SOLDIERS ON THE LAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 April 1920, Page 5

SOLDIERS ON THE LAND.

, . i ! | AD? ANTES FlHffi SURPLUS i I WEALTH. DEBT NOT INCREASED. (l!y Telegraph.—-Special Reporter.) Ingluwood, Last Night. ffpt has been sni.t that the Government las boc»i,t \ M y: a t t OO Uigii a price for tie settlement of g'oVliers, but Mich lias J? ot . -pfuved „the case/' stated Sff 1 of Landß at InglewooO. WnIJPW£J The Minister added that in most ■pli the dearest land had proved the y>°J successful from the point of view of thl soldiers and the Government. In one case a farm of 120 acres hud been buiight at a price which he personally considered at the time was too high and was bad buying, but the soldier was able to pay for his section right out and still have some money to spare. Many men .had gone on the land-, without training, and the Government had seen the. necessity of appointing; supervisors to help them with their farms, and for this purpose bad advertised for the best men in the Dominion. These supervisors were now doing good work in agisting such men and putting them on the right track. From the reports coming to hand he had found that the supervisors had given very valuable help in a good number of cases. At one time it was said that it would ruin the country spending so much money on the soldiers, hut the better part of (hat amount did not add to the National Debt. The larger portion of the money was taken from the surplus which had accumulated during the war period. This was money provided bv the people of New Zealand for war purposes, and which was not required. It was not borrowed money and it could be mod to no better purpose than for the repatriation of soldiers on the land. It was interesting to know that the money expended on soldier settlers was not increasing the National Debt of the country. The pessimists were saving that the Government was losing money, but lie had seen from returns received that repayments n f | nans wrrc f ., lrnilr ,. h] ro^h -?■ •. T!l ° government, as an adminHtrative body, had „ ot n e<rUi 0( i the interests of the returned soldiers h„t had provided for them as thev had deserved to be provided for.