STRONG OBJECTION TO METHOD OF LAND ACQUISITION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 84, 9 May 1949, Page 5

STRONG OBJECTION TO METHOD OF LAND ACQUISITION

Strong disapproval of the Government’s method of acquiring land from farmers was expressed by Mr J. Scott-Davidson, 'president of Federated Farmers (Auckland Province) and member of the Dominion Lands Committee, in an address to farmers at Edgecumbe on Thursday. He was discussing the compulsory acquisition of land for the rehabilitation of returned servicemen. This state of affairs should not be tolerated and It was against such actions of the Government that Federated Farmers were fighting the whole scheme, Mr Scott-Davidson added.

He thought the answer to the whole question was the development of undeveloped land—if the Government could be persuaded to adopt such a scheme. The matter had been discussed with the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, and the Minister of Lands, Mr Skinner. “In discussing our objections with them, Mr Nash pointed out that the Lands Acquisition Act was not permanent and would probably pass away in time,” Mr Scott-Davidson continued. “However Mr Skinner was very definite and said that the Government was committed to settling returned, servicemen as quickly as possible and the acquisition of land was the only way possible.” The Government had already confiscated many farms without Federated Farmers knowing anything about it, he said. It was very difficult for his organisation to help farmers if the full facts were not known, but Mr Scott-Davidson assured his audience that every step was being taken to stop farmers having their land taken from them