SOLDIERS’ LANDS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2788, 23 September 1924, Page 3

SOLDIERS’ LANDS.

Wellington, September 21

At the Returned Soldiers’ Conference, a committee was appointed to deput at ionise the Premier regarding the question of the personnel of the South Auckland revaluation Board.

The Minister of Lands is to be asked to instruct district land Registrars to advertise house properties which soldiers who have built them desire to transfer. The eonlerenoe resolved that it noted regretfully that Mr McLeod had not yet made his promised statement to Parliament regarding the demands of the R.S.A. for the reopening of the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act and on his allegation that the Association did not; represent the bulk of the returned soldiers’ opinion. A detailed reply by the Hon. Air McLeod to the Association’s resolution re land settlement was considered. The Minister intimated he intends to instruct Crown Lands Commissioners to grant preference to returned men, whether already setlied or not, in the letting of grazing rights. Regarding tin* suit-division of pastoral leases as they fall due and the placing i f them under offer to landless soldiers, Ihe Minister said this was already the policy of the Department, provided the soldier applicants were suitable, but Land Boards had been instructed when no soldier applied to allot the section to the' most elegible civilian, rather than allow the land to lie idle. Regarding revaluation, Air McLeod explained that when the Dominion Board was unable to reconcile the values assessed by district committees further reports were asked for and district committees were asked li> review their decisions. In such cases, larger reductions than those recommended by the district committees had been made where circumstanees warranted. Everything possible was being done to expedite the revaluation.