RETURNED SOLDIERS’ RATES.

Shannon News, 30 May 1924, Page 3

RETURNED SOLDIERS’ RATES.

I’pSITIOiN OF RESUMED LAND. COUNTY COUNCIL'S 'ATTITUDE. At the animal statutory meeting ul tiie Horownenua county council the question oi outstanding rates, more particularly in respect, oi soldier settlers, was discussed at length. Tlie amount due to the County is in tlie neighbourhood oi £I2OO.

me chairman Aloiik;, speaking to tiie motion that tlie treasurer's re]iort h& adopted, said that in regard to tne collection oi outstanding rates, tiie County must take a definite stand. Pne ordinal y tiling was lor tlie .office to make application lor tlie rates, and, it they could not-get satisfaction, to iiaiicl the matter over to the County solicitors. With" down tenants this prol-ess was not effective: they could not collect rates from, tlie down and as had been pointed out by the treasurer a very unsatisiaclury condition things existed. Regarding special rates the County bad always adopted the attitude that, special rates' were (lie first charge oil land as the loans lor wiiicit these rates were payable had been raised lor the purpose of particularly benefiting the land in question.

On practically nil soldier settlements, said tlie. chairman, where the general rates laid not been paid, the special rates were not paid either,’mid no satisfaction could be got. from tlie Crown in respect, of them. The Council 'could not sue tire Government lor rates without tlie Government's consent so that the whole position bristled with difficulties.

■ Taking the “Heights Soldier Settlement” as an 'instance, the whole of {lie farms in this settlement, hud now been given up by the settlers and the. Government had let the land again. The whole of {his settlement had been rated for a. special loan to make roads an the settlement, and the Comity could not collect ally rates there, nor could they get, any reply from the Government, when they questioned them as to their intentions. lie would like t.o say that the soldiers on this block had been triers and had paid what rates they could whilst they were on the land. Unfortunately the land was too highly priced and their position was hopeless from the first. The Government had given a grazing right over this land and were collecting revenue from it. Had the land been leased the lessee would he responsible for the rates, but now there was no responsible person unless the Government could be saddled with them. In his own riding a. man had failed on a soldiers’ farm and had then been put back as manager. This man was running the land as if it were his own, but the County could not put any responsibility on him. It. might he urged that a compromise might be arranged and that tlie soldier settlers’ general rales which were overdue might be washed our i i they would pay the special rate. The trouble in such a case would be that -tiiey bad no guarantee that this wuuJd settle the question definitely. In all probability .they would be asKed:”iii another “year or two to wash but another lot. Some definite policy must he adopted. They could sue these men, but they could not get anything out of them. The soldier settlers claimed, with justice, that ihey were over valued. Whilst admitting this lie would ask those present as practical farmers if the}* considered that any man going on to land without capital* had ,a chance of paying interest on the whole Of the capital value oi liis land and stock and make a hfir living' except in exceptional years. He could say Irani his own experience—and he .kept lbs books very ctareiully—that he did not do so (himself and he thought that if the average farmer allowed interest, on his capital as did the business man he would find lie \ygs losing pioney. The only thing which could be Said of farming was that it provided a sure occupation, and that the farmer could be certain of getting his money out of his investment when fie decided lo retire. If the Government wfire to reduce the value of tiie soldiers farms 50 per cent, which they would not do, the question was would these settlers then he on a sound financial basis. He did not think so.

The chairman said lie would like the Council to lav down a definite policy on this question immediately. He suggested that n deputation wait, on the Minister of Lands regarding the position, especially in regard to farms which had been abandoned. There bad been deputations before and t(oe Minister had always put them off by telling them that the matter was one for the Land Board. Tbe Board had never said that they would not pay, but they would not say they would." The domicil must ask for a definite answer and failing that they most get the members of Parliament to take the matter up. The Prime Minister had stated that the Gove rumen must be prepared to drop money over the soldiers' settlement scheme anil suggested that the Counties bear some loss also. For the Horowhenua Council he could say that they were quite prepared io drop some of these back rates if they could bo secured against the loss being a. recurring one. He did not wish it to bo thought, that he meant by his remarks that every soldier settler was behind with tils fates. Further he did not wish it thought that every soldier avus hi a position 1o pay rates. But. there were certainly some men who could pay rate's and. were not doing so. Looking through the County list he saw’ that, niaiiv ol these men had paid rates during the worst- slump year and had’"'not. paid them this year. The ofilv reason he could find for this'was that these men had come to the conclusion that fliev would not, pay .when their neighbours ‘were not' paying theirs. He was of the opinion that the County should join Avitih other counties affected in bringing pressure, to bear on the Government in getting a settlement made. •

Cr. Ryder, in supporting the chairman’s statement, said it would be a good thing to co-operate with the other counties in bringing.the matter before ihe Government. Those men, as the chairman had said, were not paying their special raites and the

burden was being put on their neigh- • hours . i The chairman: It is worse than' . tiiis. Some ol the special, loans were I raised specially, to road soldier settlel fluents and tiie rates lor these sums' i are now being paid out ol general rev-' | L ' llue - Hhe whole state ol affairs is : monstrous. | I Cr. Jensen supported the statement: | that tiie soldier settler’s position i must be attached boldly. He did not| 'think the Goveijunent had any policy I regarding the returned soldiers. Thes u men were on land .which \vus too] Highly valued. In many cases they! would have been glad to leave the > land but the Government had begged them to stick to their larms and they 'would see them through. ' Cr. Catley stated that many of the returned men were not attempting to> : 'meet, their obligations to the County.! 'A number ol these men were taking! \vha.t they couid off their farms and] Spending it on pleasure. He lullvi realised that most of them were lab- ■ ouring under disabilities which they! could not. hope to carry. The Govern- i incut should give these men a fair! reduction of their land valuations! and then take a- strong stand and say !' tllev had to go-.on or get off. " : The chairman stated that the thing: the County was up against was that! if the four years., rales already owing] 'were washed off, they had no guar- 1 an tee that they tvould not be loaded with another four years, rates later. Crs. Whyte and Broadbelt also spoke on the subject,,-it, being unanimously agreed that the Government, be urged to make a definite statement, of their altitude (so that a policy might be decided on.