RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 October 1915, Page 8

RETURNED SOLDIERS.

PROVISION FOR THEIR WELFARE. A FARMING SCHEME. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A suggestion and a generous offer have been made by Mr. G. P. Donnelly, of Hawkes Bay, in connection with the settlement of returned soldiers on the land. Writing to the Prime Minister, Mr. Donnelly suggests that the present Land for Settlement Act should be so amended as to allow the creation of a Military Board, consisting of the Minister fo"r Lands, the Crown Land Commissioners, and five or six independent landed proprietors. One district might extend from the Tauranga, Rotorua, and Taupo : districts to the Manawatu Stream, thus including large areas which at the present time are lying practically idle and unproductive. Mr. Donnelly suggests the names of farmers who might serve on the board, and the first step should be the establishment of a military depot. For this purpose some private land might be purchased and worked in conjunction with several large blocks of Crown land in the Petane district. The | board would collect funds, and gifts of sheep, cattle, and horses, and would arrange to have the farms ready stocked and fit for occupation by men returning from the front. The soldiers would have the opportunity then to become prosperous settlers. The Imperial Government had settled soldiers on the land in the Auckland district after the Maori wars, and the system had been highly successful. Similar work was most successfully carried out by Hon. J. D. Ormond. When he was Superintendent of Hawkes Bay all the bush lying between Takapau and Woodville was cleared by the settlers, and they not only cleared their own lands, fenced them, and grassed them, but also made their own roads and assisted in building rtihvays. Mr. Donnelly said he thought he was safe in saying that in both Islands a quarter of a million pounds would be subscribed for returned wounded soldiers, and he also felt certain that every farmer, runholder, merchant, and storekeeper would help by giving something to go towards stocking, grassing, and fencing the farms, thus saving the Government from the necessity of imposing taxations. If his proposal were carried out, he would be prepared to give £IOOO cash and 1000 two and four-tooth ewes (when required), 15 rams, 50 two-year-old heifers, 1 Shorthorn or Polled Angui bull, 1 thoroughbred stallion, and 5 mares, besides fowls and about £SO worth of station stores.

In order to carry out this scheme it would be necessary, said Mr. Donnelly, to have good storage room arranged for in all the principal centres of both Islands, in charge of an officer and staff, to receive all goods, and military camp depots, to have a similar staff, to receive all stock when required. He would suggest that the area of land to be given to each individual should be in accordance with his rank, viz., privates, an area when fenced and grassed to carry 1000 breeding ewes; non-coms., an area when fenced and grassed to carry 1200 breeding ewes; lieutenants, an area when fenced and grassed to carry 1400 breeding ewes; captains, an area when fenced and grassed to carry 1500 breeding ewes; colonels, an area when fenced and grassed to carry 1700 breeding ewes; generals, an area when fenced and gTassed to carry 2000 breeding ewes. The majority of the land would be second and third class, and he would also recommend that the ballot be done away with, and every section drawn for to ensure every man getting a block.