FARMS FOR SOLDIERS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 250, 21 October 1919, Page 10

FARMS FOR SOLDIERS.

A BIG SCHEME. AT DOMINION CONFERENCE. BREAKING UP LARGE ESTATES. irty Telegraph.—Trees Association.) WELLINGTON, Monday. A report on the land question was submitted at the Ki>turned Soldiers' i 'onferenee to-night by a r-p.-cial committee. An nutliiie of the i-ummitteo's views was given by Mr. J. A. Cowles (Wairarapai, convener of the committee. Mr. Cowles said hundreds of men wori> drifting nbout the country attending ballots an.l wastii g tluir capital. Suit«Ho land v ur. nut now Available it\ suilicuMit quantities to satisfy tin , demand? of the xoliliiT*. Tlie committee approved of tin , land scheme proposed by Mr. A. P. V.'hatman. <if Masterton, under which it was suggested thai t'l lund in the Dominion should he classified. Suitable estate? of £100.000 and above in value should ix> taken compuUurilv and reduced tn crn.DOO in valuation. When iwtate* of a value of £70,000 weiv exhausted, then .■-t.nori valued at AIoO.UOO and so on should lie taken until the demand was satisfied. Land-owner* would have the right to retain hind of a reasonable value. All large estates should be at one.' valued iinj tabulated, with a viewto <_'i\ ine owners fair notice of resumption. |iy tin- government. Lanil being a .-quired ehuuld >>c taken at a value determined on t!ip basis of productivity. A valuation Ixiard. consisting of a re-rrwi-ntativp of the (iovernment, two representatives of the Returned Soldiers' Association, and three of the farming conimiiuity, should be set up in each Innd district to value estates. The reason of this pruvieion was to make it clear that returned soldiers were not "after the blood" of land owners, most of whom were desirous of helping returned men. The Government would require to pass legislation to acquire estates at the price determined by tiie valuation board without recourse to arbitration. The scheme, a<s outlined, had the following desirable features: (1) It would minimise competition in the purchase of Inn.]: (2) it would stimulate instead of n-ducins; production: (3) it would provide sufficient laud for settlement of all SoMiorp. l'ho committee was favourable to the extension of the principle of communal settlements for tubercular and permanent l_v disabled soldiers. The principle of supervisors of soldiers' settlements ■?-a<s also approved by the committee, which cons jered that when iocal advisory boards should be established to a~-ist and direct soldiers. It •was felt that if the scheme a3 outlined Were taken up by an enthusiastic Minister it would mean that the hind problem would be settled on a satisfactory basis. The report will be discussed "by the conference at a later stage.