LAND FOR RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1917, Page 6

LAND FOR RETURNED SOLDIERS.

IS TAEANAIII LAND TOO DJSAJI! AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION. The Hawera branch forwarded tin; following resolution fur consideration by the Taranaki Executive of tin. limners' Union at its last meeting, viz.: "That in this opinion of this branch of (he Fanner's' Union the steps taken to far to settle returned soldiers en the land are, so for at least as Taranaki is concerned, inadequate and unsatisfactory, and that more energetic and sympathetic action was necessary in the'interests of soldiers and of the Dominion as a whole." Mr. Mhxwoll: Have we enough information before ns? The chairman replied that they had not much. They had been told timi and again that the Land Purchase Hoard considered that the land in Taranaki was too dear. Sir. Lambie: Is that not true? Mr. Maxwell: I think it is withom a doubt. The chairman said that was a question. Ho admitted that .si)me of the land was high-priced, but not necessarily dear. That was pointed out to the Minister some time ago. There was a way, however, in which the Government could acquire some land in Taiw naki. A number of young men occupying hush sections had been called up, and they were at their wits' end to know how to get rid of their sections. It had been suggested that coimtv councils and other local bodies should do their best to administer these farms in the interests of the men who had gone away, but- that was not satisfactory. It would be better if the Government were to buy these sections at a fair valuation and then throw thc;>, open for selection to retiu 1 soldier-'. That would be a way out- ui' a certain I amount of their difficulty in Taranaki He heard of a case the' other day of a man who had had five c six'stations placed in his hands to dispose of, but he could not get rid of them excepting at a sacrifice? and the peopk of New Zealand- did not cvnect thai men who were risking their lives at the front should also be called upon to sacrifice their' properties. It would bo only a fair proposition for the Government to take over these sections, and the owners would not expect a profit. A board of competent men, men who were acquainted with this class of land, and knew its carrying capacity, coiild be set up to value, it, and he felt sure that the owners, the men who were going away, would be glad to dispose of it on that basis to the Government. With regard to Taranaki dairying land £.■)() or £GO an acre was looked upon as dear land, but the Government had been paying as high as £42 an acre at itongotea, and he was sure their land there was no bettor, if as good, as some Taranaki land. But the attitude of the Purchase Board that our land was too dear was altogether wrong. It was high-priced admittedly, b\it there was a between being high-priced and dear. They inust take into consideration the productive qualities of the land.

Mr. F. Hills, representing the Hawera branch, said it was up to him to farther the resolution, and he did it willingly and freely, and he moved that the executive endorse it. What was there said in regard to the settling of returned soldiers on the laud in Tar.inaki was right; nothing of any consequence had yet been done.' Very little land had been acquired, and that was. in the main, unsuitable It would he o. crying shnnic to put returned soldiers on land of poor quality, or under bad conditions, and the only land now available for them were odd sections of standing bush in the back blocks. He could not see bow these section; wera going to be of any use to returned sol diers, in the meantime at any rate. Tf a man was fit to go into the biokhlocks anfl handle that class of land he would not be a discharged soldier; lie would go hack to the front. A man competent to handle bush sections in the, bade blocks must be as fit as the best' of the men at the front. It seemed a pi'v that our returned young men were compelled to leave this district if they desired to go on the land. Vor sentimental and other reasons they naturally desired to remain in the distiict that t'-y belonged to. That iva--son, perhaps, should not count, but what, did count was the fact that a man would lie more successful on land with which he was acquainted. In . a new district he would not be' n success for some time because he had to learn and become acquainted with new conditions and methods. That \<ns why Taranaki men who wished to take up land should have the opportunity of taking up land in Taranaki, but that, so far. had be.'n practically denied: tliem. With regard (o the price of land in Taranaki, it was 100 dear to permit of fortunes bains made off it by farmin", but it was not too dear to enable a living and a little margin to be made, and that was -all that a returned soldier could reasonably ask for. The chairman seconded the motion.

Mr. Maxwell approved of the chairman's suggestion and thought it misbt br income.'™ ted with this motion. would afford an opportunity for eallednp men to gel; rid of th"ir farms at a fair valuation, and would also offer opportunities for securing suitable farms for returned soldiers. Mr. Mills: Perhaps that is the bet ?olntion of the difficulty, but it is a bad one, because it means tlmt these men, when thev come back, will have, no land. The cha : rman: There is no compulsion to sell. Mr. Mills replied (bat the point was whether thev could devise some ine:ins by which the hind could lie held for tinmen who. were away or in anv way handled for them, so that it would be retained for them until they return: fi. Tlioy would then not he compelled to sell. When they do return thev will naturally want land again. Hut if thiwere not practicable and they have to sell, then it was only rieht that fhf' (iovernment should buy it and give them a fair valuation; no other course was open.

The chairman: That subject has been uppermost in our mind- for some time, but we cannot Hud any solution in the direction you suggest, viz.. looking after these farms for the men who are awav." Mr. Maxwell was glad Mr. Mills had brought up that point, bcanse thev an I the whole cominouitv hid' been trvln., to ilnd a practical solution of the difficulty, They had been doing their beat to dud some way of keeping these farms going for those who are fortunate enough to come back from the war, but it was out of the question for county councils to do it. The branches of th'a Union could, do it far better than county councils, After some further discussion ths chairman's suggestion was incorporated into the motion, and in that form its was cnrrieil,--gtaj t