SOLDIERS AND THE LAND

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 190, 7 May 1919, Page 6

SOLDIERS AND THE LAND

■ WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING. Some recently published statements by Lieutonant-Colonel Cowles, president of the Returned Soldiers' Association, at Masterton, were referred to by the Hon. D. H. Guthrie yesterday. Colonel Cowles is reported to have said that tho Government promises to returned soldiers were so much hot air, that no soldier could get land unless he had considerable funds or a good backing, and that tho Government was extending scant consideration to soldiers. Mr. Guthrie dealt only with those allegations affecting laud, ho being tho Minister in chnrgo of the Lands Department. "It is absolutely incorrect," said tho Minister, "to say that'the Government insists upon men having monoy and experience before they are allowed to take up land under the Government scheme. If a returned soldier is in such health and circumstances that he must lead an outdoor life ho is never turned down if ho applies for land. The Government has never turned down such a man even if ho has neither money nor experience. In the early days of administration it was thought by some laud boards that it would be unwise to place oil Iniid men who had not had any farming experience, or who had not even enough money to nay first half-year's rent. But now the policy is, and for some considerable. lime lias been, to give every facility to acquire land to any returned soldier who shows any aptitude for the work he will have to do to make 'a success of a farming venture. In fact, the boards in many instances aro going further than in ordinary circumstances would lie considered prudent from a business point of view. The Government has. never 'at any time made any distinction between the men without meahs, and those with limited means or with large sums of money. The only-qualification required by the Jam* Boards before approving an application for land, or for financial assistance, is that 'the man should have .had some farming experience, and be in' a position to make use of the land allotted to him.

"I have had supplied to me an'analysis of a random selection of a hundred cases in which applications for land by returned soldiers have been granted. This' shows that the financial position of the applicants was as follows:—24 of them hurt no capital. 47 rif them had capital of less than ,£IOO, 22 of them had capital between .£IOO and .{SOO, and 6evcn of them had more than XSOO. "The Government has now assisted over 1000 soldier settlers to acquire rural land, whilst a considerable number of other men have been assisted to buy town residences, or have been.-helped with advances to utilise farm land already held by them. The Government has advanced to sold'ers the Inure amount of .£1.531),010. and this sum does not include tho amount spent in the purchase of land under the T.a'id for Settlement Act. afterwards proclaimed for soldier settlements."