Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 1943. A CUMBERSOME BILL.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 August 1943, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 1943. A CUMBERSOME BILL.

A_T a broad view, the nearest practicable approach to stabilisation of all values and prices is desirable. In the extent to which stabilisation is achieved, sellers will get and buyers will pay what the goods or other items changing hands are worth. This applies as definitely to farms and to residential or other urban properties as to detail items of day to day dealing. It would be rather optimistic, however, to believe that this desirable state of affairs will be brought about by the Servicemen's Settlement and Land Sales Bill which was introduced in the .House of 'Representatives on Wednesday night.

The Minister in charge of the Bill, Air Barclay, said that ninetv-iline per cent of the measure was 1 Io help returned soldiers get on the land and buy houses so that they von t be exploited.” From the summaries meantime available, however, it appears that the declared purpose of the Bill is to control all sales and leases of land, both rural and urban, Ihiough the agency of a Court and of land sales committees.

Every man and woman whose opinion is worth consideiing may be expected to agree that there must be no repetition of the wild and unwarranted booming of values which led, in the closing days of the last world Avar and afterwards, to many returned soldiers acquiring properties in town and country at absurdly inflated prices, and suffering the inevitable consequences. Presumably, too, full safeguards can be established against a repetition of that discreditable state of affairs only b\ providing for a detailed scrutiny of all transactions entered into by returned members of the fighting forces lor the acquisition of riual or urban property. In the extent to which it provides for this scrutiny, the policy embodied in the Bill may be justified, though it is open to question whether some of the returned men will appreciate or approve the extension of control to puiely private transactions, in which they are not assisted by State loans or grants.

While, however, it will be agreed that the greatest practicable measure of protection against exploitation should be extended to returned men acquiring rural or urban property, it may be doubted very seriously whether the Bill in its total effect, and as establishing control over all sales of land, both rural and urban, will serve effectively its intended purpose. Stabilisation on equitable terms is universally desirable, and protection against exploitation is not reasonably to he objected to' by any section of the community. But is it to be, believed that these benefits will be-’ conferred universally simply by setting up a certain amount of official machinery under the authority of an Act of Parliament?

A carefully detailed scrutiny of all proposed acquisitions by returned members of the' fighting' forces of rural and urban lands (the latter including house property) may serve' a, good and helpful purpose. But what would have to be the magnitude and the efficiency of the machinery that would be needed in order to subject to a similar scrutiny all transactions hence-, forth entered into for the transfer, by sale or lease, of rural and urban land throughout the Dominion? f Many detail considerations enter, or should enter, into the determination of fair value and just price in the case alike of rural and urban properties. A farm may be improved in condition and fertility, or run down by neglect and poor husbandry. Residential property may be allowed to fall needlessly into dilapidation, or may be maintained so well as to possess a higher real value at the end of a period of ownership than when that occupation began. An immensely complex task would be entailed in attempting actually to determine fair prices for all rural and urban property coming into the market. On the other hand, the application to all such transactions of some sort of rough and ready average standards certainly would work out in many instances with serious injustice. As its operative scope is indicated, the Bill seems likely to do a great (leal to impede or prevent property transfers and adjustments in themselves wholly desirable.

What the Minister of Lands declared to be the essential object of the Bill—the protection of returning members of the fighting forces against exploitation —would be achieved very much better by legislation of more limited scope, concentrated on that particular object.