WELLINGTON NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES

SOLDIEiI SETTBEMEXT. SEEING THE MEN THROUGH. (Special to “Guardian”.) WELLINGTON, August 10. The second reading debate on the Discharged Soldiers” Settlement Act Amendment Bill, though ii occupied the House of Representatives from Wednesday afternoon till after three o”clock yesterday morning did not throw a great deal of additional light upon any of the Unites tit stake. All the parties were agreed that something had to he done for the soldier settlers and that it ought to he done quickly and on a generous scale. But the critics of the Government could not resist the temptation toremiml .Mr Massey and his colleagues that they had heen warned

against some of the untoward things that had happened and that scarcely a year ago the Prime .Minister had declared only a very small percentage of the moil would need assistance. Mr Massey's speech with which the debate opened was mainly an elaboration of what he had said in moving the first reading. Tie thought that the revaluations would cost- the country no moro than £.'2,000,000 and that the new capita! required would not exceed £300,000. The second mortgages, as the Minister himself recognises, remain the difficult problem. Mr Massey hopes that the moringagees will be generous, “ particularly if they sold at good prices,” hut in these days they cannot lie expected to give away a great deal of their actual security. OPPOSITION CRITICISM.

The Lender of the Opposition, Mr T. M. Wilford, while welcoming the Kill :is on instalment of the relief to ho nfl'orded tlie unfortunate soldier settlors, did uni believe that C 2,000,000 was going to sot them permanently on I their feet. The first statement ho wanted to tithe exception to was, he said, that the loss to the country would he no more than this sunt. It was a liahit of the Prime Minister, he remarked, to give information hit Inhit and so break an unpleasant truth gently to the pnhlie. It probably would be found in Ihe long run that the loss was several times two millions. This, by the w;iy, is the opinion expressed 1 1 y many members in the lobbies. Kvett members on the (dovenimenf side of Ihe Mouse, in a position In know as much about the matter as Mr Massey docs, declare I lint at least four millions will have to he written off the valuations to give it fair proportion of the settlers a chance. Mr Wilford was strongly opposed to keeping the settlors’ arrears alive bv poMponmenl. It would be preposterous, he declared, to hold men liable for it rent calculated on a wrong basis. Tee settlers should he given a fair start, in order that, they might go about the work of rehabilitation with a light heart. S'KCOXn .WOimtAGKS. The ■' nonunion ” this morning admits (piiie frankly that the amendment in the second mortgage clause of the Hill, brought about by the persistence of the Opposition, has very materially improved this part of the measure. '• As amended,’’ it says. " lie clause relating to second mortgages in the Hill to grant relief to soldier settlers is much improved. The powers of the hoards to negotiate with the holders of second or later mortgages is extended, and it is not now necessary to wholly discharge »iich j mortgages before Hie Government mortgage is written down. A reduction of die second mortgage to be granted if approved will be suflieient to enable the reliel under the first mortgage ill be granted. Tile Prime Minister and otliers bat e been at some i pains to emphasise the fact that it was not intended to treat second mold- j gages as merely "a scrap of paper." j T!ii ■ was hardly necessary. It is made quite clear in the Hill that the holders of second mortgages on soldier settlers j I'anils cannot lie compelled to reduce the amount of their mortgages. Hut it must lie clear to (hem that ii the security upon which the mortgage rests is not siiHicicii! if realised to meet I heir claim- tie inert gage i' m some i hing less tha ii its lor value." The ameii-Uiu-iit i a lim- example m thV due lII' I Ii- 'povat mu bet ween ihe par t i"s. t; AM I Xt: I.KGIsI ATKIN. Notwit list ending tie obviously geo ! in i elti ten of the Prime Minister and ill spirited debate on the snlijec: in tii Ibi-ise i In' ether i veiling. ice genera! feeling here is ihni thm c will lie u gamin.: !.-gi-lid mu thi- session. :d'!v tee ■:; 111 . ; t-ro nlO inch leal-hit ion as Ms ?,lcs:.cy has indicated would b less strenimii. in Parliament to-da-than it was two years ago. but in tin country, it members are reading I lie signs of ilie time aright, there is a still stronger feeling against the totali-alel-and nil its works than there was when the ant i-rachig people i,lined handwith the bookmakers and ihoii clients in compassing the rejection of the r< port ol the Pacing Commission. The realise! mu of his pout! int entions ,vil ! be made all i lie more difficult by ill' fact tint ihe Prime Minister is speed

in.; up the business of the House in order to have •• ]! highly controversial mailers otti or the way before he leaves for ill" fmoerial Con fere nee. Ti would not lie very rlilfienli for the opponents of reform to hold up a flaming Bill for a eouple of days, and as it happenthat is a length of time Hie Govern - men 1 could not very well spare jn.-t now. even with the prospeet of victor' at i lie end.