[From the Otago Daily Times.] TILLAGE SETTLEMENTS AND LABOUR COLONIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2171, 3 October 1895, Page 3

[From the Otago Daily Times.] TILLAGE SETTLEMENTS AND LABOUR COLONIES.

Mr J. E. March, superintendent of settlements, who was recently commissioned by the New Zealand Government to visit the village settlements and labour colonies in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, has furnished an interesting report to the Minister for Lands. Mr Maeoh made observations of a fuller nature than those recorded in Mr Beeves's letter to the Premier, which we noticed a few weeks ago, and it is likely enough that the report now before us may be of use to the Government and Parliament of this colony in furthering the work of land settlement. In New South Wales comparatively little has been done. An Act was passed in 1893 to establish labour settlements on Crown lands, but the settlements have not been a success financially, and the reason for this Mr Maboh finds in the manner of their formation and the quality of the soil. We have not space for much detail, but it is clear that too many people have been placed on poor land, and that many of the men were without experience. An improvement is hoped for, but that is all that can be said. It is noteworthy that a co-operative settlement at Wilberforce promptly failed. " One side locked up the tools so that the other side should not use them. There was a dispute as to who owned the cows, and while the dispute was going on the cows were not milked." It is not surprising to read that "the Wilberforce Labour Settlement is not now co-operative. The land has been subdivided and allotted to the settlers." New South Wales is behindhand in regard to rational methods of dealing with the unemployed. We read of unremunerative work for mere rations — 653 men doing in two days what a pair of horses and a scoop could do in one, — but there is plenty of land suitable for settlement, and Mr Maech thinks that the time for a Land for Settlements Act has arrived. Unfortunately, the number of professional loafers and rogues is very large. There is one favourable circumstance, however, well worth mentioning just now. The Mineß department, in conjunction with « the Labour Bureau, has assisted a large number of men who were willing to go fossicking on the old goldfields, and " there is evidence that a large number of these men have succeeded, in the fact that no less than 600 families have been sent to join their husbands " (sic). !Mr Maeoh's wording is peculiar, but the meaning is clear and the evidence Satisfactory. More has been done in Victoria.

The -village communities in that colony differ from the village settlements in New Zealand in that greater assistance is given by way of loan to settlers, while the freehold can be obtained at the end of 20 years if all amounts duo to the Crown have been paid. Here, again, we have not space to give details, but the settlements have been successful in those cases where the men have been industrious and the soil good ; but in many cases the soil is poor, while the settlers are not of the right class. An interesting account is given of the work now going on in connection with the drainage and settlement of the swamp at Koo-wee-rup— an area of 52,900 acres. The work is being carried out on the alternative system, the men working for a fortnight on the drainage and a fortnight on their allotments, and it is hoped that when the drainage is finished, in the course of three years, the allotments will suffice for the maintenance of the settlers. The homestead associations (combinations of not less than six) have not been a success. On the other hand, the labour colony at Leongatha is an interesting experiment, arid since it was entirely taken over by the Government it has apparently progressed satisfactorily. The colony was started in June 1893, and 1307 men have been sent to it from the streets of Melbourne, though at the time of Mr March's visit only 113 were on the land. The objects of the colony are to provide work for the unemployed, to enable citizens to direct the unemployed to a place where they can obtain shelter and work, and to instruct men who are inexperienced in work on the land. Mr March contrasts the state of things in Sydney and Melbourne. In Sydney relief is temporary — no lasting good is done ; in Melbourne the applicant for relief is at once tested by an offer of work on the labour colony. But it is concerning South Australia that Mr March, like Mr Reeves, has the most flattering tale to tell. The number of homestead blockers is 3337, representing a population of over 10,000, and of this number 2857 hold their land under right of purchase, the remainder being under perpetual lease. It is feared, however, that the right of purchase may defeat the ends of settlement, as " many of the holders will dispose of their blockf- to adjoining landholders on expiry of the first six years, when they can complete purchase." Mr March: is very enthusiastic about the village settlements of South Australia. "Itis an entirely new departure, not only in land legislation, but also in assisting the unemployed, and endeavouring to provide a permanent cure by utilising land with unutilised I labour. To lift, as it were, from the streets and byways of a city an array of men, women, and children, many of them comparatively quite destitute, place them on land, which by irrigation, can be made most productive, assist them to accomplish this by aiding them to obtain the requisite plant and machinery" — this is undoubtedly a worthy object, and the South Australian Government, aided by private philanthropists, have pursued it with no small success. The settlers are said to be going the right way about their business, and though assistance (which is given both by the Government and by private persons) will be required for another year, it ia expected that the settlements will become selfsupporting. Money has already been advanced by the Government to an amount equivalent to. over £25 for each settler — an advance of £50 per settler being allowed by the Act. The money is repayable in i 0 annual instalments, but the first instalment is not payable until the expiration of three years from the date of the advance. Under the heading " What may be done in New Zealand," Mr Marcii enforces what lie regards as the lessons of his observations. With a view to the permanent solution of the " unemployed " problem he recommends: (1) That settlement should be vigorously promoted in country districts on the village homestead system, and land acquired for the same purpose near large centres. (2) That the regulations under improved settlement farms should be made more generally known, and married men be granted an advance of .£2O (as a loan) towards building a house. (3) The institution of works ' similar to those at Koo-wee-rup— i.e., the draining of Crown lands under the alternative system. (4) The establishment of labour colonies. Mr March would like to see three labour colonies, each for a separate purpose :—: — (a) A colony on bush land to provide work for the unemployed and to give instruction to the inexperienced. The work here would be temporary, (b) A colony on open land to provide

permanent homes for men past the prime of life -who can do a little work and who wish not to be paupers, (c) A colony for the class of men who are constantly on the tramp looking for work, and who are not adapted to take up land on their own account. We have been obliged to summarise these suggestions in somewhat bald form, but the arguments in the report are well worthy of consideration ; as is also Mr March's reminder that the annual winterwork funds have a tendency to bring men from the country into the towns. Finally Mr March quotes statistics with a view of showing that the village homestead system iniliatod by Mr Ballance has been a distinct J success. We commend this report to all who are interested in the question of settlement and the problem of industrial congestion.