HOPELESS CASE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 21, 16 April 1927, Page 15

HOPELESS CASE

DESTITUTE SETTLERS DEPUTATIONS TO MINiSTER BUSH SICKNESS AT NGAROMA (From Our Own Correspondent.) HAMILTON, To-day. A pitiful tale of hardship and disappointment was told by a deputation of 20 settlers from the Ngaroma settlement, and representatives of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, who waited on the Minister of Lands, the Hon. A. D. McLeod, at Frankton on Thursday evening. The Minister motored through from the Hauraki Plains and after spending an hour at Frankton left by express for the South. The settlers, who were introduced by Mr, D. S. Reid, M.P., stated that the district was infected by bush sickness, and that the farmers were so impoverished as to be at the point of starvation. It was asked that all liabilities on the farms be wiped off and that the settlers be given clean country on which to make a new start. HISTORY OF THE BLOCK The spokesman for the settlers, Mr. J. Burren, said the Ngaroma block consisted of 22,000 acres, situated 34 miles south-east of Te Awamutu. In 1912 42 settlers took up holdings on the block., Since then 10 had walked off and 17 were now destitute, and likely to follow the others’ example. All the labour and money they had spent in trying to improve their places had been lost. It was claimed by the settlers that the land was cattle-sick and for this reason could not be worked profitably. Cattle and sheep suffered and died from malnutrition. The effects of the bush sickness were also visible in the children, who had to be given medicine through lack of nourishing food. In 1915 some 75 per cent, of the settlers went to the war and on their return in 1919 secured further financial assistance from the Government under the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act. These men had previously received advances from the State Advances Office, but there was no prospect of any of the present liabilities being discharged. What the settlers sought, said Mr. Burren, was that the liabilities should be wiped off and that fresh advances be made to enable them to make a start elsewhere. It was alleged by the settlers that the Government was aware in 1898 that the Ngaroma land was sick, for the district had been included in a map of bush-sick country which appeared in the Agricultural Journal of that year. “At present,” concluded Mr. Burren, “the settlers are living a most precarious existence. They feel that compehsation is due to them.” “The conditions under which these people are labouring are deplorable, and the Farmers’ Union intends to support their efforts to obtain some amelioration,” said Mr. W. H. Allen, representing the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. MINISTER’S REPLY “I am quite familiar with the whole position at Ngaroma, and I am not going to contradict any of the statements made,” said the Minister in reply. However, he said, he wished tp place before the settlers his position in relation to their financial, obligations. State Advances mortgages existed on many of the holdings, and he had placed the settlers’ requests for from these mortgages before the Minister of Finance and the superintendent of the State Advances Department. He had received a memorandum from the Minister of Finance in which the latter said the Ngaroma settlers had been under a misapprehension when they said that an inspector from the State Advances Office had visited Ngaroma to make a revaluation of the holdings with a view to considering the rearrangement of the various settlers’ liabilities. It was pointed out that the Department had not at any time indicated that such action was contemplated. The inspecting valuer’s visit was for the purpose of inspecting and reporting on each of the Department's securities and of obtaining information which would assist it in arriving at a decision as to what course should be adopted to protect, as far as possible, the Department’s interests as first mortgagee if the occasion should arise. He had not gone for the purpose of writing off liabilities as had been suggested by the settlers. Mr. McLeod said he had placed all the facts before the State Advances Office, and although the Government provided the money the Minister said he wished to make it clear that the State Advances Office was not controlled by any Minister of the Crown. It acted entirely apart from any political pressure whatever and it was well that it should do so. The speaker pointed out that the settlers at Ngaroma were not the only-ones to suffer. He knew of two or three hundred men who could tell similar stories of hardship. An inspecting officer of the State Advances Office would visit Ngaroma in a few weeks and report. SUBSTANTIAL CONCESSIONS A statement of the concessions that had been made to the Ngaroma settlers was quoted by Mr. McLeod, who said the total concessions amounted to £38,336 14s 2d. Mr. McLeod said he took no credit for what had been done. He had approved of every recommendation made by every commission and had considered the plight of the Ngaroma settlers. On the question of removing the settlers to other land, the Minister said he had received similar requests from 20 settlers on the Hauraki peat lands that day and he could very easily find 100 men living on deteriorated lands who required similar assistance. “If I carried out the wishes of all these people I would need a couple of million pounds,” he said. The Minister went into details of the requirements of the Auditor-General, who, he said, had to be absolutely satisfied of the circumstances of each case before he could authorise any loans to be wiped off. Mr. Carter: We maintain that the Government owes us something. Mr. McLeod: I don’t agree. Mr. Carter: The Government knew in IS9S that the land was bush-sick. Mr. McLeod: In spite of that men have gone into the area and have been successful. Mr. Carter: They may have struck spots free from the sickness. Mr. McLeod: I have done everything possible for you. Until you yourselves deal with the State Advances Office I cannot see that I can do anything further. I have been doing the absolute limit as far as my Department is concerned. I would go as far as wiping off every debt of rent and everything else, but the recommendation must come from the Valuations Board, without which the Audit Office would not accept any wiping off. I have power to wipe off everything as far as the soldiers' accounts are concerned, but State advances are not controlled by the Government. Strong criticism of the decrying of land valuations was made by Mr. McLeod. As a result securities were being depreciated throughout the country to-day. Tie was doing his best to stop it. He could only make additional representations to the Minister of although Heavens knew he had made enough, and urge that further officers be sent to Ngaroma to inspect the land there.