"The Digger."

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 17, 9 July 1920, Page 8

"The Digger."

FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1920. LAND FOR SOLDIERS. The vigorous attack made by Mr Mitchell, M.P., for Wellington South, on the Government's land settlement policy is one which will be readily appreciated by every returned soldier who *has given a moment's consideration to the op,erations of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act. • Not very long after this Act came into force a feeling of insecurity began to exist which is every day becoming more apparent. The public have apparently regarded iegislative enactments ^ealing with soldier settlement as a piece of machinery which was of untold benefit to the soldiers. Any complaints by associations have frequently been' mgarded as grousing and have fallen upon deaf ears. Although we do not wish to associate the "Dominion" with this attitude vof; the public, because we are sure that the majority of the people are at least above "political bias," "nevertheless the "Dominion" thinks that at a time when complaints are being raised on all sides it is perhaps not surprising that returned soldiers should add something to the chorus. This state of mind always has a prejudical effect and obscures sound reason and judgment, and is not a progressive factor making for the adjustment of the various difficulties which exist. Tliis is not a party question as far as

returned soldiers are concerned. It is the mere fact that the land settlement policy has failed to provide adequate security for the settler. Mr Mitchells strong condemnation of . the Land Purchase Boards is consistent with the attitude of every association throughout the Dominion. The R.S.A. have never felt that the Government was buying land at a price giving a reasonable factor of safety for the settler. Mr Mitchell instances a case where a southern estate owner who fought to keep his son away from the war, received £10 per acre for his land, and the Government settled it at £11. The land was so poor that the settlers were now unable to make it pay. A large number of soldiers have been settied on land which is poor and unable to hold grass for any length of time. They have paid the war-inflated value on land that they fought to proteet and the consequent reaction will be that when industries become more stabilised they will have to approach the Government for a decrease in the rent or else go to the wall. An estate at- Eketahuna of 10,138 acres was bought by the Government for £81,000. Its rateable value was £19,000, and capital value £44,000, so the Government paid £37,000 more than the value of the land. When they settled there the valua-tion was raised 38 per cent. The former owner u&ed to pay £158 in rates, but the soldiers had to pay £600. This is a striking illustratioh of the Government's land settlement policy. These are the conditions which the R.S.A. are aware of, and are fighting not only in the interests of the soldier, but that of the State. In Taranaki a speculating" parasite bought land at £35 per acre and sold it at £45 to returned soldiers. WLile the men were standing on the firestep they were preserving intact the landed interests of this speculator, and others who did nothing more than exploit the nations calamity, and yet any opposition from returned soldiers is regarded as grousing. On other oocasions the Wellington daily has regarded R.S.A. activity as one of grousing, but the "Dominion" is so tied up in the realm of party politics that we do not expect the propogation of our claims in its columns so long as we find fault with any phase of departmental muddling. However, returned men know from experience what is the practical outcome of the administration of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act, and are not likely to be influenced by its attempt to camouflage the real situation. The Association has endeavoured to arrest the attention of members of Parliament by the submission of a land settlement policy which would ensure effective repatriation, but so far the Government have followed the old track, and inllated values antagonistie to the wellfare of the soldier is the result, The R.S.A. have advocated the cutting up of large estates, beginning with those of £100,000 and over in value and prcceeding in order of magnitude until the demand is satisfied. Throughout this country there are large tracts of land which is not in its full state of productivity and closer settlement is needed. If the present owners will not sell, then put into operation the compulsory clauses of

the 1908 Act. These estates should be tabulated and acquired at pre-war value and thus soldiers would not be purchasing at war inflated values of an unstable character. Greater advances should be made to men taking up virgin country. The Commissioner of Crown Lands in Wellington recently stated, that men who had taken up virgin bush country were making splendid progress and had already felled and grassed 10,000 acres, all of which was now carying stock. On the other hand the purchase of separate farms has tcnded to inflate values. Here we have 1),000 acres of what was hitherto unproductive land brought into a state of production, and likewise the settlement of men on estates would be a factor in increasing production, and not inflate values. Here again it has to be considered wheVher it. is advisable to take experienced men off the land and allow them to join the land gamble through the Government cash transaction. The oecupation of the land we have referred .to not only ensures increased production, but offers returned soldiers their best chance of attaining secure independence. On. the other hand to establish men on highly improved land is bound to entail a decline, temporar Jy at least, in production and at the same tij.'ia imposes on soldier settlers at tl?e outset of their career on the land a maxin am financial handicap.