FIRES AND STATE AID

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 129, 24 February 1908, Page 7

FIRES AND STATE AID

FOR SETTLERS AND! WORKERS.

GRASS SEED,

FREE OR'ON DEFERRED PAYMENT. • (BY TELECRArn.) . ,:.v . Auckland, February 23. . ;Tho Prime. Minister 'has made tho follow- : / ing important statement for general publication:— :" In connection with the disaster by firo to many■ settlors,-.which I regard as a . ' : 'riatiohal 'calamity,;,tho-Government will supply grass seodto all those who have suffered, . ! whether.' they - settlers or .those . who occupy, their; own freehold or leasehold : v lauds. As proinpitude is '.absolutely .'neces-. - zsary , to, enablo : i:tlipße'.who. have'.sulfered to ' sow.,other'-grass . seed, it', -will be supplied to .'fill settlers aifeefed . '.onj. application "being made by'thorn. _ Tho 'grass seed will be supplied at cost price and free -from interest for . a period up- to tour, years. This will enable all necessitous eases to bo dealt, with upon ! , r very, j'oasy tbrms. ; '; In "cases where' it can bo shown that . settlers ..are absolutely ruined or ; arc unable' to pay, the' Government;: will < consider . each. case upon its . merits as to whether. tlio grass seed should ;be .supplied ■..-ireo. .. ... ■ ' ■ ■ - . ..;;.l'Vr :j am';quitd .certain that tho majority of . our- settlers would , prefer, to have tho oppor- ' ..tunity,' of .'recovering thoir- positions. iii/this • ■ .way,- and,.as I say, all cases of exceptional hardship, where tho sottlers. themselves aro V burned out of houses and homes and ruined, r ' .will be, • considered linontheir merits. In • addition, instructions have been given to. tho ; Railway .Department to carry,; free of charge, all material,. whether for. building purposes 'or for fencing', to those who'- have lost, their : homes, '.outhouses, or fences. Further;; wlier- : ever Crown'lands' aro available, and are not ■ under.-.lease -to ..tenants, those sulfering. will be to; turn their stock upon , such lands free of charge. .. . i ; • . "In .tho caso of those who are not settlers, guch- as upon roads,, who may ; have;iost:;theirJ homcsj 1 their huts, tools,. or belongings, the Government .will convey all materialvand,tools; free to them by rail, and .-'-. in,- absolutely .• necessitous cases will consider . their ; position " upon full details being fur- . nished bj' them. Officers of the Lands Dei partmerit' have been instructed to'' supply :re- . ports- of.loss in each; enso to the-.Minister for Lauds, as was done in tho case of . flood ; damago. , This' is necessary, as, of; courso, ; ; .the,'Govc|rhTu6nt,'.in' the :interests 1 of the, . 'bountry'as a wholov must protect itself from impositions that sometimes in cases of tho . f-'-kind! do ariso.V '; Arrangomcnts. for .inspection : • of; farms will bo made .immediately upon ap.plication .by. those:; affected.;; to the.'.;. Land -that the matter is-one calling for practical assistanco, ; and -desires to help, in every way. possible. . ,;,".I desiroto-oxprcss tho hopethat, tho h'olde&.'lof grass-'seed, .while.^naturally..SeHßiir- ! not; juncture. • Ij-vrhicli' is^a(calamitous one .toymany.of their o/'besfc^ciistomers;''Vuiijluly V raisb " the, '.priceof ivgrass ''-seed:'..; K;isi tlio,'fear' of-thatl possibility . that-has' decided ' the 1 Government;to .supply •>'they grass \se'ed;.to; the farmers at 'cost price '/for':;al'peripdi;6fyyears;free : ?of; interest: ylf ;s the Government, were to come into i the - ,mar-. ■ ket .by :becomin(s. tho immediate,; purchasers : ;bf .jlargeyquahtities' of grass seed; it .is not . tinriatural-to supposo .tliat the prico :would .go beyond .whati'might- fairly, bp I .:regarded - as a reasonable: one. I feel suro holders of grass seed will not regard , this suggestion v other.V'than. ono made in tho best;. interests of those who:are:unfortunately suftorors,' aiid with a-desiro to seek their,', co-operation in ' helping to : meet a f dire calamity; to those : ■. immediatoly affected. I sincerely trust they • will accept tho advico in tho spirit ill which - it is tendered to them. . "Z. G. WARD."