EX-SOLDIER FARMERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1922, Page 2

EX-SOLDIER FARMERS.

THEIR DEBT TO TEiE STATE. A PiLEA FOR RELIEF. (By Wire.—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. The Minister for Lands was asked today by Mr. R. Masters (Stratford) if he was prepared to waive temporarily the orders made on the milk cheques of ex-soldiers at the instance of Land Boards. The bulk of these orders, he said, were made last year, when the price given by the factories for butterfat was from two shillings to two and tenpence per pound, to meet overdue obligations in the way of interest and rent. At the present time the factories were preparing to pay out from tenpence to one shilling per pound, and if a -pro-portion of this was taken by the Land’ Bbards the ex-soldiers would find it very difficult to live. He suggested that the Minister should take into consideration the advisability of waiving these orders temporarily. If the position was not altered these men were going to be forced off their sections. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie said that he was quite aware of the difficult position obtaining and everything that could he done would be done to help the ex-soldiers. He could not make a comprehensive statement. There were some men who were in necessitous circumstancs and others who were not, and cases would be considered on their merits on application being made to the Commissioners of Crown Lands. An ex-soldier had only to show that his income had fallen away 'and the department would accept what he was able to pay. It was impossible to suspend payment for everybody, as there were many cases where this was not necessary.