PROGRESSIVE WAIKATO

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15861, 5 December 1923, Page 6

PROGRESSIVE WAIKATO

KEREOHE AND ITS SOLDIER FARMERS

HARD WORK BRINGS RESULTS.

NEWS AND NOTES ABOUT THE DISTRICT.

(By our Special Commissioner

NO. 10.

During the course of a recen't speech at Glasgow, the British Prime Minister is reported by cable to have said that it was the duty of everyone to strive to lift 'the depressed standard of life. One of our own Cabinet Ministers, the Hon. IR. F. Bollard, said at 'Raglan last week that he knew the conditions the farmers had to put up with, and as long as he was a member of the Legislature he would see that they got a square deal and their fair share of benefits. There is little, doubt that the average farmer’s life in New Zealand during recent years has been one of a depressing nature, consequently his wife and family have suffered. A change is coming over things, and conditions are improving. These happenings have come to pass, ■however, mainly through the efforts and hard work of the farmers themselves. And what has the town dweller done to help? Has he really helped at all? The general impression of the avertage city man is that the farmer has a great time of it. As a matter of fact it is reasonable to suppose that the “man in the street” gives no thought to “ the man on the land ” at all when the country is prosperous and life goes on like a song. Let anything happen to the primary producer of this country' or his products, then the lownile is Hie first to complain. If prices are high the farmer is blamed. Jf food is scarce the farmer is blamed again. In fact the farmer is Mamed for almost everything. The mlajority of people \Vho complain do not know the conditions under which the farmer has lrad to live and work, in many cases is living and working to-day. “It is the duty of everyone to strive to lift the depressed standard of life.” In this respect the words which fell from the lips of the Hon. the Acting Minister for Lands were as encouraging as they were opportune to relumed soldier settlers as well as others.

Althoutrli die men who were fortunate in drawing sections on the Kerconc Estate were in a much better position to start with than I heir less fortunate comrades on Wairere and Mangateparu for instance, sti-ll they have had a struggle to keep going. And it is not all over yet. Despite the fact that they managed to get good land cheaply, they are not out of the wood financially, and if certain help :is not forthcoming some of them will be “bushed.’’ Out of 23 ■original soldier settlers on the estate, only 13 remain. Some have found it too hard to “make a do of it,” and have walked off their properties. Another has gone through the bankruptcy court, while one man at least has “Gone West" to his last resting place. Of those who remain practically all arc fighting and endeavouring to carry on. Perhaps the opinion is held that seeing how cheaply, in comparison, the Kereonc men went on the land, they should not be badly off. Neither they are; but the cost of materials at the time of occupation bias surely to be considered. Fencing wire was away up in the clouds as far as prices were concerned, whilst posts and everything else were correspondingly high in price. When the soldiers went on to the Kereone section, fencing wire was in the vicinity of £BO to £BS per ton. So it will be seen that their farms “ cost a bit,” and some of them to-day arc behind in their payments. As in the case of Mangateparu and Wairere, there is the “lead-swinger” in evidence, and he is not deserving of consideration in the slightest degree. But what about the man who has made a genuine attempt lo make a do of it? No doubt he is the one ito which the Acting Minister of Lands referred. And if has been just as hard for the average civilian farmer too. There is no mistaking the fact. Some or the latter have had a mighty hard struggle, and have not had assistance ol' any kind. They have fought and fought, together with their wo man folk to try to make ends meet. The returned soldier is by no means the only one who has been up against it . There are ■others. They have had little or no comforts l'or years. Facilities which the average town folk take as a matter of course have been denied them. Here agbin the words ol' the Minister are opportune. ■He said as long as lie was in Parliament he was going lo see that the people in the back areas of the country get. the facilities they so richly deserve. But why only as long as in Parliament? Should it not he the duly of citizens as well as members of Parliament to endeavour to help in every way to improve conditions fur (lie man on the land and his family? Again the question is asked: “ Who is the back-bone of New Zealand?” And the answer assuredly is, “Why, the man on the land, of course." It must not be thought for oiie moment that “100 much is being done for l.iie farmer." One might tas well say 100 much is being done for the lownile. No. the farmer to-day, in Die majority of cases, and especially the returned soldier settler, has been considerably handicapped. In the majority of cases he is making an honest attempt to do the best lie can. Especially is this state of affairs applicable to “ Progressive Waikato.” one has only to go about and meet these men and their families, see their properties, and look at what they have accomplished against odds; but more especially lo sec what they are attempting in order to make this land of increased production, and then it can be realised what the farmer is doing for New Zealand as well as for the Brilish Empire. His time is not yet, but it is surely c-oniing witii closer settlement. The biggest horses ore not ■the best travellers, dud plough or not plough the rent must be paid.

Kcreonc soldiers’ settlement was originally owned by the late Mr Ailken, one of whose sons paid the supreme sacrifice. It consists of a block of land approximately 2300 acres in the centre of a rich district, of the same name, stretching away between Morrinsville, Kiwitahi and Walton. The Auckland-Hamilton-Rotorua railway runs through the district, and the railway station is called Kiwitahi. As stated" in last Saturday’s article, this station should really be called Kereone. It is on the property, or at least much more handy to it than it is to Kiwitahi. The Kiwitahi factory, owned by the N.Z. Co-operative Dairy Company, is also in the Kereone district, and quite recently an up to date store has been erected on a site near the railway station. Kereone was practically given to the Government for a nominal sum, and the Lands Department sold it to the returned soldiers at an average price of about £l2 or £l3 per acre. Originally it was fattening land, and in places consisted of scrub and feru. The highest price paid by a returned soldier was £ls 10s per acre, and it cost this man at least £5 per acre to make his property clear. A civilian settler paid as high as £l7 per acre for his land, but it was practically all down in grass. It is country easily topdressed, and practically the whole of the estate is capable of being harrowed. It was a difficult matter to obtain the approximate number of settlers at Kereone for this reason: Whenever a district is being visited if there is a factory in existence then that is the first place called at. Next comes the school. When in the Kereone district, the usual call was made at the N.Z. Co-op. Dairy Co.’s f.ictory at Kiwitahi railway station. Immediately the writer’s business was made known the manager said, “Instructions have just been issued from headquarters in Hamilton that we are not to give newspaper men any information whatever.’’ Why this should be. the writer has not had the opportunity of finding out. It seems strange, however, that when making visits to other parts of “Progressive Waikato,” dairy factory people, such as at Richmond Downs and Motumaoho, have given every facility in order that all information about the district and the factory in particular could be gleaned. In the cases mentioned the farmers owned their own factories and weie proud of the records being put up.

Some Creditable Results. Most creditable results have been at mined by settlers at Kereone, as the following will show. The' average returned soldier’s farm consists of approximately 100 acres. One particular farm owned by three brothers who are returned soldiers, hut who did not lake up their land under the Returned • (Idlers’ Settlement Act, has been developed wonderfully. Four years ago Ibis farm was as rough as it possibly could he. Scrub, fern ami li-tree covered tlie Hats and hills, and tlie swamp was water-logged. These three brothers went in to tackle that 400 jicres in real earnest. Night and day they laboured, and soon the wilderness was transformed into a smiling landscape. They top-dressed with 3 cwt of high-grade superphosphate to pic acre, and drained their swamps.

It was thought that the bibs at the hack would never be any good, but these brothers determined to give it a go. What was originally stones and very rough country is now producing feed in abundance. Beautiful green paddocks meet the eye in every direction, and the grass and clover smell sweet. Much hay lias been won from the property, the stock and cows bearing ample evidence of systematic, careful handling and feeding. A great asset lias been “keeping pigs.” This particular class of farming lias been most profitable in "Progressive Waikato.” Not one man whom the writer has interviewed has' said that it did not pay him. It is a wonder that more production in this line is not undertaken. Certainly it is on the increase, and returned soldier settlers, in many instances, have said that “pigs have saved them.” The people on Kereone settlement are proud of the achievements of these brothers, whose fine little farm is characteristic of others in the district. Of course it must not be thought that it. has all beeu plain sailing. Hard times have been experienced, but the average man on Kereone, not alone the soldiers’ settlement, has had a stout heart, and helped by his wife he is doing the best he can—and all arc doing it well.

Typical Struggle for Existence. Here is the story of a struggle for existence which is typical. A man who had fought for his country and for the benefit of humanity took up 95 acres of Kereone land. Five years ago his return for the season amounted to £142. He almost gave up hope. He became down-hearted and had fully made up his mind to walk-off the place. He could not see daylight ahead of him. The struggle for existence was becoming too much. Day in and day out this state of things went on. He packed .up and went into Morrinsville determined never to go back. In his own words: “Things could go to —. What was the use? I never had any let up. It was getting me down and I went to the pub. It was a bean-o, and the next thing I remember was that I was back on my property. That was,four years ago, and I have been off it once since that time. Now lam milking 27 cows and my October cheque alone amounted to £72. I went into Morrinsville to cash it, and after paying back debts, interest and arrears, I came home with £3 in my pocket. I’m making good, and will do better. It’s worth it, and soon I hope to have my place clear. It’s a good game and can be made to pay, but I was pretty fed up with things at. the start. If there is any money to be given away by the new re-valuation committee I think I should have consideration. I’ve stuck t,o it and intend to do so. All I want is a little assistance." And then he went on screwing an inch and a-quar-tor pipe on which he was working, lie had just completed the operation of putting down a bore, 50ft deep, for water. He is one of the men the Government should help and there are others like him. Was the Advance Enough? Some of the soldiers have managed to scrape up enough money to build a fairly decent home. And why shouldn’t

Patience Has It 3 Reward.

they? Surely the Government did not expect these men to take thetr wives to shacks. They and their womenfolk are as civilised as the rest of New Zealanders. In the words of one of them, however, “The Government seems to have a down on the man who is getting on and who builds a decent house for his wife and family.” His wife who was standing .by added, “Yes, because a man thinks of the comfort of his wife and children the Government put a black mark against his name.” Whilst travelling through m the Kereone district the writer found w most of the returned men “contented enough,” but one and all gave the Impression that something was expected of the re-valuation committee’s visit. To sum up the situation, it appears that the Government advanced the returned soldier settlers just enough money to get him into trouble. All their money has gone into the land, consequently ready cash is scarce.

Patience is a bitter seed but ft yields a sweet fruit, and this is the case with the Kereone school. For a long time it was thought that it was never coming. A school was applied for on a proposed site. But nothing came of it. The Education Department took so long about coming to a decision that the settlers took matters into their own hands. Mr Ramsay gave a site, and working bees were formed, the result being that a hall was erected, the labour for which cost only £4. Even this amount would not have been incurred had it not been for the fact that hay-making season arrived and the enterprising settlers could not quite complete the job. As soon as the hall was built a teacher was applied for, and Kereone’s t educational institution was opened during February last with 27 scholars on the roll. To-day there are 30 children in attendance. It is confidently asserted that the number would have been more had it not been for the fact that some families left the district because of the lack of educational facilities, or at least on account of the length of time taken by the Department to come to a decision. Now the Department have to pay rent to the hall committee which under ordinary circumstances would have helped to pay interest and sinking fund on the capital value of a school. The site would have cost the Government nothing. Morrlnsvllle-Kereone Road. In order to get to Kereone by road from Morrinsville one has to either proceed through Kiwitahi or else make a long detour In the direction of To Aroha. A suggestion has been put forward that a road alongside the railway line would be a feasible proposition as well as a great advantage to the district. The distance from ■Morrinsville >to Kiwitahi (Kereone) railway station is five miles. By the round-about method of locomotion at present having to be undertaken, the distance is about 10 miles through Kiwitahi and over 11 miles “out in the direction of.Te Aroha." By making the proposed road, Morrinsville would he brought closer to Kereone and the “bottom end of Kiwitahi” by at least four miles. Speaking of roads the Kereone district is well favoured on the whole. Here the main means of transport are at least graded. In this respect the relumed soldiers on Kereone arc very much better off than their comrades on Mangateparu. Metal is the great, ’ drawback, however, and it likely to be some time before the settlers in the Kereone district will s have good winter roads to travel on. (To be continued on December 8.)