ADVANCES TO SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 April 1920, Page 5

ADVANCES TO SOLDIERS.

GOVERNMENT CALLS A HALT. HEAVY DRAIN ON'RESOURCES. I Special Reporter,) DealinTwifh" soldiers for the purchase of farm- « n ,i»u the provisions of the Discharged fcs'oF fliers' Settlement Act, the Hon. I), H. Guthrie, Minister in charge of Soldier Settlements, stated at Inglewood :tonight that there had been such a hehvy drain on the funds provided by Parliament that it had been found nee'ossary-to taper oft' the. granting of further vanees to assist soldiers in the -purchase of farms and dwellings. Cabinet lias decided that only excep-: tionally urgent applications can be considered, and until Parliament has anothe,opportunity of dealing with the question of making further provision under the Act, the amount remaining in the account has to be conserved for advances for stock and improvements and for requirements connected with the settlement of land now being prepared -for selection. This land couprises. settlement and Crown lands totalling 700,000 acres, and will provide about one thousand sec' tions. "Had Cabinet not taken this precautionary measure," added the Minister, 'the Department would have run out of funds before Parliament could meet, and it would not be in a position to make the necessary advances connected with the settlement of lands." The Minister explained that the decision was not to be regarded as a final departure from the policy that had been adopted in the past to assist mm in the purchase of private lands and dwellings. Too much could not be done for the men who had sacrificed personal consideration for the Empire's good, and when dealing with (he subject of advance* to soldiers last session, it was generally considered that in voting £12,500,000 liberal provision was being made, but this had not proved to be a sufficiently large amount.