The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-10-08
WHAT CANADAIS
DOING FOR HER
EX-SERVICE MEN
So Far $S4,OOO,OOO Has Been
Spent In Getting Them Back
To the Land


Ottawa. Ont. {, Oct. S-Canada has
spent over SS4 1000, 900 in the establish
ment of returned soldiers on the land
This figure represents over 27000 in
dividual ex-service men who have ben
Gifted from the law which had for it's
twin aims soldier reestablishment and
the development of the agricultural
resources of the dominion 1t repre-
cents so per cent of Canada's ex-serv-
ice men who have gone back to the
land and 80 per cent of the men of
the Canadian army who were demob-
liked as physically fit
Under the law any eX-service man
eligible from military standpoint.
having seen service overseas, may APP
ply for loans up to a maximum of
$500 for the following purposes For
the purchase of land. $4,000; for stock
and equipment, $4,000; for permanent
improvements, $1,000 If on encum-
bered land the ex-soldier is entitled
to loans amounting to $4,000: if on
free dominion land. to loans amount
ing to $1,000. In the case of purchased
land the settler must pay 10 per cent
of the cost price of the land as a
guarantee of good faith.
These benefits are open to men OF
the Canadian EXpeditionary Forces,
to eX-SerVice men of Great Britain
the dominions and the Allied forces.
who lived in Canada prior to the war,
and to eX-service men of the imperial
or dOminions forces, if on their ar
rival in Canada they spend suf-
fcient time to gain practical agricul-
tural experience on Canadian farms.
The imperials, however, are required
to pay 20 per cent of the expenditures
for all purposes cash down.
On July 81, the number of appli-
cations was 60.S27, and of these 1876
had been accepted as qualified to
farm. Nearly 1000 others are in train
ing with the intention of taking up
farms when qualified. OF the 26.701
settled on the land. 20,624 were grant
ed loans. The others were located on
free dominion lands without financial
assistance.
The Settlement Board adopted sys-
tenn of selection, requiring that appli-
cants must pass a rigid examination
as to physical ability, moral character
and sincerity of purpose. with the re-
suit that, out of the 26,000 men who
have now been on the land upwards
of two years, strict supervision of
their operations has revealed the fact
that only about 10 per cent have
failed to show promise of satisfactory
results. In some cases, it has been
found necessary to allow the settler
to withdraw from his obligation and
the board has taken over his farm and
sold it to another.
In ABS such cases, where the in
vestment of the government was ST.
662,729, the government realized on
resale $1.654,523, showing a loss of
only $500 ON each farm
The loans for land and permanent
improvements run for twenty-five
years, those for stock and equipment
for six years with interest at five per
cent. No payments were due until the
fall of 1920, when 1921 men were
liable The number who made repay
ments was $3.50 and 1,439 made pre-
payments. There were 403 who re-
paid their entire loans.
In view of the collapse of the mar
kets in the middle of the threshing
season and of the occurrence of
drouth and other visitations last year
government regards this statement as
very satisfactory and it is believed
that very few years will see most
of these soldier farmers well on their
way to success. Indeed, there are
cases where settlers have taken from
the ground crops aggregating in value
more than the whole cost of their
farms.
Alberta has the largest number of
soldier settlers, with 6,05S; Saskatch-
evan second, with 5,136; the other
provinces in the order named Mani
toba, 1919; British Columbia, 1876;
Ontario, 1,521; New Brunswick, 543;
Nova Scotia, 9S1; Quebec, 1863; Prince
Edward Island, 1923.
In addition to the loan advantages
which a soldier settler has. the board
secures for him very favorable ar
rangements with regard to the pur-
chase of his stock and equipment.
I, IL,