SOLDIER SETTLERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1922, Page 2

SOLDIER SETTLERS.

R.S.A.’s FAVORABLE VERDICT. THE GOVERNMENT’S HELP. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Feb. 23. The Minister for Lands, commenting to-day on fhe report of the Dominion executive of the Returned Soldiers’ Association concerning soldier settlement, expressed satisfaction that the executive had agreed that the settlers were progressing as favorably as could be expected, and that they were receiving considerate treatment at the hands of the Lands Department. The Minister proceeded to say that critics should remember that the scheme was repatriation, not ordinary land settlement. A very large number of men had to be placed on the land in a short period. Prices were high at the time, and many of the men had little or no experience. The slump admittedly had been a serious one for these men, but the Government could not fairly be Blamed for the turn of events, and it was doing its best under difficult conditions to see the men through. Over 9000 soldiers had been placed on the land, and up to date the number of forfeitures of soldiers’ leases was 291. There had been 19 forfeitures witlr respect to advances made for the purchase of private land, and 60 men who bought private land with Government money had abandoned their holdings. Many men had applied for the revaluation of their holdings, but to do this when prices of farm products were at their lowest would be to inflict unwarrantable and unnecessary loss on the State. The Government was postponing rents and instalments where necessary, ad it haa provision for re-valua-tion and adjustment in capital value and rents after three years’ occupation. The Minister added that the proper course, which the Government was taking, was to deal with the most urgent cases on their merits. He anticipated that within a short time land values and produce prices would be stabilised. Then, and not till then, would be tne time to take into consideration the question of revaluation. The aim of the Government was to carry the soldier settlers through the period of the slump, and no effort would be spared to give effect to this policy. He thought it regrettable that critics of fhe settlement scheme did not give full recognition to the fact that the country was passing through a period of severe depression, the aftermath of war. The duty oT those seeking the welfare of the soldiers and of the Crown tenants generally was to assist the Government in the policy it had adopted rather than to publish headlines and statements of a disturbing nature. Critics were not helping the soldiers or the country by efforts to minimise the attempts of the Government to meet the difficult financial situation that had arisen.