RETURNED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 213, 3 June 1920, Page 6

RETURNED SOLDIERS

DOMINION CONFERENCE

LAND MATTERS DISCUSSED

ACQUISITION OF LARGE ESTATES

Land matters formed ono of the chief subjects of discussion at the annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Polders' Association yesterday, when the vewrt of the conference'? Land Commit- y was presented covering a nujmber of remits which had been submitted. T)r. E. Boxer presided.

Mr. W. l'erry (convener of tho committee) said the land question had been a burning subject with returned men ever since the Returned Soldiers' Association. had been in existence. The Executive Committee had recommended in January last, and it was again recommended by the Land Committee, that the best way to settle returned men on the land was Ik the compulsory acquisition of larc;e estates. The committee r o commended:

(a) That the Government be urged to put into operation forthwith the clauses of the Acts in force relating to tlie compulsory acnuisition of laud: (b) that where nracticablo the payment; for the lard so acquired should he made by Government securities (bonds, rtc.): (c) that more striment steps lie taken to enforce the nrovisions of the Acts relatintr to the imposition of the -rraduated Land Tax with a view to forcing lareo land-owners to place their properties on the market: (d 1 ) that. the rercort of the Lands Committee as adopted by the Dominion Executive at its meeting in January last be adopted. The Turning Point.

After Mr. Perry had moved the adontion of the above clauses. Mr. B. B. Bell (Wairoa) remarked that, the turning point had been reached in connection with land values, nnd he miestioned whether it was wise to nersist in the association's old nolicv of. compulsory acquisition of land considering tho stats of nrices at present.

Part. 1 of the report wan adopted. Part IT of the report dealt with various remits that had been set down on the agenda napsr. The Auckland branoh recommended,, and it was .decided, tlmt the incoming executive be instructed if practicable to prepare a Land Hill to 1» introduced dnrinir the next session of • Parliament, embodyinsr the nronopali laid down in the report by tho Lands Committee at the Inst meeting of tho Dominion Executive.

The conference adopted a recommendation Qf the committee that the Government be urged' to prant discretionary powers to land Innards to approve annlieations for sale of land after the expiry of five years in ca=es where sutlers have carried out the conditions of the D.S.S. Act.

Remits Adopted, Other remits adopted were:— "That the Government be urged in land ballots to give preference to men who have proceeded overseas as ngainst those who have not." (Palincrston North,)

"That this association considers that the delay on the i>art of the Lands Department in settling the liabilities of soldier settlers to private firms is detrimental to the soldiers' interests and recommends that a more expeditious method in dealing with these accounts should bo adopted." (Clutlia.) "That the group settlement scheme sa discussed and approval at last conference be again put before Parliament with tho addition that preference bp given discharged soldiers in New Zev land to immigrants from abroad for purposes of that settlement." (Danne. virke.)

"That, the Government be approaches! again relative to allowing stamp duty on purchase obtained by loans under tht> D.S.S. Act to bo waived." (Waikato.) "That tho N.Z.R.S.A. views, with regret that the Government has not given effect to the remit with regard to the supply of fencing wire and building material at cost price to soldier settlers, and the same remit bo urged again this year." (Dannevirko.)

"That stock purchase boards be npjwinted under the D.S.S. Act similar to t'he land purchase boards now existing." (Hiiwera.) 'That the benefits of the D.S.S. Act be available to all British soldiere who were born in New Zealand, or were domiciled in New Zealand prior to tho war." (Wanganui.)

It was decided to urge that tho R.S.A. shculd be represented on all land boards and that land boards should be empowered to appoint local sub-committees to deal with returned, soldiers' applications for land; that in order to expedite business before the land.boards,-the boards should have power to make final decision without reference to the, Minister excepting in cases of difficulties.

The committee reconunendcd, and it was decided, that the Government bo urged to bring down legislation forthwith with a view of obtaining an intermediate classification of lands, and, in tho meantime, to provide a further special grant for improvement, including buildings, for tho Wairero- block- and the blocks similarly situated.

It was recommended by tho committee, and resolved, that the maximum sum advanced by tho Government for tho purpose of felling tho bush on soldiers' sections be increased in all cases to cover tho actual cost of felling the bush, tho maximum advance of .£2 10 s. not being sufficient to cover the cost of felling in a good many cases. It was decided to urge that the election of all members to representative Crown tenants on the Land Board be by secret ballot.

On the recommendation of the committce. a remit from Invereargill was carried, providing that in the event of property being applied for on more than one occasion during period of six months, only the last valuation fee be retained by the Lands Department, the previous fees being refunded to The unsuccessful applicants. Tho conference accorded its thanks to Messrs. A. P. Whatman, M.P., and G. Mitchell, M.P., for the assistance they had given to the Lands Committee.

District Organisation. The report of the committee 6bt up to go into the question of organisation was submitted to the conference in the afternoon. This provided for the inauguration cf a district scheme, the objects of the district organisation being to promote tho welfare of returned soldiers wi'iiin the limits proscribed bv certain clausoa of tho constitution, fiach dia trict, however, should be subjcct to tho control of the Dominion Council of tho N.Z.R.S.A. It was recommended that, district committees should forthwith coll a conference of delegates from local associations' to determine their own form of district organisation, annual conference#, voting power, executive, and tho like Each district conference should forthwith establish groups of local associations withifi its district, provided always that the total membership of the local associations, comprising any such group, should not. "be loss than -kK) financial mem bers at the time when the firoup was established. In no district should there be any more lilmn ten groups, and at no time should there be more than six districts in tho Dominion. As to tho number of delegates to the Dominion Council, it was suggested that each gioup having up to and including 100(1, llnan cial members as at March .11 peceding tho annual conference, there slKMld be one delegate; from 1001-to 2500, inclusive, two delegates; groups having over 2.100 members, three delegates. Each district should bo entitled to one vote for every--100 financial members or part thereof comprised in the total financial membership of such district. Every delegate should have one voto, and tiie balance of tho votes to which any district was entitled should Ixs distributed among liio delegates as the annual meeting of the district conference should decido. Any local association might, if it thought fit, send n delegate to any meeting of the Dominion Council, who should have tjie right to speak, hut not to vote. Tho report was adopted, uftci- having been amended in tho direction of providing for tho establishment of live districts as follow:—Auckland, Wellington, Nelson and Marlborough, Canterbury, and Otago. _It was also decided that local associations should pay organisation, capi-

tation direct to district executives, and headquarters capitation direct'to. headquarters. • Tho report, as amended, was ordered to be incorporated in tho constitution, Delegates to the conferonco wero_ entertained at a smoko concert last night by the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association.