ADVANCES TO SETTLERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 April 1930, Page 8

ADVANCES TO SETTLERS.

It was somewhat remarkable to ■ find a Minister of the Crown announcing that the'public were not fully aware of the extent to which the Government is prepared to go in the way of advances to Crown tenants. The Minister of Public Works, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, made this assertion recently, and proceeded to make clear how generously the State is prepared* to help the settler who is doing his best to bling back into use land that lias become .deteriorated after its first clearing. There can be no question but that the terms are fairly liberal. Rent may be waived for a period up to ten years, provided a sum equivalent to the rental is spent on fertilisers, but that is not the whole of the assistance offered. Any Crown tenant who can show permanent. improvements on his holding is entitled to an advance of 96 per cent, of their value. If that advance, or portion of it, is used to make still more permanent improvements, a further advance of 90 per cent, can be procured on tho additional improvements, until advances, totalling £1250 have been received. It is quite evident that these are exceptional terms, for repayment of the advances is also made as easy as possible. Interest is low and repayment is spread over a long scries of years. The Minister also expressed his sympathy with local authorities who w6re doing their best to open up further lands for settlement by providing metalled roads with the backbloeks. If in this he interprets the views of the Government, and a reading policy is to be pursued vigorously, then two of the greatest aids to settlement will be available. They are the provision of cheap capital and reasonable means of access. It is hard to say which of the two is the more important, but with both offered there should be considerable. stimulation jn land settlement.