RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 October 1919, Page 5

RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION.

GENERAL MEETING, A general meeting of the New Plymouth Returned Soldiers" Association was held at the Club rooms), last night, Archdeacon Evans (president) occupying the chair, and there were about So present. LAND FOR SOLDIERS. Mr D. J. Hughes, soldiors' representative on the Land Purchase Board, attended the meeting for the purpose of placing before members of the Association some matters relating to soldiers' settlement. The speaker stated at the outset of his address that he was not an expert on land matters, but he had taken a keen interest iu farming all his life and he had also had a very deep interest in the soldiers throughout the .war. He held that the land offered the very best prospects for every young, man who wanted to get on and prosper in the future. The great need was increased production, which was the only safe means for borrowing money and: of reducing taxation. The soidiers should see that they were put in a proper line of life that would result in the greatest amount o{ production. Mr Hughes also urged that efforts should be made to improve the land tenures of the Dominion and to stop aggregation and see that such land was.Sfcut up into small holdings. The Government should make owners sub-divide so that soldiers could get on to first-class land. If values in the future did depreciate it would be those on the'second-class land which would feel it most. Mr Hughes referred to such land about Taranaki which had been allowed to go back and was now weed infested, and weeds in that clas3 of land were more difficult to eradicate than in letter land. t That sort of thing should have been stopped 20 years ago. He stated, however, that if the land was cleared and sown down in lucerne, it would add £lO per acrje to its value. Mr Hughes also stressed the necessity for something more being done in the direction of helping soldiers going on the land to stock their farms better, instead of leaving them to go into the open market wiere they&were obliged to take the tail ends of dairv herds. They should not be ohlieed jn that way to start at the very fewest rung of the ladder. :. To get ove"r the delavs which were • now caused by the cumbersome methods of "the Government, the sneaker urged that local authorities should be established, with power to accept a soldiers' deposit and put him on (he land he wanted to purchase with the least possible delay. The authority at the present time was too far away. Mr Hughes eulogised the offering of the Parkes estate for soldiers' settlement, and said it was a pity theer ivere not more such patriotic men in the Taranaki province. He urged the soldiers to anoroaeh the Government to postpone their applications for .land until the fall of the "year, "as it was not wise to take up at. the present lime. He'said he intended to Wit: ni" < be wealthy men from evevv public platform to see if "some more "Parkes" could not be found, as thev were really the only lulled men who had acted as men towards the soldiers, who were the nick nf the race. He stood as a yonnsr New Zealander and intended if he had the power to do something to help lift the country on to a higher plane and get something better than they had had during the past few years. (Applause.) Cnptnin'Hhrtnel! referred to what had been done at the Christchurch Conference of the R.S.A. and said the Government had adopted what was the soldiers' policy and called it their own, luit the method of putting it into opera, tion was altogether too slow.

nl reply to a question Mr Hughes stated that the local controlling authority referred to by him should' be some experienced farmer of the district. He pointed out how the conditions for forming varied all over the province, and it was necessary that someone with reliable local knowledge Rhould have Hia control of such matters.

Replying to a question as to how he would stop land aggregation, Mr Hughes said the proper men should be put into Parliament who would go in for the limitation'of areas and a scientific system of taxation.

Captain MacDiarmid, who referred to the intensive cultivation in Prance and Belgium, moved: That this meeting of the Returned Soldiers' Association heartily supports the general executive in its efforts to produce legislation that will, assist returned soldiers in obtaining more rapid settlement on the iand. The moton was seconded by Mr A. S. Allen and carried unanimously. A very cordial vote of WJjnnlcs was accorded Mr Hughes for his address

GGVERNOR-GRNERAL'S VISIT. In response to a request from the committee undertaking the arrangements in connection with the visit of the Governor-General and the Countess nf Liverpool to New Plymouth next week, it was decided to provide a guard of honor for the Governor on that occasion. A considerable discussion took place as to whether the parade should be in uniform or not, several speakers pointing out that the uniforms were in such a state of disrepair and of such a varied character that the guard would not look very soldierly t n their uniforms. One speaker who had recently returned from England stated that on : the King's tour through the Kingdom after the signing of peace, demobilised soldiers' had formed the guards of honor at the various centres, and thev had all turned out in mufti and their appearance created a good deal of enthusiasm notwithstanding" the absence of uniforms, and it would therefore not be a precedent if the returned soldiers here turned out in mufti as a guard for the King's representative. It was eventually decided that the parade should he in mufti. The chairman said that an invitation to luncheon for the returned soldier? hnd been given by the Mayor "and Mayoress, who asked the men to meet at 1 o'clock on the Wednesday for that purpose. SPECIAL CONFERENCE. Mr E. B. Ellerra was appointed delegate to the R.S.A. special conference In Wellington, which opens on the 17th inst,, and it was also decided that the secretary should attend the conference. , The delecates were recommended to use their influence in the direction of ensuring that the organisation should remain a non-political organsation. GENERAL. It was decided that the vacancy on the executive should be filled by the appointment of the chairman of thq Ingle-