CHAPTER VIII 



Returned Soldiers and Land Settlement 



Land settlement schemes for returned soldiers. Conditions necessary 

 to attract men to the land. Improvement of rural housing and pro- 

 vision of small holdings. Establishment of new towns for returned 

 soldiers. 



LAND SETTLEMENT SCHEMES FOR RETURNED SOLDIERS 



EVERY effort is likely to be made, both by the Federal and 

 Provincial Governments, to make liberal provision for the 

 returned soldiers .who desire to settle upon the land. The 

 matter has received the attention of the Federal and Provincial Gov- 

 ernments, and a more or less definite policy has been settled by some 

 of the Provincial Governments. 



Probably the most advanced and most definite scheme is that 

 which has been prepared by the Government of Ontario. The 

 Ontario Government has established an experimental farm at Mon- 

 teith, on the Timiskaming and Northern Ontario railway, for the 

 purpose of training soldiers and others in agricultural work. In the 

 description of the buildings and equipment of the farm it is stated that 

 there is abundant water supply, shower baths and modern sanitary 

 conveniences, and that there will be good sized living-rooms with 

 fire-places, reading matter, gramophones and other amusements. 

 We have thus an illustration of the growing importance which is 

 attached to social conveniences and recreation as a means of attract- 

 ing men to take up country life. 



According to a published description of the scheme, the inten- 

 tion of the Ontario Government is to train the soldiers in groups of 

 20 or 30 at a time and place them on blocks of fertile land, where they 

 will be organized as a community settlement, under the direction of 

 an experienced superintendent. 



The forest clearing will be gradually extended from a central 

 community house. The farms will be 80 acres in extent, and each 

 settler will get an 80-acre farm free with 10 clear acres. He will be 



207 



