THE BURDEN

Northern Advocate, 25 January 1922, Page 5

THE BURDEN

ON THE LAND

MORTGAGE REDUCTION IDEA.

THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION,

(Special to "Northern Advocate.") WELLINGTON, This Day.

Reference to a recent deputation to the Prime Minister from the Waikato Dajjry Farmers' Union and a promise that the Valuer-General would visit the district to investigate cases of hardship was made by Mr H. Poland (Ohi- . nemuri) in the House yesterday. Mr Poland said that he had received a letter from a farmer in his district asking what was being done. Would the Prime Minister give any information as to the position, asked Mr Poland. The letter said: "Is there any ehanco of revaluation and cutting down of mortgages?" There were many farmers in different parts of the country, concluded Mr Poland, who did not un- ! derstand what the Government was proposing to do. Mr Massey said it was correct that a deputation from the Dairy Farmers' Union had interviewed him and called attention to the difficult position of many farmers, particularly, he believed, in the Waikato. He had asked the Valuer-General to visit the district and report. He had not yet received i the official report, though he had seen the Valuer-General since his return. That officer said that quite a number of people were finding it difficult to make both ends meet, but the cases were not so numerous as had been stated. He had interviewed a number of people whose lands were heavily mortgaged. and in some eases he was able to bring about an understanding between the parties whereby the rate of interest was reduced. In other cases part of the mortgage was wiped out. He was quite willing to go back and follow up the good work which he had done. So far as compulsory reduction of mortgages was concerned, it was out of the question, said Mr Massey. The Government could not confiscate part of the money lent on property, and that was what that would amount to.

Mr Foland: There are numbers of farmers being sold out because they cannot meet their obligations. Mr Massey said he was sorry to have heard that there were farmers being sold out, and not only in the Waikato. Probably the position was worse for dairy farmers in the Waikato than elsewhere, because land had gone up so much in price there. He wanted to issue a word of warning against exaggerated statmonts in this direction. If it continued farmers would find it impossible to borrow money on their land. completed in June, 1913. The vessel has an overall length of 456 5-6 ft., a beam of 49 5-6 ft., and a mean draught of Her Parsons turbine, engines of 22,000 h.p. give a speed of 24.75 knots. She carries eight 6in. guns, one 13-pounder anti-aircraft gun, four 3pounders, four machine guns, and two 2ln. submerged torpedo tubes. She lias a 2in. armour belt amidships, and a 2in. plate on the deck slopes, while internal protection is secured by longitudinal and transverse bulkheads, and a double bottom extending over the magazine and machinery spaces. The conning tower is replaced by a revolving platform, capable of carrying a small aeroplane or seaplane. The Melbourne carries a normal complement of 376, while it is interesting to note that the Melbourne class is of practically the same design as the British Chatham class, though the former has a slightly larger tonnage. The Melbourne took an active share in the naval operations during the war of 1914-18, serving in the North Sea for the greater part of the time. With H.M.A.S. Australia, she was included in the escort with the New Zealand advance guard on the latter portion of the voyage to Samoa in August. 1914.

When the convoy carrying the Main Body of the Australian and the New Zealand troops to the scene of the European operations was formed, Captain Silver, of the Melbourne, was placed in command of the whole convoy. As the vessels neared the Cocos-Keeling Islands. in the Indian Ocean, a wireless message was received by Captain Silver to the effect that a foreign warship was off the harbour entrance at, Cocos. This vessel was the Gtrman raider Emden. Captain Silver denied to himself and his men on board the Melbourne the privilege of dealing with the notorious raider, and at 0.30 a.m. r>:i November 0, the cruiser Sydney, in command of Captain J. C. T. Glossop, was detailed to engage the Fmden. In Captain Silver's judgment, the Sydney was the more suitable ship, and the Melbourne remained with her convoy until the fight was concluded.

On the occasion of the entry under British escort of the surrendered German fleet into the Firth of Forth on November 21, 101.the Melbourne was one of the vessels in the second Jigfrt cruiser