Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBOREN, MONDY, FEBRUARY 2, 1920. SOLDIER SETTLEMENT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15131, 2 February 1920, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBOREN, MONDY, FEBRUARY 2, 1920. SOLDIER SETTLEMENT.

The war is fast sinking in-jtp. past history aaid the repatriation, of practically ali the soldiers who .went from this district and who the campaign has been completed, but as. yet . the Government has not gucceeeded m pitting, one returned mam uppii land' which it hae bought for soldier settlement. This is a record for dilatoriness which, we imagine, it would be hard to beat iv any, part of New Zealand or m aaiy. British Dominion). It was exceedingly difficult to get the Government- to realise its responsibilities towarda the njen who went from this district to fight for king ya-nd Empire, and only ' after repeated, representations from the district and much agitation, were they persua^edi ■to purchase a small block of land foi* the purpose of subdivision into a few. farms for allocation to returned men. Now, '. as an esteemed correspondent points out m .a letter published an this issue, the difficulty is to get the Government to throw this land open. Not only ;in "this district, but m; Wii-: roa. have blocks purchased by the Crown been allowed to lie.* •idle for months after being; . taken oyer . jay .:■ the State. Departmental " circunJdcUtioin moves very slowly' and reius^' to/be hurried..; Meantime, distinct disadvantage is accruing b6th to the State and to the future tenants of the State.' -The correspondent: asserts that the survey *bf the' Repongaere block was completed six month's ago and that if the Gfoyernment had b6en prompt m its methods of settlement the land would have'beeflL ocou- , pied, and stock could hayei. t&en purchased by the soldier "settlers oh-; a.favorable market, whereas prices -have riow advanced 25 per cetat. &nd stock" -is very difficult to obtain. The- G-QVernp^nt, spnrrcfl by this reminder, wiH probably contrive ,to» have the selections /tenanjied by the time wih^r arrives, but "the 'pTO.*T-' ; peets for the. soldier 'lads 'then 'ifo&ihg a start will not be nearly so en'tionra^ing a.<j they would have"^een^had' 'the l&md.beeh available at the beginning' ot the year. , Not only will' stock Be. costly and ' difficult ito obtain, but .labor,*kfaifencing material '^have. gone up irt'price, and .as for the erection of homesteads, the* delay of .six months has involve^ a very considerable extra outlay. Meantime nrnch valuable feed on the -property which might have been converted into cash ia! going. to.waSt6. - ThdVßepoi ngaere purchaser affords a good . illußtta--tion of the calloUsn&feß of the Government with -respect, to the requirements of this district,..? Matters. •< "cohc^r^mg Poverty Bay, whether; they. . be 'roads and bridges, . railways, •.o^ v l^h4. a»lUement, can always' be, ..put', : on*Vo#e\ siSey The place is far {enough. away from'-the bureaucratic*, centre' at , Wellingt.O|i,; tlje people are. easy-gdihg and! complacent, tliere is, ho" occasion) for hurry. The, delay m .tl'll9 particular instance, how-, ever, means 7 much to the- yourng : men of the district who are seeking, to mako homes prt the land ; their patience as almost exhausted and many of them are inclined to drift aWay to other' parts where land is more readily av'ailableV - It is distinctly againfet the interests olf the district -that . these fine young fellows, with knowledge and, experience, jof. om- local conditions, should be allowed i> to gf> away, and it is the duty of the Government to find them • the land which is so urgently required-, We do not believe the resources of the Government hf,ve beeh exhausted m this inspect by any means. A Vfioie opportunity was allowed to let slip -frhefr'the generous offer of Mr. John Clark with; regard to a portion *of the .'-'.f^aiproii'V estate -was turned down' "by -a- Minister of La-mis tota-ly unacquainted -r^itifr farming condition^., on the ; Ekst CBast) who failed to see the suitability of ' the property for settlement, to which every practical man w 0 have conversed r -wWx on, the' subject' has attested.V' v Depa-rt'* r mental macnl*nery;;shoxdd KaVe b(9ert--Hei' vised for the prompt settlem'eni;V^F > blocks after they, have been acquire*! and surveyed. Delays* and ' uncertainty* .with regard to the prospects of getting lands are most unsettKng to the rain-da of the returned soldiers, and they are all more or less m despair of getting a helping hand from the ■ Government. The Ministry should not' be allowed to remain under" the impression that the purchase of /the* Repongaere estate and of a few acres at 1 Tolaga Bay will satisfy the legitimate requirement! of young men from this district, V-wfoiy^eMi : through the hell, of warf are^iit i.omfrthat the people of this Dominion might dwell m, security. It is incumbent oh tho State that our war veter'tinis,''whQ have knowledge and experience of farming, or- a desire to acquire such, should he helped to become producers, and po far as the East <Q>ast is concerned -a , much more vigorous, policy of land settlement- must be* instituted. * The people should see to it, and especially the Returned.'Soldiers' and suah * bodies as tlie Chamber of Commerce and the East Coast 'Development League * that the) Government is stirred up ©n every possible occasion, until it has giv«i an adequate and square , deal • to the sol, .dier sons of Poverty . B^ny,