BACK TO THE LAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3770, 4 March 1913, Page 3

BACK TO THE LAND.

RESULT OE AN EXPERIMENT. STATE-AIDED SETTLERS. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE GIVEN.

Tho story to date of an interesting departure in land settlement is told m a report which has just been furnished by the Lands Department to the Hon. W. F. Massey (Prime Minister and Minister for Lands). The report deals with the improved farm settlements which were established during the winter of 1909, when a considerable nurnbr of men were out of employment owing to various causes, the principal ones being reduction in expenditure on public works, retrenchment in the Public Service and, it was stated, general financial stringency. In order to afford the unemployed married men with families dependent on them an opportunity of establishing themselves on small holdings, the report continues, the Government decided to set aside blocks of land for settlement andi Native Lands Acquisition Act, 1894. The conditions under which the lands were allotted, brieliy stated, were: (a) Selector "to reside and improve his holding undr an agreement with the Minister for Lands; (b) payment to selector for bushfelling,. ploughing, draining and grassing; (c) advances for buildings and improvements on their own holdings. They were, in many cases, further assisted by being employed upon the road works necessary to give access to the sections in tho settlements. Six improved farm settlements were established. These were: In the Auckland district, liangitoto No. 1, of 52 holdings (6809 acres); Pangitoto No. 2, 18 holdings (3351 acres); Korakonui, 16 holdings (2781 acres); in the Taranaki district the Tangitu settlement of 88 holdings (14,232 acres) and the Mapara settlement of 38 holdings (6344 acres); in the Wellington district the North Waimarino settlement of 102 holdings (14.292 acres); totals 314 holdings of 47,810 acres. The two Taranaki settlements were proclaimed in 1909 and others in 1910. It was inevitable, the report continues, that some of the settlers would fail oven under the liberal terms under which holdings were allotted. When sections reverted to the Crown, the unemployed difficulty having disappeared, they were not again allotted, but were withdrawn from the settlement and opened on the optional system. Altogether 35 sections containing 5559 acres were so withdrawn from the six settlements, owing to the impecunious state of the settlers, the difficulties of access, and also probably to the settlers, lack of experience in breaking in bush country, and the settlements were threatened with failure. The Department was therefore obliged to step in and purchase stock for the most needy ones, who had not obtained their titles and were therefore unable to raise funds on tho security of their holdings. In the Wellington district the North Waimarino settlement contained a large quantity of marketable timber, which prevented the sections from being immediately occupied, and the arrangements made with sawmillers to cut the timber upon payment of royalty has by delav- ' ing occupancy occasioned delay in bringing some of the sections into grass. Speaking generally, however, grass was plentiful, but "stock was scarce. Taking into consideration the weak financial state of the settlers, and the fact that if they were not assisted the grass on most of the holdings would go to waste, it was decided to purchase for their use, cows which were secured to the Crown by -stock j mortgages, In respect of the Taranaki settlements of Tangitu and Mapara authority was issued for tho purchase of 620 cows at a cost of £3500, the number of settlers assisted being 75. In the case of North Waimarino, authority was given to purchase 300 cows for 38 settlors, at a cost of £ISOO, and in the case of the Auckland settlements of Tvorakomii and Rangiteto Nos. 1 and 2, authority was given for the purchase of 220 cows for 27 settlers, at a cost of £1250. To date 75 settlers in the Taranaki settlements have been provided with 616 cows, at a cost of £3546; in North Waimarino, 26 settlers have been provided with 178 cows, at a cost of £992, and in the case of the Auckland settlements, 18 settlers have been provided udth 142 cows, at a cost of £660. By instructions from Mr. Massey, £3OOO worth of dairy stock was purchased for the settlers during the early part of the present summer. Nineteen settlers in Taranaki have paid off £630, thus redeeming their bills of sale.