§ Captain LOSEBYasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture how many acres of land have been secured by the Board of Agriculture for the purpose of settling ex-soldiers; how many acres have been secured in particular at Patrington, Yorkshire, Holbeach, Lincolnshire, Heath Hill, Shropshire, Pembury, Carmarthen; are the soldiers in these colonies working under a director; what are the wages paid and are the proceeds pooled; what happens to the men at the end of the probation of three years; has the Government advanced money to these men to enable them to purchase their own houses; if not, is there any intention so to do; are the colonies already formed to be multiplied; and are these colonies being worked direct from the Board of Agriculture or is the machinery of the county councils being utilised?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe total acreage secured by the Board is 12,773 Acres. The extent of the Patrington Settlement is 2,866 acres, of the Holbeach Settlement 1,002acres, of the Heath Hill Settlement 1,150 acres, and of the Pembury Settlement 1,345 acres. In the case of the first three the ex-Service men work under a Director. A Director of Pembury will be appointed shortly. That settlement is at present in charge of a temporary manager. The wages paid are the current wages of the district. There are two distinct systems under which the settlements1816W are worked. Patrington is a profit-sharing settlement and will be worked as a whole, whilst the others are being developed on small holding lines and, except for a certain area, retained as a central farm, the land will be equipped and let in small holdings. In the case of a "profit-sharing" settlement the farm profits are divided between capital, management, and labour in proportion to the amount paid out to them in the weekly accounts, but only those settlers who have previously served one year's probation are entitled to share in the profits. The present scheme provides for a probationary period of one year, but on a small holding settlement, if the applicant proves himself thoroughly capable and satisfactory, he is sometimes granted a holding after a month's probation. The board do not contemplate settlers purchasing their homes or holdings and have no power to advance money to them for that purpose.
The Board hope to acquire additional land for farm settlements, and two other properties have recently been acquired, namely, 2,769 acres at Rolleston, in Notts, and 2,377 acres at Amesbury, in Wilts. As a rule, the Board intend that the farm settlements shall be controlled by the board through the Directors in residence at each settlement. In some instances, county councils may be asked to undertake the management. In the case of one small property of 506 acres the small holdings committee of the county council are acting as the Board's agents.