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kinds which were contributed by friends in all parts of the colony would absorb more than all our funds for railway transit, the Government with wise thoughtfulness granted us the privilege of forwarding all gifts to the settlers free on the railways. This concession, we are assured, amounts to well on £1,000 in value. ... It would be impossible to particularize the many .gifts which have passed through our hands, nor the very kind donors of them; but roughly speaking there have been 2,000 sheep, 40 horses, 100 cows, 500 bushels of wheat, a great variety of agricultural implements, harness, and tools of all sorts. . . . As to the future, we can see that the work of this society, so far as the settlements are concerned, will be absolutely necessary for another year at least. When their need ceases so will our work. From the personal observation of some of your committee of the work achieved by the settlers in their first year's work, we are encouraged to believe that our efforts and the efforts of the public to assist them are amply justified."—l may be allowed to add that the Eev. J. Berry, one of the Vice-Presidents, was in the chair at the annual meeting. The rev. gentleman takes the deepest interest in these settlements, and a very interesting article written by him on the subject appears in the Review of Bevieivs for April last. The settlers have also a very kind friend in the Eev. Corley Butler, who goes amongst them and does his utmost to promote their welfare. It would, of course, be premature to say that the problem of the unemployed difficulty has thus been solved, and that hundreds of men, women, and children can be placed on the soil, and, after certain assistance has been granted them, thrown on their own resources, and then they can make a living from the land. This much however may truthfully be said, that the settlers are going the right way to accomplish the object of making a living by their own resources, and if they continue in this way they are sure to succeed. I fully agree with the report quoted above, that further assistance for at least another year will be required, not only from private sources, but from the State, and then I see no reason why the settlements should not be self-supporting. And here I may remark that it is unreasonable to suppose that large blocks of land can be made reproductive in one year. A longer period is required and necessary, and more especially is this the case where the land wants irrigation. Again, on many of the settlements the land was pretty heavily timbered, and it was no easy task to fell and grub the gum, box, and pine trees growing thereon; a portion of this work has been done, and throughout the settlements over 4,100 acres have been cleared, and a large proportion of the land cultivated. If a stranger inspects the work already done on these settlements in the short space of fifteen months by men, many of whom were not brought up to agricultural pursuits, and observes the amount of land they have cleared, grubbed, and brought under cultivation, their pumping machinery and plant in full working order, the quantity of different kinds of fruits planted, such as apricots, almonds, figs, lemons, muscatels, mulberries, olives, peaches, plums, prunes, quinces, strawberries, vines, and Zante currants, their brick-kilns, drying-kilns, lime-kilns, and other works and industries established, and then notes all the settlers fully employed working under the direction of one of their own number, elected by themselves, he must admit that it is most gratifying, and a scheme that should command success. The opinion of the villagers themselves is also very encouraging. I interviewed several. One said, "We are very comfortable and getting on nicely. The Government Inspector (Mr. Inglies) comes round once a month, and the trustees give him an account of the work done since his last inspection ; they also put on what they consider a fair valuation for these improvements. The Inspector examines each piece of work; if the valuation is fair it is passed by him ; if he thinks it incorrect he makes inquiries, and the matter is adjusted. We are allowed by Government 50 per cent, on the value of our improvements, consequently the more we do as a body the more we get; we find it better to work together; no man could do much good here working by himself, as it costs a large sum for pumping-machinery; the one we have cost over £800. We have been ably assisted by the public; and Mr. Smeaton (Secretary of the Village Settlement Aid Association) has been most kind to us. The Government allow each settler £50, and when that is exhausted, the settlement is supposed to be self-supporting; but I doubt if it will be ; perhaps if the Government see we are doing our best, we may be allowed a little more." Another said, "We have thirty settlers—twentyfour married and six single ; there are also eighty children, making the total number of our village 134. Our machinery will raise 38,000 gallons of water per hour, 150 feet up the cliff to the delivery channel; we have plenty of stone on the settlement, and thus some of our buildings are more substantial; then we have a large quantity of timber, at present we have pit-saws and sawpits, but we are going to erect a mill to be driven by the pumping-engine, which is 20 horse-power. We do not expect to make a fortune; we shall be perfectly satisfied if we make a good home and food for ourselves and families. The women and children are contented and happy. The village is laid out as a square, with streets one chain wide; each member is allowed one half-acre to erect his cottage and make his home. It is a great boon to us to have no rent to find on Monday mornings." I was fortunate to meet the chairman of the trustees at Lyrup, who showed me over the settlement and gave me much useful information. This settlement is without doubt the most prosperous of any. It was started on the 22nd February, 1894. The full membership is 100, the number at present is eighty-five, of whom fifty-five are married and thirty single, and the total number of men, women, and children is 305. Villagers are supplied at the cost of the association, so far as the assets will permit, with necessary food and clothing at a fixed scale in proportion to the number and ages of each family, and also with medical attendance and medicine. In addition to the rations, each member when at work receives a coupon of—at present—to the value of 6d. per day, paid by the association, the whole or any portion of which may be exchanged at the store for goods available —tobacco, gunpowder and shot, extra sugar, &c, not included in the scile of rations; any portion of such coupons not exchanged being placed to the credit of members whose names they bear. The credit balances of coupons is a first charge on the profits of the association, but not payable until the financial position of the association enables it to declare a dividend. No villager