LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1919, Page 5

LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

'. LOAN OF £12,600,000, DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT} By Telegraph,—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the House of Representatives this evening the Discharged Soldiers' Settle* went Loan Bill was introduced by Governor's message.

Sir James Allen explained that tie .."iif Bill provided for a sum of £12,500,000, •>•% with a provision in subsequent' loans '' $ which brought the total up to £16,J06> '"Ji 000, which he proposed should be 4ued"/<|| for the purpose of settling soldiers. He' ."M further explained that funds bad keen \ )v drawn on to carry on this work up to the ' Vi/j present and said that where neoawary -w these moneys would be refunded out of -■■•.ss the loan. Sir Joseph Ward, supported the because, ho said, whatever*money ww'--*?-*? required to put soldiers on,the land ■'s j should bo provided by ;the country. The '•', '' l amount requ&ed was larger thtt most [ people supposed would be neceuary, but ";, it was the swiftness of the effort mis <Jsj | to settle soldiers that accounted for the largeness of the amount. The whole of ■".' [ the money might not be required »t oaet, .-Jjs | but the Minister was justified, in aaktafc <,M for the amount stated in the Bffl, cause the finance of soldier Mtttaunl {Wm must be assured. _, iffi? Sir John PHndlay urged tint had fof r, w| soldiers' settlements should be take! ■ : i*! tfompnlsorily under the same system a$ ."$\ for civilian settlement; otherwise the ?$ experience of the Lands for Settlement \ Act would be repeated, when the large ,' "i land-owners entered into a conspiracy to ~| inflate values. . V Mr. Massey favored taking the land "■"■ under the Public Works Act w moat .'"£ owner and State. 6o far al ' he had blSfn able to inquire into the pur> chases of land for soldiers, he wai om* vinced that many satisfactory purchMH had been made, and that the proporiSos 'i' of failures the soldier setflere* would be smnll indeed. ,j Hon, G. W. Russell complained that the Government had not exercised the right . j* to lease land to soldiers, Too nmeji 4; stress had been laid on the freehold tenure, overlooking the fact that the t leasehold system Imd been of grent vajne to the people of this country. Proeteding, he criticised the purchases Of land •' for soldiers, mentioning an estate in the Manawatu district of 478 asree, trttich was purchased at £IO,OOO more than it. stood at in the Governmental books, placing an unfair burden on the soldier*. The fact was that the Land Purchase )■ Department had been carried off its feet by the high prices ruling for butter-fat, and land had been purchased without paying th n slightest regard to the figures ■ „• in possession of the Government Valuation Department. He intended to more for a return on this subject, which, he • believed, would support his contention ' that too high prices had been paid for soldier settlement land.

Mr. Pcarce favored the system of tend settlement outlined by the Returned Soldiers' Association, because it secured the settlement of unoccupied drown i lands Tather than the system under \\ [which the farmer was bought oat Mid i the soldier put in his place. That ayftttt did not increase production, as tins man '' ; j who was bought out only had to look for • another farm, and perhaps displaced : someone else.

! Th'p Hon. Gnthrie stated It had Utn } i said that the Government was purchasing land at too high a price, but if it ' ■ wad they were doing so under the very best advice obtainable. The Manawatu property mentioned by the Hon, Russell, was one of the most successful settle- s ' ments yet opened up, there being only t one man in that settlement who had not paid up every penny of rent or interest. His Department was taking care of soldier settlers and giving them every kalp, and he was now confident that this great experiment would be an unqualified success. Over 400 men had been assisted ' K to get on the land up to the present. Bnt for a shortage in finances they could have had over 5000 settlers.

After the supper adjournment Mt**M Buddo, Ell, Reid, Witty, E. Newman, McCallum, Anderson, Hon. McDonald, Lcc, Luke, Rhodes, Hunter, W. H. Field, and Ngata contributed to the debate, '' their criticism being generally favorable to the Bill.

STATEMENT BY SIR JAMES ALLEN.

A MILLION A MONTH WANTED. _____ f (By Wire.—Own Correspondent) Wellington, Last Night. * '" ■ Sir James Allen said to-night that the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Bill wa» necessary, because the authority taken last year for the settlement of returned soldiers had proved totally inadequate. The authority hod been exhausted oh March 31 last. At the end of August commitments had been entered into to the extent of £2,502,000, and, in addition, there were unapproved Application* Jto .it the amount of £700,000 held up on account of lack of funds, l'he requirements in connection with the settlement i • of soldiers during the last two months j* had been.at the rate of £1,000,000 a '; month, and authority was now being 1 asked to raise a sum'of cover the commitments already entered ,~, into and provide for future requirements. ■ ],fe The future expenditure had been esti- iM mated at £BOO,OOO a month. The Bill --S provided also for loans under the Lead * for Settlement Act for the settlement of soldiers. Power was asked to ralw £2,000,000 in the year ended March 31, ■. •' 1020; another £2,000,000 in (he year ■' ended March 31, 1921; and £1,000,000 in each year thereafter. He did not «ay •)> that all this money would be required, but the Government could not place Itself again the position of not having the funds needed for soldier settlement.

The Bill, added Sir James Allen, contained provision for compulsory contributions. Tho Minister for Finance bad ; - power to fix the rate of interest and ths conditions. There would be power to •,* raise the money at a low rate of interest "?j with freedom from income tat. He did not say that course would be taken. He ■ "•; hoped it might be avoided, but he had not had time to enquire into the position.' '!' and, in view of what had been said last year by the then Minister for Finance, he hoped members would allow the power to < *«, remain in the Bill. j j