THE “ D.S.S. ” ACT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10607, 4 June 1920, Page 3

THE “ D.S.S. ” ACT

A STATEMENT DENIED ADVANCES STILL BTING MADE, SAYS PRIME! MINISTER. RETURNED MEN NOT SATISFIED WITH ASSURANCE. «» The statement that the Government had suspended the provisions of the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act as regards advances of capital by way of loans was denied by the Prime Minister, the Hon. W. F. Massey, and the Hon. D H. Guthrie, Minister for Agriculture, when they were waited upon yesterday morning by a deputation comprising the whole of the delegates attending the annual conference of the N.Z.8.5.A.. Dr E. Boxer (Bastings), president of the association, introduced the deputaMr W. EL Readier (Christchurch) said that in the past ihey had always believed that the Prime Minister hod endeavoured to give them a fair deal, but owing to the withdrawal of tho. loans under the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act without duo notice, there »M a ciy of indignation from ‘ returned men throughout the Dominion. The Premier: Who says they ore withdrawn? They are not even withdrawn temporarily. "GOVERNMENT HAD NOT PLAYED THE GAME.** Mr Leadley: "They are. A statement has been made to that effect/' It v. as oery unfair on the part of the Qovenmen.t. The Prime Minister hod promised a deputation twelve months ago that a }• ear’s notice would be given before the loans would be withdrawn. On the strength of that assurance they had gone back to their association and advised men who wanted to purchase land and houses accordingly. As a result of the failure of the Government to give due notice certain men were in danger of losing sums ranging from ASB to -£2OO paid by way of deposits made in respect of contemplated purchases. They were asking that every contract entered into before April 22nd, and that every application made before that date, should he recognised and dealt with by the Government immediately, and that a further sum would be allocated for the purpose of the Act when Parliament met. They contended that the Government had rot played the game by the returned soldiers. and as a result they . were losing confidence. T KEEP MY WORD.*' , Mr Massey: Yon be careful. Mr Leadley. I keep my word on every occasion. Mr Leadley: That is what we thought, sir. but contend that yon have failed on this occasion. Mr W. Perry said that Joseph had been sold hy his 1 brethren into Egypt and the returned soldiers had been treated just the same war by tlie Government —they had been sola by the people they . trusted. A previous deputation had pointed out *h« Prime Minister the hardship inflicted on soldiers who had signed options or made deposit*, and he had informed them that • sum of .-6750,000 remained, but that if neccseary he would find half a million to meet cases until Parliament met. The Prime Minister: When 1 tel! joe what I have found you will be surprised. INSTRUCTIONS NOT CARRIED OUT. Continuing, Mr Perry said that three or four days aftei- this applications pul into the Land Board at Wellington, from 1 men who had made commitments were turned down Either Mr Massey did not give the instructions promised or they were not carried out. Mr Massey: The Land Boards.received the instructions and gave effect to them. The Minister for Lands can endorse, that. ‘ ' Mr Guthrie : That is quite correct. A chorus of "No’s” Mr Perry proceeded to say that aooli-c.-tions had been refused, when th* Minister for lands interjected that if -the statement was correct then his instructions had been misread. Delegates: No, no. Mr Leadley: 'there is no sion. 'I he office would not even receive applications. ~ ■■ v

“MUST HAVE BEEN MISINTERPRETED," SAYS MINISTER-.

Mr Guthrie insisted that instructions, wore issued from Cabinet as stated. They. must have been misinterpreted by the. Land Boards. ' ' Mr Perry; Oar request is this: Will; Iliac Government issue inwtructipns to; Land Boards to receive applications hr respect of commitments entered into be-; foro April 22nd f • The Minister for Lands said that the soldiers could not bo more enthuaisfluo than ovp-ry member of Cabinet in regard to providing for soldiers on the ~ A sum of £12,000,000 had been provided bv Parliament with the object of riving •fleet to the wishes of th® people of New Zealand in respect of the repatriation: of soldiers, but they had had no moans, of estimating the demand that would bo made, and as a consequence it woa found that the provision made was inadequate. In Januarr last the raonej was running ou't and Cabinet was forced to call a halt. 1 ' A WARNING SOUNDED. , Mr Leodley; IVhy did you not give notice? : Mr Guthrie said that at the first opportunity lie sounded a note of warning at a big public meeting. Did the soldierrt realise what had been spout? In April, 1919, the sum was .£1,150.000;. May; £3,555,322; June. £423.000: July, £785009; August, £573,000; September, ' £l.743,000; October. £1,363,000; November. £1,233,000; December. £1,213,000; January 1920, £809.000; February, £1,082,000: March £1,373,000. The figures he had given clearly showed that they had, spent more than the money authorised. In' April, £885,000 was expended. They were enabled to do that because all the previous authorisations had not oome to charge. CESSATION A BLESSING. ? One important phase should be token into consideration, and that was that the tery fact of the Government going into the open market to buy farms and the houses was causing an inflation of values; They were paying more for land for re: turned soldiers than they thought they would when the soldier had to make. n. living on the land. Elven the little cessation that had taken place had h a d, a very beneficial and steadying effect; it had been an unmixed blessing, but a real blessing to the soldiers. Cabinet’s decision was not to cut off tho supply, but to steady it. , , - THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

Hero the Minister mode an important statement with reference to the buytnit of houses. He said that if necessary they would cut that portion of the Act out; in foot it hod been decided to take that course except in special cases. The purchasing of dwellings was merely can;-:-i'ug property to change hands and to ini (Into iho values; it was not increasing the supply. Cabinet thought it w»c much bolter to build or to assist the persona concerned to build. Referring to the paying off of mortgages, ho said that they wished, the eoldiers to have cheap money, a nd that w«* why they were paying off mortgages at a high rate of interest and lending the soldiers Government money. If there was a mortgage and it could not be paid off, they would take a second mortgage and so fender assistance. They hoped the men would take np Crown lands. Cabinet thought the time had arrived when they should • ease up

on V clans*. 2—the ono-man-one-farm proposition— especially when they had over 700,-600 acres' of Crown land awaiting settlement. Of 33 sections offered recently, only seven, had been settled, i ■ A POINT OF .ORDER. *

Mr Xieadldy: 1 rise to a point of order ' X do not wish to interrupt the Minister, but I would "ask him to confine his remarks to the points raised by the deputation. Our grievance 'is that the loane were withdrawn without' notaco. and applications .have bcenr-turned-ddwn. , The Prime Minister: They have not been turned down. Mr I/eadley: But they -have. Mr Guthrie repeated that his instructions in list have been : misread. Every application that had (xunc to’ him had been granted, unless it- was for some reason other than the cessation- of lendnfft Readier: I ' can cite cases where they have been turned down by yourself; ■ APPLICATIONS BEING RECEIVEDThe Minister: Give-me the names and I .will show good reasons for it. No instruction has been issued that applications .be not received. The Land Boards ire dealing with them. Mr," Perry: Well, there must have been On alteration within the last twenty-four hours. -: I have attended to applications, and ." they have been refused. Dr Boxer; It seems to me that there is. a hiatus of some sort between the Minister and the ‘ department. In view of-the Minister's assurance, it locked as though his officers, were not carrying out the", instructions given. ■Mr -Perry: Dp X understand that you - have given instructions that applications be received? .. . The Minister: They ate being received. --- (Cries of "No,"- and derisive laughter.) ~ _ Mr E. Inder (Auckland): Your official* at the office will, not accept them. They say they have shut up shop. Mr; Guthrie: They will .receive them. '.Mr •Perry: Well, as I said before, it is.. -only within the .. last twenty-four hours. Mr Massey.: No. , . i ■ Mr .Perry:. Will the .Minister give his assurance that applications, will bo received by the land Boards and that applications in before April 22nd will he considered? Mr:. Guthrie; Yes. We have £383,000 in hand for' ’stockinjr and improvements,’ and the Minister for Finance has given authority for the expenditure of £500.000 a month until' Parliament meets, when,, tlfc question will be decided. Everything possible had been done and will be done. You have my assurance on that. ' A: MATTER OF FINANCE. ' PROMISE NOT BROKEN. -Here the -Prime- Minister’ had something ;to say' about the’financial side. He said that ha had promised to find half a mililon. and .'instead had found three millions to keep things.going until Parliament met. That- was no breach of his promise. Loans’; had neither been stopped or suspended-. Notice was given in April, and earlier'than-that a warning note was sounded; because in February ,the Treasury called attention to the fact that they were-going, too fast. Apart from Repatriation money, in April £1,085.000 was •pant, and in May £1,241,--000.- and commitments, for .the present mdpth would certainly not be . less. than. a'miUion. ' • A LAND BOOM. What had been done was necessary from the financial point of view, and also'for the good of the country, becaiiso the purchasing of land was helping to create’ a land boom, and . they did not wish-to'ase the depression which always followed a boom. He agreed with Mr Guthrie that far too high prices had been' paid for land'. That did. not apply to the big estates, of which thoy tad 92 blocks of over 1000 acres, as big as 89,000' acres in one case. Part of this land was being reserved for soldier settlor*. H* knew lots of people objected to the* purchase of land being stopped. Those- who had land to sell wished to get/the best'prices, and ho knew that all sorts of commissions had ‘been paid Inconnection with these sales. They oould not help that; they must consider the-good of the country. : -Consistent with keeping finances in a iunind condition, everything possible would be done to place soldiers on the land. . A very largo area of Crown land was rapidly being made available, and he. advised men to go on such tend, especially If thoy )aoked,„<wperience, so that thev could get the experience gradually.’ instead of starving on land at J. 85 to £W an acre. f" "* ', ‘ * In reply to Mr .D. 6. Smith, the Premier said that in future applications for purchase of farms and houses would be considered on a.- different principle. Money could not be found atithe rate of. one and a quarter millions.- ft - month. They had to taper off, but: the loans would-'go on. Contracts-entered-Into before- Cabinets decision. would constitute, a’ special reason.' ..... CONFERENCE DISSATISFIED 1 SEVERAL RESOLUTIONS PASSED. ; Upon Conference ’ resuming dissatisfaction was expressed by’delegates with the replies received, it. being considered that they wore evasive. ■ Mr H. M. Haycock (Palmerston North) moved : ‘-That this conference views with regrdt the avaaivo rerlie* of the Prime Minister and the Minister for Lends given to thVdeputation.’' The Bov. W. Walker (Christchurch) proposed an amendment :>"That this conference is generally’ dissatisfied with tho foply df the Prime Minieteiv and that Messes W. Perry and W. E. lOjulloy, the speakers,at the deputation--bo requested to draw up a series of resolutions cover-ing-the various ’issues- raised during the coiimb: pf the deputation-to the Prime Minister." ' -’V ’•.•■Tlfo'’ amendment was- carried, , and subsequently resolutions drawn,up by Messrs Perry’and Leadley ’ wore-adopted ns follow*: ■ ’

i. ‘.'That this conference expresses its great dissatisfaction with the attitude of the Prime Minister and ' Minister for Lands' on the question of the D.S.S. Act, as .expressed'by them to.-the deputation from-this conference, thitj/morning. i 2. 5 /;'That this conference- accepts ■ the dtsurinces of 'the Prune,' Minister and the; Minister for Lands that instructions havo 'beetx given .to Land -Boards that applications .for loans, for 'he purchase of houses be received; and; considered In special caees 3, ’‘That this conference- rtrongly protests, .against the decision-of Cabinet that such" applications ' be’ received and considered only in special cases. "That this conference- regrets (exceedingly that the above decision of Cabinet- was not made public until the deputation to the Minister this morning. .5., "That this conference roqtests the Government to give on assurance forthwith that the above decision will remain in forco only until the next session of Parliament.

6) "That this conference strongly urges upon, the Government that the oases ,of m6n who entered into contracts or obtained options prior to April 22nd last be treated os special, cases within tho meaning of the Cabinet minute -.;7. “That the strongest representations be,i made to Parliament Id appropriate sufficient money to enable applications for .loons for the purchase of land and house* to bo made in the same manner os' before Cabinet’* decision."