STRONG OPPOSITION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 August 1943, Page 3

STRONG OPPOSITION

EXPRESSED BY SHEEPOWNERS,

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, August 9. The executive of the New Zealand Sheepowners’ Federation, in a statement, says it is strongly opposed to the Service Men’s Settlement and Land Sales Bill, as drafted, though it supports the principles of providing for a sound basis of settlement of those returned soldiers wishing' to take up land. While fully supporting this principle, the executive is of the opinion that the Bill has been framed with a total disregard of the facts to be faced* in administration. “The Bill, if made law in its present form, will make it possible for a tribunal, with Gestapo powers of investigation and decision to assess the sale value of the property of one section of the community only, while leaving the owners of other forms of property free to dispose of their business or other assets exempt from similar restrictions,’’ the statement adds. “It would appear that public sentiment with regard to the need to provide for the successful settlement cf our returned men is being used to promote the Government's policy of the nation- , alisation o£ all land, aimed at extending the principle of Government fixation of price net onlv of products from the land, but also of the land itself. The clauses in the Bill i dealing with the fixation of basic values, 1 basic rents and productive values, can have B ua other than a speculative foundation, there ■ being no sound basis for calculation under ! today’s conditions.’.' t The statement adds that what may pos- B sibly seriously affect landholders under proposals suggested in the Bill is the pos-« «-ible effect on farm mortgages, and on the ■ inflow of capital for investment on broad ■ acres, previously considered by great num- V bers of people as being the soundest form B of investment. Should finance for this pur- 1 pose be seriously disturbed, the repercus- B sions on property-holders and financial stitutions also may prove seiious indeed. ■