BACK TO THE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15235, 24 February 1913, Page 8

BACK TO THE LAND.

RESULT. OF AN EXPERIMENT. STATE-AIDED SETTLERS,, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE' GIVEN, [BY TELEGRAPH. oW>' COSHES FONDEST Wellington*, Sunday. The story to date of an interesting departure in land settlement is told in a report which h,is just been furnished by the Lands Department, to the Hon. VV. p Massey (Prime Minister and Minister for Lands). The report deals with the improved farm settlements which -were established during the winter of 1900, .'hen,a considerable number of men were out of employment owing to various causes, the principal ones being reduction in expenditure on public works, retrenchment in the Public Service and, it was stated, general financial stringency. A Time of Depression. In order to afford the unemployed married men with families dependent on them an opportunity of establishing themselves on small holdings, the report continues the Government decided to set aside blocks of land for settlement under the Lands Improvement and. Native Lands Acquisition Act, 1894. The conditions under which the lands were allotted, briefly stated, were: (a) Selector to reside and improve his holding under an agreement with the Minister for Lands; (b) payment to selector for bushfelling, ploughing, draining, and grassing; (c) advances for buildings and improvements on their own holdings. They were, in many cases, further assisted by being employed upon the road works necessary to give access to the sections in the settlements. Farm Settlements Established. Six improved farm settlements were established. These were: In the Auckland district, Ran gi to to No. 1. of 52 holdings (6809 acres); llangitoto No. 2, 18 holdings (3351 acres); Korakonui, 16 holdings (2781 acres); in the Taranaki district the Tan git u settlement of 88 holdings * (14,232 acres) and the Mapara settlement of 38 holdings (6344 acres); in the Wellington district the North Waimarino settlement of 102 holdings (14,293 acres); totals 314 holdings of 47,810 acres. The two Taranaki settlements were proclaimed in 1309 and others in 1910.

Some Failures Inevitable, It was inevitable, the report continue!!, that some of the settlers would fail even

under the liberal terms under which hold*

ings were allotted. When sections reverted to the Crown, the unemployed difficulty having disappeared, they were not again allotted, but were withdrawn from the settlement and opened on t.he optional system. Altogether 35 sections containing 5559 acres were so withdrawn from the

six settlements, owing largely to the impecunious state of the settlers, the difficulties of access, and also probably to the settlers' lack of experience in breaking in bush country, and the settlements were threatened with failure. „

Difficulties to be Paced. > '" The Department was therefore obliged to step in and purchase stock for the most K needy ones, who had not obtained ; their titles and were therefore unable to raise . funds on the security of their holdings. In the Wellington district the North Waimarino settlement contained a large quantity of marketable timber, winch pre- , M vented the sections from being immedi- v ately occupied, and the arrangements made 1 -< with sawmillersi to cut the timber upon - ;-2 payment of royalty has by delaying occupancy occasioned delay in bringing some - of the sections ■ into grass. Speaking gen-'. - 5 erally, however, grass ■ us plentiful, but v stock was scarce. Taking into considera- ' tion the weak financial state of the settlers, j and tjfe fact that it they were not as- J'/H sisted the grass on most of the holdings would go to waste,'it was decided' to purcase for their use, cows which - were secured to the Crown by stock mortgages. £=1 Purchases of Stock. In respect of the Taranaki settlements -S of Tangitu and Mapara authority was issued for the purchasa of 620 cows at a cost of £3500, the number of settlors as-*->. /■. sisted being 75. . In the case of Nbrbh Waimarino, authority was given to purchase 300 cows for 38 settlers; at a cost of £1500, and in th% case of the Auckland settlements of Kara- ; , konui and Rangitofo Nos. 1 and 2, authority was given for the purchase of 220 cows ffi. for 27 settlers, at a cost of £1250. To"-/-date 75 settlers in the Taranaki settlements ,|# have been provided with 616 cows, at a *s2j cost of £3546; in North Waimarino, 26 ;i:j settlers have been provided with 178 cows.. j at a cost of £992, and in the case of the - Auckland settlements, 13 settlers have been prodded with 142 cows, at a cost of £660. By instructions from. Mr. Mas- if! sey, £3000 worth 'of dairy, stock was pur*, chased for the settlers during the early part of the present summer. Nineteen V. »- settlers in Taranaki have paid ofx £630, • ■ thus redeeming their bills of sale. '