LAND BOARD ELECTION.

Southland Times, Issue 18831, 26 May 1920, Page 4

LAND BOARD ELECTION.

In our comment in this place yesterday on the Land Board election we inadvertently' overlooked tbe fact that Mr D. J. Heenan, Nightcaps, is also a candidate for the representation of Crown tenants, as well as the sitting member, Mr James King and Messrs llargcst and Gardner. The omission was purely unintentional and the argument was in nowise affected. Mr Heenan is not a returned soldier and therefore he is on the same footing as Messrs King and Gardner. Mr Hargest alone has the special qualifications to which wo directed attention. The settlement of returned soldiers on the land now bulks so largely in the Land Board’s business, and there is so much dissatisfaction among returned soldiers with the administration that it is desirable that the Board should include one member whom the soldiers could regard as one of themselves and

the custodian of their special interests. The fact that, as we said yesterday, most of the dissatisfaction which exists is groundless,'makes it all the more desirable that returned soldiers should learn the facts through a member of their own. It is very doubtful in our opinion if the election of Mr Hargest would result in any material change in the Board’s policy or in its methods of administration, but returned soldiers, who are a large section of the Board’s constituency, would feel more confidence ia the Board if one of their own number sat at its table. Of all the candidates Mr Hargest alone has this special qualification and in addition his general qualifications arc at least equal to those of the other candidates. He is a practical farmer and ho is farming a Crown lease.