RETURNED SOLDIERS’ ASSOCIATION.

Taihape Daily Times, 22 July 1919, Page 4

RETURNED SOLDIERS’ ASSOCIATION.

LAND‘ FOR SETTLEMENT.

MINISTER’S RERLY TO TAII-IA1?E RESOLUTIONS. ’

The following letter hzfs ‘been rc~ ccivcd by the secretary of the Taihape District. R5-fill‘l]Cd Solclibfs’ Association from zthc Hon. D. H. Gutlll'io,_Minist”cl" for Lands, in’ reply to the I'epl'csentations made by the Taihapc Association xrogarding the} ystzititlt-111e11t. tof return soldiers on the‘ land:—— “I. am in receipt of your letter of 9th ins:t., and have noted the contents ofvthe rcsolutiohs adopted by your Association with regard to land for returned soldiers. '

.“In Commenting thereon, I have to state that the. policy of :thc 'Go‘vernment is not to purchase only highpriced land; but, in the interest of returned men, to make sound purchases of all classes of land to suit the varying needs of our prospecfiive soldier settlers. While noting your contention that «the purchase of Iligh-priced land is neither in the intel'ests of the rel"urne(l soldiers, nor of the Government, I may state for your information that one of =t'ne most successful soldier settlelnefits in New Zealand to-day is conxprised of high-priced dairying land. on which every soldier is making a suc~ cess. . r

“As your rpsolutioll states, large areas of land s"uch zfs your Association favours have aheady been pm-<:llaseCl, and no unnecessary delay will be counfenanced in throwing them open for seleetion. _ .

“VVitlf regard to the second resolution in your letter, urging the acquisition by the Government of large areas of land between Taihape and ’H:awke’s Bay, I have to inform you that the .\[ang:lollane Estaete, which is no doubt included in the reference. is at present under consideration 'by {the Land Purchase Board. \Vitll 421 i View to further estates being olfered, I am. directing a personal letter to all large land-owners in New Zealand, asking etlieiu to submit the whole, or portion, of their properties to the GOVOI‘IIIIICIIf for soldier settlement purposes; but if your Association can give par‘cicul=a.t'g of any block or blocks which it considers could be purchased, and would be suitable for subdivision, I should be glad to receive the information.”

The above-quoted letter is in reply to two resolutions passed at the ,q'ener:_ll meeting of the Taihapo Returned Soldiers’ Association on 75rd July. The first resolution defirccated the pui-chase of higll-priced land. aand urged upon the Government the necessity and <lesirability of securing some of the larger areas of clleapel' land, suitable for soldier settlemjent. -’llhe second resolution urged the acquisition of some of: the large areas -of land ‘between Taihnpe and Hawke’s Bay, and also urged speedy action in endezivouring to secure lthis-L tlalnd on a'.ccoun*.t2 iof private persons attempting to secure it for speculative purposes. The Ministor’s reference to ‘the Mrmgaohanc Estate ‘is ditticlilfi to Im«lerstand. as it has been reported in Various xiexvspl’-IP°l'S ‘HI3-‘C This estate. was sold for £170,000 at about the end of June. If the press reports of the sale were correct, the Land Pur. chase Board nmst have entered into negotiations with the new owners of the estate, as. the Minister’s lgfier was written on 12th July.