SOLDIERS ON THE LAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 October 1922, Page 5

SOLDIERS ON THE LAND.

INQUIRY INTO SETTLEMENTS. PERSONNEL OF THE BOARDS. By Telegraph.-—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The personnel of the boards appointed. to report on soldiers’ settlements in the various land districts was announced in the House to-day by the Hon. D. G. Guthrie. The Minister said the selection of members had not been a simple one, because they were very much circumscribed in the selection, inasmuch as they could not ask anyone to act who was previously associated with the purchase of soldiers’ lands, and as many of these were the very best available it was sometimes difficult to find others equally suitable. Hi® desire was that the investigation should be as impartial as it was possible to make it, and he therefore did not wish to have anyone who was previously connected with soldier settlements on the boards. He had hoped to call the members of the boards to Wellington to discuss proceedings with them. That was not practicable, but they would meet the land boards in their respective districts, fie had endeavored to make the task as easy as possible for the boards, and for that purpose a set of questions had been prepared to which they were expected to furnish answers. The Government had nothing to hide, and he hoped the boards would set about their task in a thoroughly impartial manner and bring back to the Government sucn information as would enable them to decide what was the proper course to pursue. The following are the names of the gentlemen appointed to act in. the various districts: North Auckland.—Mr. Edwin Harding, Dargaville. run-holder; Edward Morgan. May’s Road. Onehunga, valuer. Auckland.—Joseph Batty, Putumahoe. farmer; John McCaw, Hamilton, retired farmer. Hawke’s Bay.—John Henry Joll, Havelock North, farmer; John Murray, Woodville, farmer. Taranaki.—Charles D. Dickie. Waverley, farmer; Edward Walter, Douglas, farmer. Wellington.—Alexander Stuart. Runhvmede. Marton, farmer; Francis A. Cameron, Hastings, land valuer. Marlborough.—Charles John Tees, Okaramio, farmer; Frank Leslie Murrav. Hillereden. farmer. Nelson. —Arthur Rutland Edwards, Motueka, farmer; Frederick Craven Batchelor. Motueka, farmer. Westland.—Price Hamer, Totara Flat, farmer; George A. Perry, Hokitika, merchant. Canterbury.—Robert Latter. Barry’s Ray, farmer; Thomas Lawson Hart, Timaru, retired farmer. Otago.—Robert Alexander Rodger, Tapanui, farmer; Thomas Carruthers, Middlemarch, farmer. Southland. —James Milne, Kakahouka, farmer; James Lilicot, Lochiel, farm manager.