THE Hauraki Plains Gazette. With which is Incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY. “Public Service.” FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 1943. DEMAND FOR FREEHOLD

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32302, 20 August 1943, Page 4

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette. With which is Incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY. “Public Service.” FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 1943. DEMAND FOR FREEHOLD

The fact that only two persons voted against the demand of. between 300 and 400 present at the Hamilton meeting advocating the freehold for soldier settlers should not be ignored by the Government. The Government’s official settlement scheme excludes the freehold, which many people regard as an unfair discrimination against servicemen. It is true that returned soldiers may gain possession of freehold property by private treaty or by financing the transaction through the State Advances Corporation, but the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Bill encompasses the national scheme for settlement’. It does not help those who want the freehold. Presumably the Hamilton meeting represented _ a crosssection of public opinion. At least it was open to objectors. Certainly an amendment, which was a direct negative of the original motion, was ruled out, but only the two voices were raised against the motion. The Government has been urged from many quarters not to force the Billlhrough in the last hours of the present Parliament. If public opinion is as the Hamilton meeting suggests, it would be folly to make the measure law until the electorates have had time to make their wishes known. There may be other meetings similar to that at Hamilton, but there is little time to make representations. As far as can be discovered the Government intends to proceed in spite of public opinion. And the question of tenure is by no means the only cause of objection to the Bill. The public moves slowly in expressing itself. A Government which has outlived its normal term by two years owes the duty to democratic principle to leave the Bill to discussion in the flection campaign. It has no direct mandate to proceed with the measure.