WAR PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2608, 2 November 1915, Page 6

WAR PROBLEMS

SOLDIERS AND THE LAND . SETTLEMENT SCHEMES

EQUAL SACRIFICE DEMANDED "ALL-ROUND CONSCRIPTION."

AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION

Tito problem of land settlement was to nave been discussed at a special meet"JK °f tlie Wellington Central Chamber or Commerce held last night-. In actual fact the Chamber discussed several very urgent n-ar problems, and the discussion was in parts interesting. Mr. C. M. Luke (president) said that the meeting had been called in consequence of a resolution passed at a recent conference of Chambers of Commerce. The conference resolution was as follows: ''That this conference affirms the necessity for closer settlement, and recommends to'individual Chambers that they should assist 111 any movement having for its object the 'placing of more people oil the land and of assisting the people on the land." To put the question before the meeting, 31r. Luke submitted the following resolution: "That this Chamber heartily supports the resolution of the Chambers of Commerce Conference advocating greater settlement of the land, and is of ,the opinion that this council deems the time opportune and important to bring before the Government the question of closer settlement of the people 011 the lands of tlie Dominion, 'especially to meet the needs of returning soldiers. This council approves of the general scheme outlned by the Government to set aside lands in different parts of the Dominion this purpose. This council is of the opinion that the roadiug of these lands should proceed at once, to givo intending settlers the means to reach these lands cheaply and, rapidly. This wnuicil is also of the opinion that the Government should advance money for "l? , stockh, g °? 61IC ' 1 l ail dS) or, failing which, to put in stock and also supply all necessary implements for the proper economical working of such lands." Popular Mlsconoeptlons.

Mr. H. G. Hill seconded 'the resolution, but remarked that it was rather wide. He thought tha object of it probably was to stimulate a discussion which would lead to ,an expression of opinion on a subject which all agreed was highly important. There was a possibility of serious failure in any scheme for land settlement without proper safeguards. Everyone wanted to seo the best done for returned soldiers, but it was absolutely absurd to put a man who had been a clerk, all his life on to a piece of land just bocauso he came back a wounded: soldier, and oxpect him to make a . success of it. There should be a board set up to deal with the problem of the settling of land by soldiors. The settlement of fruit lands by returned soldiers was being ad-' vocntod. This was an excellent idea, but it must be remembered that it took a period of fivo or six years to bring fruit farms into profit. The Government must finance the project and get the lands planted out in advance. Whst was most needed by way of preparation was the setting' up of a board of practical men who would be able to bring, down a scheme of settlement, and to classify the men to go oil the land. He thought that as public money was to be sunk in the scheme it was of tho highest importance that the expenditure should be made wisely. People wore mad about fruit farming just now. He happened, to know a little about that. In Australia and in New Zealand millions of trees were, being planted, and in a few years we should have a very much increased export. He feared that it was a little doubtful whether, witli the increased production, prices would be obtainable which would bo remunerative to the grower. On that point ho could express 110 definite opinion, but ho wouldsay that it was a question which required' careful consideration.- He Mvould like to see the resolution qualified in some way to meet the views he had expressed. It was absurd to suppose, as some people seemed to suppose, that a man with one hand or one arm could go on to a piece of fruit ,land and at once begin to live a life of ease and luxury. Mr. Luke suggested that the work to be done by Mr. Hill's proposed board might be done by the land boards. Mr. Hill said he was not especially anxious to have a new body set up, but either there should be a new body with defined powers or wider powors 6hould bo given to an existing body.

"Croping in the Dark." Mr. A. R. Hislop said ho did not think the council could do much in gard to the proposal in the resolution, becauso they were to a large extent groping in the dark. . A groat many of the men enlisting were artisans, warehousemen, and other town workers, who had not been on the land. If they wero to bo put on the land they would have to be carried on for a long time, found in stores, and so on, "until they oould mako their way, and it was going to cost a tremendous deal of money to do this, perhaps more than this country could afford. This being so, ho thought the question was one for Parliament to deal with. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt said he agreed that it would not be prudent to try to place returned soldiers-on the land in any wholesale way. What- might be done was to offer these men facilities to enter upon a period of apprenticeship, porhaps on our experimental farms. Without some such test as this tho proposal would bo wasteful in the extreme. He did not think it would be at all impossible for men -who had been j earning their living at other work to loam farming, and make a success of it. There was nothing very much in fanning. Mr. Hill said that the men who knew farming, and who wero fit work, could get positions on farms, for there would be a demand far farm labour. But tho men who would be asking for aid would not all bo men accustomed to country work. The Broken Men. Mr. L. A. Edwards said that he did not think it wise to mis the problem of land settlement with the problem of caring for returned soldiers. Ho had 110 fears about the able-bodied men coming back from tho war, because they would get work very easily. The chief difficulty would be in dealing with the broken men, and the Chamber would bo wise to confino attention to this if they wished to achieve something concrete. Otherwise, nothing would come of their talk. He believed that all the money required should bo raised by taxation only. He was not in agreement with tho methods of collecting monov for patriotic funds, hospital ships, and so 011 In fact, 110 did not bolicvo in voluntary contributions at all for public purposes. We in New Zealand had made 110 real sacrifices. He did not believe that a man in New Zealand had denied'himself a single pipe of tobacco or a single seat at tho pictures bccauso of the war. The taxation was not as heavy as it might well he. We wero making lingo profits—a surplus of six millions last year m exports. If wc considered the snorifkoj mado by the .men who .volunteered, the sacrifice^

made by those who stayed were absurdly small. The exemption on incomes was much too easy.- If tho money was raised by taxation people need not bo bothered with collection Coxes every time they went down the street. If wo really wanted to provide for the broken men we must have a lot of money, and be believed wo could get the money if wo tackled taxation problems seriously. He thought oven the small wage earner should, lto taxed, and a direct tax—a small one—could be easily collected through tho employers.

At the chairman's suggestion reference to:wounded soldiers was deleted from tho motion.

Air. W. Smith said that as a matter of course everybody would support the resolution. The real trouble was tho finding of ways and moans, and this was a matter for Parliament.

Mr. Luke said that the financing of land settlement must always be for Parliament and tho Government. The resolution merely reaffirmed the principle. A Very Big Problem. Mr. Hall said that land settlement was talked very glibly about by a. lot of people who knew nothing of what it involved. When ibev saw a wide tract of country they said at once that it should be settled closely, regardless of whether 'it was capable of close settlement or not. i'be problem was really a very, very big problem, and he approached it with a good- deal of diiiidence.

Mr. A. Leigh Hunt said that he would like to see added to the resolution a clause to tile effect that the chamber was of opinion that tho Government should recognise that settlement of the land should be treated as tho paramount domestic problem of the day. He regretted that-this problem was not so regarded now. To promote settlement' he would urge tho holding of annual conferences, at which both towns and country should bo represented to discuss schemes of land settlement, the amount of land available for settlement in every district, and so on. To make it possible for the Bchemo to bo carried out all the money available should be devoted to this object. No more public money should be spent on ornamental post offices with big towers, and that sort' of tiling. More should be done by way of providing cheap telephones and other comforts to make country life attractive. More should be done to impress upon tho youth of tho country the nobility of country life. Most of our bright boys turned naturally to one of the professions. No promising lad was ever encouraged in an ambition to become a farmer. It was said that God made the country and man made tho towns, and a visit to the country in tho springtime showed this to be true. This fact could be impressed on our young peoplo by lectures or other means, perhaps kinematograph • lectures. Better ' cooperating between town and country in urging the settlement of lands was tho essential tiling, which co-operation, bo regretted to say, did not now exist. Mr. Hill cited as an instance of this lack of co-operation the fact that tho City of Auckland, which was as much dependent on the back country as any other-city in New Zealand, was proposing to borrow a quarter of a million for expenditure in the • city, while there were roads not a hundred miles from Auckland which were almost impassable. The resolution 'was carried. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt then moved a resolution embodying the suggestions which he had made in his speech. ■ Tho motion was carried. Equality of Sacrifice. The chairman then moved, "That this Chambor appreciates the efforts of the Government t-o make provision for the occupation of returning soldiers, and urges,-.upon/the -members;of the Chamber to afford 1 such help "and give such information as may be in their power to facilitate the establishing of our returning soldiers ji 6onie suitable occupation."

Mr. Hill,. referring to former discussions, did not agree that none of the money l'or the aid of soldiers should be provided out of funds voluntarily subscribed, but he admitted that there were men who had mado big profits who would give nothing voluntarily. They must be made to disgorge. It should be to them a pleasure and privilege to bo able to pay to provide for the men who had risked their lives for them. These men must be made to pay.

Mr. Hislop: Then it all comes back to taxation. That is the only fair way.

Mr. Edwards repeated his previous assertion that as a people we had not made sacrifices. We ought to- make sacrifices, and the only way to do it was to make sacrifices obligatory by taxation . A very large section escaped contribution by the voluntary methods.

Mr. W. Smith said that the compul-' sion should,be general in everything to ensure something like equality of sacrifice. There should be conscription for military sacrifice and for financial sacrifice as well.

Mr. Hill also thought there should be all round conscription. The stingy men should be forced to give, and the shirker should be forced to servo.

. Mr. Hunt suggested that there should he some general law exempting from the labour awards partly disable men. These men should not be required to apply to tho union every time for an under-rate worker's permit. Ho moved to add to Mr. Luke's motion a olause urging tho Government to give facilities to roturned soldiers to serve an apprenticeship to farming on Government expermental farms. With this addition the resolution was carried.