NOT ORDERED ON TO FARMS SAYS MINISTER

Chronicle (Levin), 12 September 1947, Page 5

NOT ORDERED ON TO FARMS SAYS MINISTER

WELLINGTON, Sept. 11. In the House of Representatives, Mr. E. B. Corbett (Egmont) asked the Minister of Rehabilitation. to state if the full proteetion of their A grade status would l)e giren those ex-service-men who, through long delays in obtaining a farm, had undertaken to work other than 011 the land. Was the recent pronouncement of the Minister giving graded men not engaged in farm worlc one month to change to that occupation, a method of instituting direction of labour? Mr. Corbett, in & note-to the question, said some thousands of ex-serviceinen qualified and graded A for farming, were now teinporarily engaged in more remunerative occupations than those of farm workers and some had undertaken to remaiu in their present jobs until farms were available. Mr. Skinner, in a verbal reply, said a survey revealed that there were 200 men in the South Island and 700 in the North Island who were graded A foi farming and who were not working on Hie land. A cireular letter had heer. sent to these men aslcing if fhey were still interested in land settlement." It was eontrary to fact to say that if these men did not go back to the land xnside a month, their A grading would be cancelled. The men concerned had been asked to contact their rehabilita tion officers giving reasons why the\ were not at work on the land. If gooc! and sufficient reasons were given, theii status would not be affected. Honu men had been away from the land more than four to five years and the department wanted to make sure that those men were still capable of being qualified farmers.