RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 22 August 1924, Page 5

RETURNED SOLDIERS.

BORROWING PRIVILEGES. MINISTER REPLIES TO CRITICS. (by TELEGRAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 22. Hie Hon. A. D. McLeod, Minister for Lands, referring to criticisms by the Returned Soldiers’ Association of ins during the financial debate in I arhameiit, said he would be verj T sorry to attempt in any way to belittle the good work done by the association regarding matters of Dominion importance affecting returned soldiers. It was more in respect of individual matters covering the land difficulties brought before him, both as member and a Minister, that* lie felt sufficient inquiries were not made before representations were forwarded to the official quarter. “Whether it is that the reason that the purupose for which the associations were! first set up have already been served, or that they do not now serve the purpose first .’ntended I do not know, ibut I do l know that it is only with extreme difficulty and continuous whipping that life and interest is being instilled into the doings of the great bulk of the associations in question.” As the present l ontroversy ranged round the question, of the resuscitation of the special borrowing privileges, more particularly for housing, the Minister said he proposed to make a statement at an early date which he believed would go a iong way to show that his opinion, expressed in the House 1 , was not unfounded ns the public were being asked to believe.