STATE FARM AT LEVIN

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1151, 23 March 1894, Page 36

STATE FARM AT LEVIN

The Minister for Labour (Hon W. P. Beeves), accompanied by Mr J. Mackay, of the Labour Bureau, and the Minister's private secretary, Mr G. Robison, paid a visit of inspection to the State farm at Levin on Saturday morning. On arriving at the road leading to the farm the party met with an agreeable surprise in the shape of a triumphal arch, which had been erected over the road by the dwellers in the new settlement in honour of tinMinister's visit. The arch, which was tastefully decorated with ferns, nikau palms and other bush foliage, bore the inscription in large letters, " Welcome to State Farm," while in the centre were two crossed long-handled shovels, at one end an axe, and at the other a grubber. Mr A. L. Winterburn, manager of the farm, who was accompanied by Mr Wild, surveyor, of Palmerston North, heartily welcomed the Minister to the settlement, and further along the road the men, 25 in number, who had stopped work for the occasion, were drawn up in line, and greeted the Minister with ringing cheers.

The Hon Mr Reeves delivered a short address, saying he hoped the men would assist the Government to make the farm a success. The Government had determined to give the venture an honest trial, and it would depend wholly on the men themselves to promote the welfare of the farm. Jt was the first farm of the kind ever inaugurated by any Government in the colonies, and all the other colonies were watching the experiment with the greatest interest, as was shown by the fact that man}' of the delegates to the Postal Conference had made special enquiries with regard to it, and expressed regret that time would not allow them to personally inspect the mode of operations. Mr Reeves then asked whether the men had any suggestions to make or any grievances to ventilate—a query which was met with v. request from the day-wages men that they might be allowed a half-holiday on Saturdays.

The Minister acceded to the request, and the men then dispersed and resumed their usual work, such as road-making, bush-falling, preparing' ground for an orchard, fencing, splitting posts, etc. The Minister and Mr Mackay found the families of the settlement contented. The wives of the settlers expressed themselves as highly satisfied with their lot: their children, they said, were within easy reach of school, and everything was going smoothly. The party next explored the neighbouring bush for the purpose of noting the quality of the land, which'proved to be highly satisfactory. On returning they did full justice to lunch, served in proper bush style. The next move was to Horowhemia Lake and the Maori pah, the party being accompanied by Mr Hector Macdonald, a neighbouring squatter. Several of the leading members of the tribe were absent owing to recent deaths in neighbouring tribes, but the Minister had a short conversation with some of the head men, who spoke in terms of satisfaction of the steps the Government are taking to settle the Native land, and promised their assistance in effecting that object. The party then returned to the farm, making their way thence back to Levin, and returned to Wellington by the late train on Saturday night. Favoured by fine weather the manager of the farm succeeded in getting a splendid burn, which will add considerably to the area of cleared land, which it is intended to lay down in grass. The settlers are now living in tents, but they are making arrangements with the local sawmillers to supply timber for the purpose of erecting rough houses before the bad weather sets in.