STRONG PROTEST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 August 1943, Page 3

STRONG PROTEST

SERVICEMEN’S SETTLEMENT BILL

OBJECTIONS TO CERTAIN PROVISIONS.

MEETING IN MASTERTON.

“The fundamentals of our life and freedom are being undermined, ’’ observed the chairman, Air J. 11. Cunningham at a large and representative meeting in Masterton last night, when a strong protest was made against certain provisions of the Servicemen's Settlement and Land Sales Bill.

The following resolution was passed unanimously:— "That this meeting disagrees with the Bill in its present form but agrees with the economic settlement of soldiers on the land on fair lines and on lines fair and equitable to the landowners whose property might be acquired for this purpose. The objections are: —

"1. Because it places further restrictions on the rights and liberties of every citizen who has small or large freehold or leasehold property.

"2. It sets up another system of amateur courts.

“3. It sets up committees of Government nomination with exceptional powers. “4. It denies to all landholders any freedom at all in dealing with their own properties. "5. It denies landowners access to the highest court of the land in seeking justice. "6. It does not safeguard the interest of men kept back on the land by appeal boards. “7. Men who fought in the last war have not had their position safeguarded. , . .

"8. No provision has been made for returned men to acquire the freehold of land acquired by the Bill.”

ALL OWNERS AFFECTED.

Mr Cunningham said the meeting was non-political, but had been called as the Bill had created so much controversy. The Bill tended to make the people more regimented than as at present. The Bill affected all owners of property. The meeting had been called to discuss the contentious parts and not the machinery clauses. Unless the people acted they would wake .up some morning, if the Bill went through, and find that they were not free agents. “We call ourselves free people in h free country but the Bill will take away our rights of freedom to a great extent,” observed Mr Cunningham. All realised, he said, that it was necessary and right to protect the service men from being exploited by the purchase of farm lands at inflated prices. However, under the guise of protecting the service men other clauses were contained in the Bill which placed very severe restrictions on all land owners. Those clauses should he opposed.

A CLUMSY ATTEMPT. "The Bill is a clumsy attempt to combine useful provisions with drastic and far-reaching clauses which affect nearly every property owner in New Zealand,” said Mr J. Macfarlane Laing in giving a synopsis of the Bill. Under the cloak of the right and proper feeling which all had for the settlement of returned men, an attempt was being made to restrict the right of all property owners to sell at a price agreed to with a purchaser. After all, said Mr Laing, no transaction could take place unless a buyer' was as willing to buy as another person was to sell. The Bill was open to suspicision as it aimed at controlling all land transactions and it appeared to be a further attempt at State control.

“PRIVATE BUILDING THROTTLED.”

Mr Cunningham said the Bill would undermine the fundamentals of life and freedom. Private building had been throttled by a State programme and the £9OO houses which had been promised to the people cost about double that figure. To meet the demand for houses in New Zealand a programme of housing would have to be gone into. The Bill would make the present position worse. Mr L. T. Daniell said those men who

were “manpowered” out of the Army to work on their fathers’ farms could be railroaded oft’ the farms for returned men in khaki. It was astounding that such a provision should be made in the Bill. Mr Daniell contended that there were properties that the State could purchase for soldier settlement. The Bill, he said, was compiled by an army of "swivel chair” experts and Cabinet.

“NOTHING FOR RETURNED MEN.” Mr H. W. Lindsey said there was no hope in the Bill for the returned man. The wheels would turn too slowly to assist the men. The Bill did not give the soldier security for his equity. In the slump the returned man lost his equity and was pushed off his farm. There was nothing in the Bill to safeguard his equity. Mr H. H. Daniell said the farcial thing was that land prices were supposed to be sky-rocketting, yet it was almost impossible to sell land at Government valuation. There was no suggestion of any inflation of farm land values. “APATHY OF PEOPLE.” Mr J. A. Betts said if the Bill went through the Government would have the people body and soul. The Government controlled transport and would soon have control of meat. Mr Betts said if people wanted socialisation they could keep quiet. They were too apathetic. The people were like those in France. He said the gloves were off and the people should compare the class of New Zealand’s rulers with a man like General Smuts. The Bill was Socialism with the brakes off. Telegrams embodying the above resolution had been sent to the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Masterton.

OTHER OPINIONS

FARMERS’ UNION ATTITUDE NORTH CANTERBURY PROTEST. ■ REQUEST THAT LEGISLATION BE POSTPONED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, August 11. “While Ihe North Canterbury Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union is in favour of measures for the rehabilitation of returned service men. we enter an emphatic protest against the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Bill, which is definitely opposed to tho principles of British justice. Under the pretence of assisting our service men it introduces measures of socialism which are anathema to those who value the principles of freehold, which constitute some of the greatest privileges of our British heritage. We accordingly ask that the empowering legislation be deferred till the new Parliament meets to give more time for its considciation. This resolution was carried unanimously by a special meeting of the executive in Christchurch today, when the Dominion president, Mr W. W. Mulholland, discussed some of the implications of the Bill.

GENERAL APPROVAL

EXPRESSED BY SOUTHLAND UNION. SOME FEATURES OBJECTED TO. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, August 11. General approval of the Servicemens Settlement and Land Sales Bill with reservations was expressed by a special meeting oi the Southland executive of the Farmers’ Union today. The meeting agreed that legislation to curb the inflation of land values was necessary in the interests of returned sei vice men, but disapproved of certain arbitrary features of the Bill and suggested alternatives. . , The meeting carried the following resolution: “That this executive approves of the objects of the Bill as outlined in parts one and two, with certain alternatives, but disapproves of parts three and four for the control of land and valuation, and is of the opinion that such contentious legislation should be withheld in the meantime; that as alternatives to the contentious proposals, we suggest: 111 That land including areas suitable for subdivision, areas not economically farmed, areas not farmed to full capacity, and areas unduly aggregated, be acquired voluntarily and if necessary by compulsion for servicemen’s settlement; and (2) that the Government have the first refusal, of all farm land coining on to tho market.” In a statement issued today the Southland branch of the Real Estate Institute says that part three of the Land Sales Bill will have far-reaching effects on property owners and cause grave concern to building societies, mortgagees, trustee companies, and other institutions. The Bill should be opposed by every homeowner and freedom-loving citizen. it adds, and says that the proposed method of valuation must cause confusion and tedious delay.

POSITION OF SERVICE MEN

SHOULD HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS VIEWS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, August 11. A request that the Serviccemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Bill be not proceeded with till all sections of the community, specially service men from the present war. have had an opportunity of submitting their ' views, has been made by the Dominion executve of the Second N.Z.E.F. Association to

the Prime Minister. The executive has also sent a memorandum to each member of Parliament asking for support of the request.

While whole-heartedly endorsing- the object expressed in the Bill to prevent the exploitation of ex-service men, the executive in a telegram to the Prime Minister stated that it was unanimously of the opinion that in its present form the Bill would further hinder ex-service men in obtaining farms or houses by purchase. “The machinery for assistance in these directions already requires simplification," stated the telegram, "as under the present complex system the amount of actual help has. been infinitesimal." It was on these grounds, I quite apart from those advanced by the New 1 Zealand Law Society, which it endorsed, that the association made its request.