SOLDIER SETTLERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1922, Page 6

SOLDIER SETTLERS.

INABILITY TO PAY RATES GOVERNMENT CRITICISED. The inability of many settlers, including a number of returned soldiers, to pay their rates, owing to the drop in the prices of primary products, has been brought before local bodies during the past few months by letters from settlers, who in some cases asked for time in which to pay. It was stated that the Lands Department was handling the milk cheques in the cases of some returned soldiers, and at its last meeting the Inglewood County Council decided to communicate with the Minister of Lands on the subject. At yesterday’s meeting, a letter was received from the Hon. D. H. Guthrie notifying receipt of the council’s letter describing the difficulties the council was having in collecting rates from discharged soldier settlers. The matter, he said, had been carefully considered, by the Government when it was brought up by several other county councils some little time ago. It was then decided that as the Crown was not liable for the rates of soldiers or any other settlers, no action could be taken to recoup county councils for their losses. It was considered that soldiers should be able to pay their rates just the same as other persons, as they were being very leniently treated by the Government, and most of them had received . postponement of rent free of interest. He could only suggest that the county should apply to the Commissioner of Crown Lands to take action when all other means of collecting the rates had failed. The clerk stated that the Aqt provided that if the rates were not paid within fourteen days the Land Board could cancel the lease, and it had power td pay the rates out of moneys received in connection with the property. Members expressed the opinion that the soldiers had little chance of paying the rates when the Lands Department took half or three-quarters ,of their milk cheques. One case was cited where the department had taken and sold the herd of one hard-working young soldier last season, and he had been trying to make a living this ydar from'half a herd. It was consequently no wonder he had been unable to pay their rents. The opinion was expressed that as long as the Lands Department got their money they did not care. In many cases, however, the land would be left on their hands.

It was decided that the council had no option but to make a claim for the rates, as unless judgment were obtained they would have no claim after two years.