NEW SYSTEM OF FARM ALLOCATION URGED BY R.S.A.

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 48, 7 October 1949, Page 6

NEW SYSTEM OF FARM ALLOCATION URGED BY R.S.A.

The present system of balloting for farms among returned servicemen with A grade farming licences has so many anomalies that a new system should be tried, it was claimed at a conference of the Wai-kato-King Country-Bay of Plenty Returned Services’ Association in Hamilton. A suggestion that a points system should be introduced was favourably received and a subcommittee was appointed to submit the proposal to a special farming sub-committee of the N.Z.R.S.A. which will meet in Wellington this month. Candidates with the greatest number of points should receive farms as they became available, it was suggested. Basis of Work As a basis to work on, it was submitted that 10 points could be given for every year served overseas, five points for each year worked on a farm before the war, five points for each year graded A, five points for each six months of farming since receiving grading, five points for every ballot entered, five points for each campaign actually fought in a front line regiment, two points for every year as a prisoner of war, and two points for every year a man was over 35 years of age. It was claimed that, in ballots men with long and meritorious service who had shown their keenness to become farmers by working on farms since their return, and who had entered every ballot, were being beaten for farms by persons with a bare minimum of service who had been working in cities for some years, capitalising on higher award wages and overtime.

There was general recognition that a policy of preferences was not always good, and that anomalies would also result, but under the points system, in which most contingencies were taken into account, men with the longest service and who had done all they could to help themselves would receive a greater chance of justice than under the present system of ballots. Too many experienced farmers who had been waiting for years were now becoming weary of the present system. Many Anomalies

Mr J. J. Granville, chairman of the farming advisory committee of the Rehabilitation Board, agreed there were many anomalies under the present system, and said the Rehabilitation Board welcomed suggestions and would thoroughly investigate any worthwhile scheme.

On the first glance the points system looked reasonable and fair, but when it came to its application it would be found impracticable. Special preferences were not favoured by the board, which had the duty of seeing that all returned servicemen were rehabilitated. Anomalies would be found in the scheme and he instanced the case of a man who sailed with an early echelon, was wounded in the first campaign and invalided home, and only recently recovered sufficiently to get his A grade certificate. Under the points system he would receive nothing like the preference due to him if preferences were to be given as suggested. &