The Dominion. THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 1916. LAND FOR SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2797, 15 June 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 1916. LAND FOR SOLDIERS

The spcech delivered .by the •Prime Minister last night in moving tho second reading of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Amendment Bill was listened to with close attention by a manjfestly sympathetic House. The Act of last session and the present amending Bill aro based upon tho admitted principle that it is tho imperative duty of tho State to do everything possible to facilitate the reabsorption of returned soldiers into tho industrial' life of tho community under tho most fayourablo conditions possible. Those men who wish to settle upon tho land ought, to be put in a position to make a really good start. Suitable land must be found for them, and those without capital must bo generously assisted. Ministers and members, like tho general public, take all this for granted. The country has made up its mind that those who havo come forward to_ fight for their country shall receive liberal assistance in making a fresh start in life on their return tc, our. shores. Tho Government seems to realise its responsibilities in this matter, and Parliament is ready and eager to help Ministers in their efforts to devise adequate measures for meeting the legitimate needs of discharged soldiers. settlement is only one aspect of the problem; but it is a very important aspect both from tho soldier's and from tho country's point of view. The Prime Minister assured tho Houso last evening that the officials of the Lands Department had taken up this work with commendable enthusiasm. But enthusiasm alone is not sufficient. Success will depend to a very large extent upon proper organisation. Certain officers of the department should be specially set apart to carry out the duties arising out of the soldiers' settlement legislation, and they should devote their wholo energies to this work alone. Perhaps the Government has already adopted this course, but the Prime Minister's speech did not throw any direct light upon the point. Ho made it quite clear, however, that a great deal of useful preparatory work is bfting done, and that the> Government intends to make full use of its powers in order to remove the difficulties that stand in their way of a rapid development of the scheme. There is practically no first-class Crown land now available for settlement,, and much of the_. secondclass Crown land is unsuitable or too difficult of access. Such being the case tho Government will havo to purchase land oil a largo scale. Native land is being bought as opportunity offers, and negotiations are said to be proceeding for about a dozen blocks from European ownere in various parts of tho Domin-

The Prime Minister's account of what the Government has done and is doing is satisfactory as far as it goes; but it also discloses the necessity for still moro energetic action. About 160 discharged soldiers iiave already been settled on the land, but tho applications from men who have come, back from the front havo lately been increasing at a rapid rate, and the need for the acquisition of additional areas is alroady urgent. The existing method of purchase is a slow process. It takes a long while to acquire a block of private land and get it ready for settlement. The Prime Minister admits this difficulty.' It will probably be found necessary to devise and set in motion somo more rapid and less cumbersome procedure. Why could not the required land be taken first and the price settled afterwards? It is essential that the applications from returned soldiers should he doalt with promptly. They are coming in by tens now, but later on they will be pouring in by hundreds. The Government has given instructions to the Lands Department to make preparations for settling 5000 soldiers in the course of a period of about five years. _ This is a big undertaking. It will involve a vast amount of work. Tho land has to be found and financial and other assistance will havo to be provided. The soldier-settler will have to be helped in many ways. It is no use to put a man without capital on a section and then leave him to sink or swim. He would almost certainly sink. It is satisfactory to bo told authoritatively that the Government are determined to treat these men generously. Reasonable precautions 1 will have to be taken to safeguard the interests of the State, but a . considerable amount of elasticity in the working out of the scheme must bo allowed lor. Ample scope must be provided lor the of sympathy, tact, and common sense.