SOLDIER SETTLEMENT

Southland Times, Issue 18623, 22 August 1919, Page 5

SOLDIER SETTLEMENT

REVIEW OF WORK DONE. MR MASSEY’S STATEMENT. (Special to the Times). WELLINGTON, August 21. In the course of an interview the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Massey) made an interesting statement in regard to the subject of discharged soldiers’ land settlement and gave a review of the operations of the Department up to date. Mr Massey stated that since his return to New Zealand he had noticed various criticisms indicating that the Government was not displaying keen activity in placing soldiers on the land. Mr Massey said (hat much of this criticism did not take sufficient regard of the fact that much of the Crown land now available was poor country, which could not be regarded as being suitable for soldiers’ settlements. Another point also was the inclination of the soldiers themselves for particular classes of land. Reviewing the work of the Department, Mr Massey pointed out that up to 1916 there was practically no demand for land by returned soldiers, owing to there being so few of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who had returned up to March 31 of that year. At March 31, 1917, however, 334 soldiers had been settled on the land and on the same date in 1918 G3S. At July 31 last no fewer than 2057 men had been settled. These figures showed that 1419 men were placed on the land by the Department over a period of sixteen months, quite irrespective of the financial authorisations to 3332 soldiers during the same period. It had been stated that the soldiers settled by the Department were in substitution of ordinary settlement and that they would not, therefore, serve to increase production. In reply the Prime Minister pointed out that 644 men had been placed on 570,591 acres of virgin Crown landf?, which were now being brought into cultivation, while 625 men had been placed on sub& divided estates, where the more intense cultivation was naturally making the land produce very much more than it did before sub-division.

Regarding the provision of the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act, 1917, which enabled a soldier to purchase and improve the property, he said that in several instances two or more soldiers were purchasing a single property under the provisions of this Act. It might be pointed out that even where the soldier replaced an experienced farmer, he went into the property with capital provided by the Government for stock, etc., and was in an even better position to make the section produce to its maximum capacity, than the original owner, who in turn, with the capital provided by the transfer, was in a position to take up unimproved land. Regarding the settlement of unimproved land, Mr Massey pointed out that the whole of the Crown lands in the dominion had been reported upon and scheduled and the remaining suitable blocks would be subdivided and settled at the earliest possible date, yp to the present one hundred private estates had been purchased for subdivision for soldiers (excluding native blocks), for-ty-eight of which were at present being surveyed and roaded prior to being offered for selection. In addition thirty-seven private properties had been acquired by the Government for individual soldiers or groups of soldiers under the provisions of the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act, 1917. At the present date there were 408 sections aggregating 152,910 acres of good Crown and settlement lands open for eelec-

tion and in addition there were ever ’ 30.000 acres of poorer land subdivided and roadc-d for selection should a demand arise. The Department was also withholding 10.000 acres of good scrub and bush lands in the Wanganui County which had also been subdivided and prepared for settlement in case it should be required for co-opera-tive work. In conclusion Mr Massey said that he wished to emphasise the fact that it was his earnest desire as well as that of his colleague. the Minister of Lands, and the Officers of his Department, to do everything possible to hasten the settlement of the returned men on the land and at the same time, in the interests of production, to bring about as far as possible the opening up of the remaining Crown and Native lands and the subdivision of large holdings. Mr Massey stated that he had already publicly stressed the great necessity of increasing production in order to meet the heavy war impost that had been placed on the dominion. Large areas of land could not be allowed to remain unproductive and determined and sustained efforts by legislation and otherwise must be made to bring such land to profitable cultivation. He was extremely desirous of providing financial assistance to bring in the swamp, pumice and gum lands of the dominion, but of course a policy of that kind could only be carried out with the approval of Parliament in voting adequate funds for the purpose.