SOLDIERS AND LAND

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 287, 30 August 1919, Page 10

SOLDIERS AND LAND

APPLICATIONS MAT.'BE POSTPONED. ' There.is an impression' among some returned soldiers that unless they apply for land at onco 011 their return to this country they, lose for ever their chance of benefiting by the special legislation passed for their benefit, by which special advantages are offered to any returned soldiers who nre anxious to settle on land. Mr. R. M'Callum asked a question in the House of Representatives yesterday bearing on this matter. He ask ed the Minister of Lands whether an assurance could not be" given to men who thought jWsat the present was not a good time to take up land '.hat they would not lose their privileges "by delaying in making their applications. N The Minister of Lands (Mr. Guthrie), said that he .was fully alive to the importance of the question, as it had been brought to liis notice 011 other occasions. 'The position under the law at present was that no man was denied the right to acquire land bv the mere postponement of his application. There was no time limit 011 applications. The man who wished to postpone his application mielit- do so now. The question. And come up with special prominence in regard to applications for houses. Some men who thought of marrying wished to keep their right to assistance in getting a home, but they were hot .vet married or ready to marry, and the question of postponement\liad been raised frequently in resnect of such cases. Jlr. Guthrie said that there was at present 110 tinv limit. It was not for him to say thM Parliament might not at some time in the future fix a limit to applications o! this sort from returned- soldiers.