Soldiers' Land

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 80, 9 August 1923, Page 5

Soldiers' Land

TARANAXI SETTLEMENTS. ■ ■ C"-.' '•■•"' The Taranaki land district report on soldier settlement includes the following:— '■We--find that almost all the troubles of fcoldier settlers are attributed to the y slump in stock and produce following the ■'■• inflated values ruling when the settlement scheme was launched; We find that every precaution was taken in the appointment by the Government of men as valuers who had great'experience as .farmers, and who were accepted and valuers by the banks and' investors lending money oji the security,of the, land. That mistakes were made in some cases is proved, but in almost all instances the department purchased under the selling prices then ruling, and vendors in many cases accepted and soldiers gave second mortgages for the balance over the price paid by the department In the case of land which was purchased in excess of its value. No suggestion of anything corrupt can be sustained. An hon- j est error o£ Judgment was made by men 1 whose interest in the welfare of j the returned soldiers was undoubted:

' The special settlements are in difficulties and we have submitted a return on each settlement. In the majority of cases the solders hung on in the hope of better times. A balance-sheet of the business shows that a great many of them had only a poor living off their farms during the slump. With few exceptions the soldiers will make good settlers and the percentage of failures will not be. greater' than those, recorded in the, past history pf the: land settlement, when the abnormal times are taken into consideration. ifoat' heavy''losses will have to be faced by the department is certain, but thiae'ls also the experience of , stock and station agents and all institutions making advances on the security of land and stock. The number of "wasters" now on soldiers' farms is small and they will soon be replaced by genuine farmers.

One pleasing feature is the number of men who are "making good" at dairy farming, who have had little or no experience. Our inspection proves that the small dairy farm, compoaed of land of good quality, is the best proposition for the soldier settler,;.The placing of soldiers on bush land (unimproved) is a mistake and their, prospects of success are not good. Bush land is difficult to farm ana returns are small for some years..

We have .been surprised at the high cost of roading some of the settlements (Croydon for example), and this loaded on the sections, coupled with the high cost of buildings and fencing, caused land bought at a very reasonable price to be very dear land for the soldiers. We have also met cases where • soldiers have been put on bush sections with from 100 to 200 acres in grass and 300 to 400 acres i n bush. They required sufficient extra finance to fell 100 acres more to put the farm on a paying basis, but being up to their limit this was impossible, A little elasticity in regard to finance woijld make these men successful farmers.