LAND SETTLEMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19758, 13 December 1935, Page 9

LAND SETTLEMENT.

BIG BRITISH SCHEME. STRONG FLNANCIAL SUPPORT. Advice has been received in Hamilton by those Interested in the Waikato Land Settlement Society’s operations of a big land settlement scheme at Home apparently on much tlie same basis ns that adopted here. The Laud Settlement Association, Ltd., with head office at Broadway, Westminster, lias been established to settle 2000 families from Hie unemployed on land during the next two . years. Families will be settled in groups of about 40. The men will draw unemployment pay for the first year, during which they will be trained under skilled supervision. Working capital will be provided, partly as a free gift and partly as a loan, which will bo free of interest, repayments to bo spread over 10 years. Seven estates have been purchased, of a total area of about 2000 acres. It Is proposed to purchase 14 more. The first estate, of 560 acres, valued at £25,000, was given by Mr P. Alalcolm Stewart, who has been appointed by Hie Government as commissioner for the special areas of England and Wales, with very wide powers. Air Stewart is chairman of the Associated Portland Cement Company, and also of the Amalgamated Brick Companies. The entire pros gramme of lho association will entail | I an expenditure of about £ 1 .ooo.tioo. i , The cost of .settling each family is j . estimated to be about £750. j ( Donations amounting lo nearly I , £250,000 have been received or pro- | mised, and these carry a Guvenmionl j I I subsidy of pound tor pound. When J f I lie himlllcs come from Ihe areas i known as distressed areas the subsidy i I is doubled. The. Carnegie Trust lias , arranged to give £1.70,000 spread over j ( live years. .Mr Marks, a London hut- | * chant, has given £23,000. and Lady j I | Denham £SOOO. Several donations of £J00() have also been received. The , j Ministry of Agriculture has promised j ■ to give all Ihe technical advice that . may be needed in cultivating the land. s J The, foundation principle of the ! scheme is group settlement under expert guidance, with co-operative buying and selling.