to carry on farming on a large scale, and before deterioration set in it became n.eeessa y to realise. He considered the land purchased should be of tlie best quality and in the vicinity of the large centres of population. The department was meeting with some success with the settlement of selected men on small areas, for which purchasers were arranged privately with Gove nment finance. Out of 722 men settled or assisted on small farms, there were 179 failures, or 24.8 per cent.

The biggest percentage of failures had been in poultry farming, which averaged 37.8 pe cent., small fruit farming 19.2 per cent., ana market gardening, 13 per cent.