SOLDIER SETTLEMENT

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 3, 28 September 1921, Page 6

SOLDIER SETTLEMENT

A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ARREARS AND POSTPONEMENT OF RENT i i WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS LOST A comprehensive statement covering the financial side of the process of settlement of returned soldiers on the land and in dwel-ling-houses was made in the House of Representatives yesterday by the Minister of Lands (Hon. D. H. Guthrie). He read a return covering operations up to August 31 last, giving the totals of advances, arrears, rebates, postponements, transfers, and forfeitures. The matter arose through a question which Air. M. ,T. Savage (Auckland Woet) addressed to the Minister. Mr. Savage drew the attention of the Minister to a statement made at the conference of the Dominion 'Executive of the U.S.A. effect that numbers of soldiers were throwing up their holdings and that their successors were being loaded with the arrears of rents and other charges which had. accrued. He asked that the Minister should make a statement which would clear the matter up. Mr. Guthrie said that as there had been a great deal of misrepresentation tn connection with this matter he desired to put the facts before the House end the country. A few, but a very tew. had thrown up their sections. Mr. T. AT. Wilford Tender of the Opposition): I have a petition herefrom twelve who say they cannot make a liv‘ng Mr. Guthrie: I don’t care If yon have ft petition from twentv-four. lam going to pive yon the facts 1 . I have here a written return. ft is rot a new one. I have had it made up all along. The totals are:— Advances. Current account 2.922.957 For farms P. 559.274 For dwellings 6.358.459 Total 17.839,970 ■Repayments. £ . Current nccotint 318.804 Farm® acoount 2 <u .359 Dwellings account '. 573.270 Total '' 1.156.433 Arrears. £ Rent 11”.O24 Interest.'current account 55.446 Instalments on farms 172.527 Tr. stalments on dwellings |... 17.273 Total «8.270 Postponements. Rent ; *1.431 Interest, current account 1.2'2 Instalments on farms 17. f> 1, 0 Instalments on dwellings a 26 /Total ... 109,549 Postponements Repaid. Rents 12 Interest, current account 1” Instalments on farms i. 2,426 Instalments on dwellings ‘1 Total w - 855 Coming to the next division, the car,talisatmn of amounts owing, the Minister explained that the Department had never encouraged this process. Tn rents the sum of £8246 had been capitalised, interest, current account, nil. and instalments on farina and dwellings, -C176, a total of -£8422. A great deal was made, he proceeded, about people leaving their boldines. The number of leases forfeited was 266 out of a total of 9000 held by men with experience and without. Tim area affected was 59.136 acres, and the rent lostamounted tn .215.937. Fnreclo=”-o hnd afTcnted nine (farms and ton dwellings. a tctal of 19- The loan losses through forfeiture and foreclisure were:—Current account .£2377. on farms £316, on dwellings nil. a total of .£2693. which he thought the House would accept ”« being extraordinarily satisfactory. The interest losses under the same three h’adin»- for these two causes amounted to £1313. The transfers of titles «niWecf to mortfrnvos numbered 467. Tim r’lnc »t the date of purchase was -5513.995. (he con. sideration on transfer £560.°°2. and the advances made £456.277. The cinestfon had been ;a'sed nil over tlm country that tremendous losses wore being incurred when these men went ent and that the country could not afford, it. What was thought of a purchase price nf £513.000 and a selling price of gpco.OOO? The rebates earned on farms •and dwellings awregafed .£45.358. As for remissions, with oil the terri’do history sketched of the soldier settlement scheme, the Government had granted remissions, totalling £10.202 in rent. £32 interest curreftt account. £234 Instalment’ on farm, and £65 instalments nn d-ellin-s. or a grand total of £10.51,3 Tim Minister of T,and» added that he had been receiving the figures regularly, and had his finger on the course of events. He would have, lik’d to have Feon able to sav that the Government had not lost anv money in conneetmn wifi* the aoldie’-s’ ’eHdement scheme. Ho could not say that, because as a matter of fact, the returns showed a loss of about £10.900. But was that money really lost? What had the'expenditure been worth to the people of New Zealand ? What would the people bo saying to-day i# the Government had ’mt given the soldiers their chance? The returned men had been given their chance, and even :f a few of them had failed for one reason dr another the fact remained that the Dominion had done the right thing by them. The Government certainly had not been severe on the men who had! not been successful.

He had beep asked what was done with reference to arrears in the cases of men w l .o failed to make w<xl Th" rule was (hat- if the land would carrv thj original valuation, together with loading renresenting assistance that had been given t- the soldier tenant, then the Incoming lerent had tr pay the full value. But if the land had not proved suitable or equal to th? valuation lhat had been plnred noon it. then the Government did not ask the incoming tenant to bear tho burden. Tho Incoming tenant paid if it was Tciisonable for him t? do so, but Hie rases were considered on their merits. The Land Board, had discretion ii the matter.