L—ll

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quently whatever the land would produce will have to be taken out of it and be made to carry and support as many people as possible. The growing of sugar-beet might be tried on suitable land, and. if successful, why should we not make sugar ? There is no doubt it would be more satisfactory to the people of the colony to give birth to this industry in this manner than by subsidising private companies, or offering them a bonus on their productions. There is no reason why the preserving and canning of all kinds of fruit should not be established in connection with State-farming, which would provide work for young people who may be temporarily on the farm. The farm should comprise first-class land, and be situated as near a railway-line as possible, and not too far from our chief towns—first, because low-class land is not capable of absorbing or maintaining much labour, and consequently would not accomplish the desired object; second, because the products of the farm could be placed on the market cheaply and with despatch ; and lastly, because it is only fair to assume that those who will be benefited by occasionally working on State farms will be drafted largely from our larger towns. It will be necessary to have substantial buildings for farm use, and also houses for the accomodation of those working on the farm, as provision will have to be made to lodge those whose employment is intermittent, and there can be no reason why this class of workmen should not be housed and cared for when unemployed, until such time as they can again find work. It may be necessary to build small cottages for the reception of married couples, who, through age or other circumstances, may not be able to compete in the labour-market, but could with small assistance support themselves comfortably on a State farm. If thought practicable, a registry office ought to be established in conjunction with the farm, as doubtless employers of labour would prefer to apply to the State-farm authorities when needing extra men, than to take the ordinary swagger into their employ. It is necessary that the State should own and control these farms—first, with the object of giving temporary relief to the unemployed; and second, to allow those who are young and capable of being placed on a settlement to serve a certain period on a State farm, and so fit themselves to become settlers before being permanently placed on the land, if they so desire. Some of our settlers have failed to succeed because they have been put on the land when quite inexperienced, and have had to teach themselves farming on land which could only be expected to give a profitable return when managed and worked by those who have a thorough knowledge of farming. Thus, our State farms should not only be established to relieve the labour-market, but to educate and train those who have been brought up in towns and are unsuited to go on the land until they have been taught something of farming; if this were done it would undoubtedly insure that our land-settlement scheme would prove even a greater success in the future than it has been in the past. But the fact must not be lost sight of that if State farms are established to engage in such work as herein described, it will be necessary to have a few men permanently employed as heads of departments to assist the manager, and if these men possessed the required knowledge they need not necessarily be able-bodied men. If a few men of this class were not kept, the various industries might suffer should the withdrawal of all experienced men take place at a time when their services were most required. In putting forth these few ideas as to the best method of working State farms I have not mentioned anything touching upon farming with the latest improved machinery, which of course would be preferable and probably more advantageous from a direct paying point of view; but it must be kept in view that the object is to endeavour to establish some means to absorb surplus labour, and, consequently, if this is accomplished and worked even at the same cost as relief given under our charitable-aid system we shall have achieved a great and noble work in the interest of the unemployed.

APPENDIX I. MR. JOHN BOLLARD, M.H.R., ON STATE FARMS AND STATE REFUGES. HOSPITALS AND CHABITABLE AID BILL. Part IV.—State Eefuges. 61. The Governor may from time to time, out of any moneys appropriated by the General Assembly for the purpose, establish and maintain in various parts of the colony one or more refuges for adult persons of either sex not suffering from contagious disease, into which may be admitted drunkards, idlers, or tramps, who or whose families are a burden or likely to become a burden on the local charities for an indefinite time: and may appoint all necessary officers and servants thereto respectively, and pay them such salaries or other remuneration as he shall think fit. 62. On the complaint, on oath, of the Town Clerk of any borough, or Clerk of any County Council, or of the Clerk of any Eoad Board or Town Board, in places where " The Counties Act, 1886," is suspended, or of any person acting in the stead of such Clerks respectively, that any adult person of either sex is a person coming