SOLDIERS AND THE LAND

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 47, 19 November 1917, Page 4

SOLDIERS AND THE LAND

DEPUTATION TO PRIME MINISTER. ' By Telegraph—Press Association. ' Auckland, November'l7. Several matters relating to settlement of returned soldiers on the land were brought beforojthe Eight Hon. W. F. Massey By a deputation from tho Returned Soldiers' Association, the chief subject being complaints regarding tho quality and valuation of some of tho sections occupied by soldiers on tho Reynolds Estate, near Cambridge. Mr. Massey said that if a soldier got a section on which he found ho could not make a living, the only_ thing to do was to endeavour to put him on something better. "We are not going to bind them , down to these sections," added tho Premier. He understood that the Reynolds Estate was purchased just at _ tho inception of the scheme to settle soldiers, and it was then very doubtful whether soldiers would take up sections, which was why some were set apart for ordinary settle.ment. The deputation replied that tho troublo was that the best sections were set apart, for ordinary settlers. Mr. Skeet, Crown Lands Commissioner, said the Land Board had arranged to inspect the settlement next week. Some of the sections required a. great deal of /development, and the price varied from below £14 to ,£3G per acre. The Prime Minister explained that on the whole tho soldier settlement scheme had proved very successful. There were at present 541 soldiers on tho land, while about forty had failed, for one reason and another. He thought there were more difficulties in the way of putting settlers on land in Auckland province than in some other parts of New Zealand, Ijecause in many other places there was natural feed on-the land. For that reason ho thought many soldiers were ris;ht in selecting sheep farms Tathcr than doiry country. The deputation assured the Prime Minisfer that there was a very keen and growine desire on the part of soldiers to go on tho land. Mr. Massey assured tho deputation that the Government and the Department were 'put to help the men in every pos. sible way, and to r6medy any just grievances. '