UNEMPLOYED SETTLEMENT SCHEME.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 9682, 26 April 1893, Page 2

UNEMPLOYED SETTLEMENT SCHEME.

PUTTTIS'G MEN ON LAND.

[PKR FR3HS ASSOCIATION. |

Wellington, April 26 — The Cabinet decided that several blocks of land of inodorato sizo <a the Wellington, Taranaki, Olago, and Southland districts shall be set aside for tho purpose of being treated as unemployed farms. The intention of the Government is to havo the land cleared by able-bodied men selected from ranks of tho unemployed, who are to roceivo fair rate pay for the work. After tho land is cleare iit will be au,b-divided into smalll holdings which tho men will be allowed to settle on if thoy so desire at four per cent rental. The Government consider this scheme to bo a a poworful factor in enabling thorn to deal with the unemployed difficulty this winter. The Cabinet Ins set apart £10,000 for this unemployed settlement scheme, and suitable areas for tho experiment have been seloctod, as follows :— 2500 acres, Auckland District, on the road between Oxford and Rot rua ; 2500 acres, Taranaki District, at Urenui; 2200 acres, Wellington District, eastward of the Rangitikei rivor, and westward of the new upecul Bottlemsnt blocks at Marton, being a piece of land at ono limo chosen for a State f«rm, but subsequently abandoned; 1500 acres, Otago District, on the road betweon Catlin's River and Waikawa, on the rivor Clnsland; an tier block will probably bo selected on Cutlin's River; 1200 acres, in Southland District, westward of tho Waian and near its mouth. Tho scheme is to extend over four yoare. As soon as necessary arrungotneats can bo o fleeted' a start will be ma'e, probably this week, with laying out the block in tho Wellington district, and patiosof men will be cliOßon to take up bushfelling contracts. None but strong able bodiod men will be accoptod. It is estimated thoee blocks will bo obtained by working men under this scheme at about throe shillings an acre, or slightly over this rate.