LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 November 1917, Page 2

LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

■«»■ THE QUALITY OBJECTED TO. AUCKLAND DEPUTATION WAITS ON PRIME MINISTER. Auckland, Nov. 17. Several matters relating to the settlement of returned soldiers on the land ware brought before the Hon W. P. Massey by a deputation from the Returned Soldiers' Association, the chief subject being complaint* regarding the quality and valuation of some of the sections occupied by soldiers on the Reynolds estate, near Cambridge. In reply, the Hon. VV. P. Massey said if a soldier got on a section on which he found he could not make a living the only thing to do was to endeavour to put him on something better. "We are not going to bind them down to these sections," added the Premier, who stated that he understood the Reynolds estate was purchased jtist at the" inception of the scheme to settle soldiers on the land, and it was then very doubtful whether soldiers would take 'up the sections, which was the reason why some were set apart for ordinary settlement. The deputation replied that the trouble was that the best sections were set apart for ordinary settlers. Mr. Skcet, Crown Lands Commissioner, said that the Land Board had arranged to inspect the settlement next week. Some sections required a great deal of development, and the price was valued from below £l4 to £3O per acre. The Prime Minister replied that on the whole the soldier setlomont scheme had proved very successful. There were at present 541' soldiers settled on the land. About 40 others had failed, for one reason and another, to take up sections. He thought there were more difficulties in the way of putting settlors on the land in the Auckland province than in some other parts of iNew Zealand, because in many other places there was natural feed on the land. For that reason he thought that many soldiers were right in selecting sheep farms rather than dairy country. The deputation assured the Premier that there was a very keen and growign desire on the part of soldiers to go on the land, and Mr. Maßsey assured the deputation that the Government were out to help the men in every possible way and to remedy any just grievances.