SOLDIER SETTLERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 16, 19 January 1924, Page 12

SOLDIER SETTLERS.

AND UNPAID BATES. COUNTY COUXCII/S DIFFICULTY. (Ry Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) ! WHANOAKKI, tliis .lay. J Tbo Minister of Lands (the Hon. I). IH. fiuthrio), in answer to a letter from tin- WlianjKirei County Council asking for relief of local authorities in the matter of ! rates owing: by ex-soldier settlors. I wrote that an Ordor-in-Coiint-il would I shortly ho gazetted, which would cmibln local authorities to proceed in the usual I way for recovery of such overdue rates without 1 lie'necessity of first <.l>liaiiiing th« consenl. of flu- Allorriey(Jencral. Un tlie recommendation of a i '■ magieira.tr. It v.as hoped thai, di«ilmr«ed soldiers would short Iv 1,., in ! ■ sueli tin improved position, as the result of (),,. ffenenil revaluation of I heir holdiiiffs. that they would ho nblo (o I disi-haijifi their liabilities with n-siiect jto rates. I ! Mr. L. A. Jolwwon. a returned sol.iicr settler, said what was wanted was tlia* the State, which took the greater pnrt |of all earnings. should allow the' amount of the rates from what it took. lit would !>e rjuite easy to obtain jud ? - ! j roenl aprainst soldier settlors, but hard ' to get the money, as tho cream cheques, for instance, were tufted by the ! Department, and in many ea<ses the returned men received hare livinjr Px . ! ppnses. That did nol apply (o aIT s,il dier settlers, but whereas" the council, was not in a position to discriminate,' tlie ( ommissioner of Crown Lands was ! •>r A V- h °T B "PS es,io » "f <he chairman! Mr. VT.. Tones, it »■« decided to reply ' to the Minister along the lines of .Mr.: •Johnson s statement.