CASH RUNS OUT.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 183, 4 August 1919, Page 7

CASH RUNS OUT.

MONET FOR SOLDIERS' LAND. A TEMPORARY EMBARRASSMENT. For a Government Department to run out of cash and to be unable to meet the j obligations entered into on its behalf by , its responsible officials is an occurrence . so rare that the circumstances and the explanations now proffered by the s Department in question are worth set- . ting forth for the benefit of property , owners who have been mystified by the position during the last few weeks. , During a period of something like a fortnight or more property owners who had arranged to dispose of their houses i or farms wore astonished to find that the ( cheques were not forthcoming with the I usual Government promptitude at the . conclusion of the deal. The only explaf nation that could be offered was that the ; amount of cash available for expenditure . under the heading of soldier settlement t had run out. Most owners accepted the . embarrassment of the Department as a . passing one, and were prepared to coni elude the details of the deal without anx- , lety. In one or two cases in Auckland, 1 however, the sale of properties to soldiers ; was temporarily held up, but the busi--1 ness of the Lands Department is now • resuming the even tenour of its way, and ! the financial lapse of the Government is . consigned to the limbo of tlic past by the ■ explanation now put forward by the Mm- ' ister of Lands (the Hon. D. H-Guthrie). ' A MILLION SHORT. , Mr. Guthric stated in WellingWthat > the full authorities under last year's legislation, amounting to nearly £1,500,- ---, 000, had already been over-committed, , and at the present time nearly a million • pounds was required to carry on this branch of repatriation until the middle of September. This amount had been arranged for after much difficulty, and consequently there would be no delay in carrying out the Department's obliga- ! tions until Parliament met and issued further authorities. Parliament had , thought that ample funds would be provided by the f 1.500,000 authorised until the session of this year, but owing to the cessation of war and the rapid demobilissation of the troops it had been found ' that the demands in connection with land settlement had already exceeded the amount voted. TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENTS. The situation thus created had oeca- , sioned the, Government and the Department serious consideration for some time past, but arrangements had been made to tide over the difficulty until such time as Parliament met and had made further authorisations. Mr. Guthrie added that the position had been intensified by the postponement of the session, which in ordinary circumstances would have commenced in June.