WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1919, Page 3

WELLINGTON NOTES.

SOLDIERS LAND SETTLEMENT.

CANDID CRITICISM

(Special Correspondent). •WELLINGTON, May 23

The deputation of business men and farmers that waited upon tho Hon. D. H Guthrie in Palmerston North the other day to protest against the. dilatory methods and faulty judgment of the Land Purchase Board in dealing with properties offeired for soldiers’ settlement appears to have made more than a passing impression upon the Minister. Tho deputation was able to show that the Board, through no lack of deliberation, linjd '“turned down” a number of desirable properties and had acquired others quite unsuitable for the class of settlement the Legislature had iu view. It suggested as a safeguard against this sort of thing in the future that the Board should be abolish, ed, that its functions should be taken over by the Land Board in eacli district and that the latter body should have the assistance in this department of its administration of an advisory committee consisting of local business'" men and practical farmers. RATTLING THE DRY BONES.

Before this very radical change in the land purchase system be made legislation will bo required, and meanwhile the Minister will have to do the best he can with the existing machinery. But Mr Guthrie is not at all-dismayed by tjl!|e position. Itl is jnot likely that when Parliament meets for the short session before the general election it will he inclined to undertake an exhaustive review of tho land, laws of the country, hut it might be trusted to endorse any amendment of tbe regulations that would facilitate soldier settlement along safe and effective lines. As the law stands, the Chairman of the Land Purchase Board is absolutely supreme in his own sphere, having power to over-ride the recommendations of valuers, boards and Ministers alike, but the present occupant of tlie office is long past tlic retiring age, and probably would be glad enough to transfer some of liis responsibilities to tbe land boards and the proposed advisory committees. THE LIQUOR CAMPAIGN.

The recent conference of the prohibition .leaders has been followed by increased activity at the party’s head quarters here.. The Secretary of tho I New Zealand Alliance, the Rev. John Dawson, is away on a. trip to America * where he hopes to pick up much nnnuu- ’ nition for use in New Zealand, hut the Rev. R. S. Gray, and his other colleagues are plunging themselves into the fresh campaign with renewed vigour and, so they say, increased confidence. They see in tho comparatively small majority scored for continuance at tho last poll a good augury for their suggess on the next appeal to tho electors. Their argument is that a very large proportion of the soldiers votes, which turned the scale against them on the last session, will he cast in their favour, with the men’s better understanding of the position.

! . THE OTHER SIDE. 1 The moderates and the avowed supporters of the licensed trade are equally confident of success. They declare that numbers of people who voted for prohibition with (compensation will not vote for it without compensation, and that the returned soldiers, seeing for themselves how things stand in this 'country, will vote more solidly than ever \

for continuance. But probably what is going to help the trade more than anything else in the next trial of strength •between the parties is the appearance of State Control on the ballot paper, without ally provision for preferential voting. Hie effect of this must ho to detach from prohibition a large number of votes that otherwise would be cast for that issue and so materially lessen its chance of success. The Government, so far, has shown no disposition to remove this hardship from the attacking party.