USED AS SCREEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 August 1943, Page 3

USED AS SCREEN

SETTLEMENT OF SERVICE MEN CONDEMNATION OF GOVERNMENT BILL. BY PRESIDENT OF FARMERS' FEDERATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, August 9. Speaking as president of the Farmers' Federation, a body representative of all farming interests and organisations in the Dominion, Mr James Begg strongly criticised the Servicemen's Settlement and Land Saibs Bill in an interview. He called pointed attention to the far-reaching implications of the measure, and suggested that it was an instalment of the Government’s policy of land nationalisation. > “In this Bill,” Mr Begg said, “the Government uses the returned soldiers as a screen from behind which it hopes to go part of the way to its goal of land nationalisation. The Bill deprives land owners of the rights they at present possess’ and it should be noted that many land owners are soldier settlers from the last war. It would appear that the soldier of 1917 may be deprived of his farm to make room for the soldiers of 1912. The measure introduces endless complications and transfers will be subject to long delajs > and much uncertainty.” Mr Begg said that the terms “basic value,” “productive value” and “fair value” were quite nebulous and however interpreted might have no relation to the value of the land. Landvalues did not depend on the prices of produce in December, 1942, but on the prices and costs which would be current from 1944 onward. “The Farmers' Federation,” he added, “is anxious to help in any way possible to assist in soldier settlement and has offered its services to the Minister, but it is of the opinion that this Bill is a retrograde step and will discourage instead of facilitating land settlement. Returned servicemen would do well to consider all the implications of the measure, remembering that intending soldier settlers of todax> will be land owners of tomorrow t/nd may have their legal rights further invaded by Bills designed to complete the nationalisation of the land wi\th complete control over the actions bf the occupiers of land.” \