REPATRIATION.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 39, 10 December 1920, Page 5

REPATRIATION.

SOLDIERS' REPAYMENTS. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie^, Minister in Charge of Repatriation, expressed great satisfaction to the "News" correspondent at the manner in which soldiers who had been assisted to purchase bueinesses and to secure furniture and tools under the Repatriation Department scheme have repaid advances. We have, he said, already spent over £630,000 on the repatriation side of our work frotn land settlement and have received over £130,000 in repayments. This is very promising indeed, and shows both that what the Government is doing in safe lines in its administration and that it is appreciated by ex-sol-diera who obtained the benefit of the homestead system tenure for poor lands. Though what is called the homestead system of land settlement has been on the Statute Book many years and was revived a few years ago by tho Massey Government nothing has been done under its provisions. There was considerable criticism from leaseholders iast session wnen the Government took power to set aside portions of the national endowment land for homestead tenure providing that the freeliold be eventually available to settlers who complied with the cnditions. As most of this poor land to which this tenure is specially applicable is in North Auckland the Hon. .Guthrie proposes about { the middle of next week to visit Auckland for the purpose of discussing with the Lands Department officers the selection of a suitable area whereon the liomestead^ystem can be started. The conference will go into the whole question. Another subject which tho Minister will investigate is the extraction of gum from North Auckland lands and payment of roy-

i airies on the gum thus obtained. It is possible that a commission may have to deal with the matter.