DOWN on the FARM

Cue (NZERS), Issue 34, 31 October 1945, Page 29

DOWN on the FARM

ARM TRAINING with a view to .J? settlement on the land on their own account continues to attract many ex-servicemen. For the benefit of the many soldiers who contemplate going on the land when they return to New Zealand some recapitulation of the conditions of the land settlement policy as set out in detail in Cue 15 may be of use.

The present policy is based on throe considerations, all the result of experience gained in settling the 1914—18 soldier and designed to obviate the bitter experience and wasted effort, time and money that were the only fruits of labour of many of our fathers and their contemporaries.

These considerations are: — (1) The prospective settler must be competent to farm on his own account. (2) The land must be purchased on the basis of productive value and not at inflated prices. (3) Only the best possible land must be used for soldier settlement.

This is a far-sighted policy and in itself an insurance of success for a keen and hard-working returned soldier. On this basis ex-servicemen may be settleq. on either freehold or leasehold property, when they have established their ability to farm.

Each applicant for assistance is referred by the District Rehabilitation Officer to the Local Rehabilitation Committee which considers whether the circumstances of his case justify his establishment, or re—establishment on his own account.

Training facilities are net generally granted to men who are not also to be established on their own farms, so that all applications are first considered

from that angle. If the. application is considered to have merit, it is referred to the appropriate Farming Sub-Com-mittee which includes an experienced farmer and representatives of the State Advances Corporation and the Lands and Survey Department. This committee recommends the placing of the applicant into one of four gradations:— ”A”—.Fully experienced and qualified, for immediate settlement. ”B” —Partly experienced but in need of further training before settlement would be prudent. ”C” —Inexperienced but suitawe for training with a view to ultb mate settlement. ”D”'Not suitable for settlement.

After determination of eligibility and grading, which is always related to districts and type of farming, the exserviceman is provided with a certificate, thus dispensing with the need for further interviewingif it is not required.

Men graded ”A” require no further training, but refresher courses may be arranged for them. Those graded ”B or ”C” must undergo prescribed training before they can be graded ”A”. It is the function of the local Farming Sub-Committee concerned when considering the application, to recommend what further training should be undertaken before settlement.

Training, measures include: subsidised training; (a) with approved farmer employers ; (b) on blocks being developed by the. Lands and Survey Department; (c) on Rehabilitation Board farms; and (d) at agricultural colleges.

The subsidised training with private farmers is facilitated by the- operation of the Returned . -Services Association and other organisations in nominating farmers who- are both willing and suitable to engage one or more trainees. These farmers are approved by the local Farming Sub-. committee, and trainees work under a wage and subsidy scale.

On Government training farms the training of ”3” and ”C” class, applicants follows the same procedure. They are employed for as long as necessary and are paid by the board on a rising scale. The number who can be trained on the two farms at present operating. Homewood Farm, Te Puke and the Wairarapa Training Farm is, however, limited, and the emphasis must be on training on private and State-owned properties.

Full-time tuition at Lincoln and Massey Colleges is provided where approved? the board paying trainees ami meeting college fees and expenses. Only men with satisfactory practical experience are approved for courses at these colleges. '

Of vital interest to the prospective farmers among servicemen is how the farm training and settlement schemes are functioning. Here it is stressed once more that the policy in operation prohibits indiscriminate settling of soldiers on a mass-production basis and the fact that cases are considered individually and an effort made to suit individual requirements, causes unavoidable delay in the process. The various committees proceed cautiously, in the soldiers’ own interests, but this caution pays dividends in the confidence with which a trainee will tackle his , vocation, knowing he is well equipped for the task.

The chief difficulty encountered by the board, however, is that of finding and acquiring suitable land or properties. The acreage of good land available is at present far short of what is

required. Inferior land can eventually be developed up to the standard set by the board, but until this development is completed there will be an inevitable bottle-neck in settlement.

A review of the position up to July 31, 1945, shows that- to that date 346 ex—servicemen had. completed their farm training courses and 333 were undergoing training with rehabilitation assistance. Of these- 252 were, working with private employers, 62 attending Massey and Lincoln . Colleges and' Iff were on rehabilitation farms. - >■

Dairy farming has proved by far the most popular —particularly in the North Island. Of the 3,721 so far graded for settlement, 1,637 have been for dairy farming, 732 for sheep, 514 for mixed, 271 for sheep and agriculture, 89 for horticulture and market, 76 for poultry, 69 for fruit farming, 28 for tobacco and hop growing, 23 for agriculture and 22 for beekeeping. Only, six sought a grading for pig farming while 53 were interested in taking over ”f armlets”. ,

Already 1044 have been assisted financially on to farms of their own, 763 having been settled since the introduction of the grading system. Of 2473 ”A” grade applicants, 1710 still await settlement. ~

A total of 137.910 acres has been purchased under the provision of the Small Farms Act, 1922-23, for the establishment of ex—servicemen' and 129 properties capable of subdivision into 186 units have been acquired under 'Section 51 of the Servicemen Settlement and Land Sales Act. The board is continuing to place ex-ser-vicemen on wages improving Crown Lands with a view to a lease being taken out when the improvements have been effected. ; ; ■ "*

Every month secs an increase in the amount of land obtained, and numbers of ex-servicemen assist the department by finding suitable economic units in which they are assisted to acquire the freehold.