THE POLICY IN SOUTH AFRICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11999, 23 June 1902, Page 6

THE POLICY IN SOUTH AFRICA.

THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS.

Lord Milner stated to the Boer leaders the following as the Government's proposals: — 1. Recognition of pre-war titles to farms.

2. Fixed tenures of land. 3. No back-rent charges. 4. Special encouragements for crop-raising. 5. Network of light railways to connect farms with markets. 6. Establishment of an agricultural bureau. 7. Complete irrigation scheme under Government engineers. 8. Facilities to acquire farming machinery. 9. Allotment of suitable uncultivated land to new settlers. 10. Free conveyance of new colonists by Government transports to the Cape. 11. Equal rights to all holders. Loans, restocking, non-infliction of war tax, and the payment of debts out of capital and revenue are, of course, declared part of the Government policy. The proposals which Lord Milner makes aim at the transformation of the veldt into a busy community of actual crop-raising farmers from the day that peace is declared. Shiploads of "young blood and fresh ideas" will overran the spare land, and in due time farm engines will throb where such were never seen before, and light railway lines will loop up districts which are to-day practically outside the influence of modern civilisation methods.

The Land Settlement Board, composed of ex-burghers under Mr. R. V. Webster, who has just been appointed its chief by Lord Milner, is actively engaged arranging for all the details of land regeneration, and they report that the farmers now in the districts view the fixity of land tenures as the real road to land cultivation, as under the old Government the uncertain holding of farms stifled enterprise and rendered the sinking of money and labour into the land risky and economically unsound. The new bureau of information will advise upon all farming subjects, and special efforts will be made to get the land under cultivation instead of, as now, being used for grazing purposes. Experts will determine the character of the soil oil holdings, and recommend what ought to be sown, and quick and cheap transport by light rail will enable the farmer to put his produce upon the market at a profit, an advantage now impossible owing to the lack of communications.

Laud inspectors appointed by Lord Mikier are to address the farmers in the various districts, pointing out the profits which will accrue to them by produce cultivation for markets which will be made easy of access. Already numbers of burghers have agreed to sow and reap, as well as to raise cattle, and the advice and assistance which are being given them by the Land Settlement officials are having a marked result. Apart from the old holdings the rich uncultivated land of the veldt is to be marked out into farms, and will be allotted to new settlers approved by the Land Settlement ■Board. The districts will thus embrace equal populations of Boer and Briton, and the modern methods of the latter cannot fail to influence the older fanners, who will have a foster-mother, as it were, in the agricultural bureau, which will obtain for them all that they require for profitable farming. An office will be opened, probably in London, where intending colonists can make preliminary arrangements. These settlers will be sent free to the Cape, and in order to carry this out at the cheapest possible cost the Colonial. Office is now arranging that the transports which bring the troops home shall take back consignments of settlers, who will take up their holdings at once, and people the lonely veldt with a busy working population.