SOLDIERS' LAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1920, Page 5

SOLDIERS' LAND.

temptations to sell out. GOVERNMENT PRECAUTIONS. (By Wire.—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. A paragraph appearing in the annual report of the Lands and Survey Department stating that a number of returned soldiers had been applying for the freehold of their holdings under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act before the ten years which they were required to occupy them had elapsed, was mentioned in the House of Representatives this afternoon by Mr. E. Newman (Manawatu), who addressed a question on the subject to the Minister for Lands. Mr. Newman asked the Minister whether, in view of the importance of preventing these lands from falling info the hands of civilians again, and the darger of soldiers being tempted to sell out for the prices at present ruling, ho would be careful to see that in none but very urgent cases this was allowed Mr. Guthrie said that the policy of the Government was steadily against the soldiers selling their lands before they had held them for the ten years. In cases where a man had taken up land, and then found that he was not able to carry on, he was allowed to relinquish it by surrendering or transferring it, but the department took good care that it went to another soldier. They had had applications for the freehold with a view to sale, but this had ■been discouraged by every means in their power. They were, taking every care to see that the freehold of these lands did not pass into the hands of people other than soldiers. There had been a case where a man was in a position to make a very great profit out of the sale of his holding; there was one where a sum of £OOO might have been realised, and in eases of the kind the proceedings were stopped.