SMALL FARMS BILL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 November 1940, Page 5

SMALL FARMS BILL

DEFENDED BY PREMIER HOSTILE CAMPAIGN CALLED SPURIOUS. DENIAL OF INJUSTICE. (By Telegraph—Pl-ess Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “Where it is necessary for the war effort we stand for the principle of compulsion being- used,” declared the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser. The Prime Minister said he believed there were many owners of land willing to offer it. They should come forward and offer it now. No one took pleasure in compulsion unless it was necessary. Mr Fraser contrasted “the wild, whirling tempest of criticism” of the measure in the country with the very calm atmosphere in which it had been discussed in the House, and said the campaign was spurious. Everybody agreed with the principle of land settlement on a sound economic basis, he said, and nobody in the House wanted to repeat the mistakes of previous soldier settlement. They wanted to emulate and if possible surpass the successes of past schemes. Recalling the agreement which had been reached on the compulsion of men and wealth when necessary and when required in the war effort, Mr Fraser asked: “Arq we going back on that?” Government members: “No.” Mr Polson (Opposition, Stratford): “We are not going back on it. All we ask is that a fair rule shall be applied.” Mr Fraser replied that if provision was not made for the men when they came back they would not stand for it. If there were not enough houses they would tear down some of the existing ones. Never twice would men face death and wounds and come back tc experience what they had experienced before. The Government had to prepare for that situation. If land could be obtained through people offering it or by negotiation these were the best methods, Mr Fraser added. Opposition members: “Hear, hear.” “The Minister has given an instruct tion that if a soldier is away at the war, then no compulsion is going to be used so far as his land is concerned,” the Prime Minister said. Mr Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga): “Does that apply to the soldier’s father?” Mr Fraser: “Where a man has boys away the same thing will apply.” Mr Doidge said the Minister had stated that he was after trie man with 400 acres. Mr Fraser: “I again repeat that the small farmer who is working his land and doing his best can dismiss all fear from his mind. The Minister has given instructions that no compulsion is to be used except when three or more farms can be established where one is at present.” Mr Doidge: “There are none of these safeguards in this Bill.” Mr Fraser: “All I can say is that when the Minister speaks he speaks for the Government.” There was no desire to impose injustice on anyone. Mr Fraser said. If the Act was passed and it was shown there was .injustice, it would be rectified, but he did not think that would be necessary. There was no intention of putting people off the land to put others on. The whole basis was to have power to secure land for the soldiers when they returned. The fears that had been raised were fantasies of the imagination.