BAIT IN TRAP.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 284, 29 November 1940, Page 3

BAIT IN TRAP.

LURE OF FREEHOLD.

MINISTER DEFENDS BILL. | ( (P.A.i WELLINGTON", this (lay. | Accusing certain members of the j Opposition and other people of try in™! to stir up political strife and with feed-j i farmers on imaginary wronge and j grievanees, the Minister of Lands, Mr. Langstone, replying to the sewnd reading debate 011 the Small Farms Amendment Bill in the Hmi-e of Representatives last night said that all the arguments that had lieen used against the bill had not cluiwii up the weaknesses of the bill, but, the weaknesses of those who criticised it. He declared that many farmers euiild trace their troubles to the time when they changed from leasehold to e.\pen»ive freehold. Freehold was the cheese in the money-lender's trap used ti> entice them in. When they were in. d'iwn came the trap. Mr. Dickie (National, F'atea): Don't -hi 1 w your ignorance. The Minister «-aid they had a special r'-ponsihilily to those who were fighting for till-in. "This bill has nothing to do with tlii> hinds for Settlement Act or the Public Works Act," lie said. "It takes necessary clati-e- out of the Public Work- Act and include* them in tli i - bill. It tries to devise means of avoiding the mistakes of the past."' Mr. Poison (National. Stratford): The bill .locs allow the < loveminent to take land other than for the use of discharged -ohliers. Preference For Soldiers. The Minister: Ye*, certainly, but discharged soldier- will get. preference. Is an area of land to remain idle if discharged soldiers do nut want it? There has been an effort to stir tip political strife over this bill. Mr. Poison: I thought the Minister of Mines had the monopoly of that. Mr. t ullcn (Internment, Hawke's May): He i«- second to you. The Minister: They know how to play oil the credulity of the people, feeding tlniu on imaginary grievances and wrongs. Not one statement that ha* been made regarding this bill has l>cen correct. J Mr. Poison: There is nothing new in the bill. Is that correct? The Minister denied the suggestion that land would be taken when an owner was ab-ent from the Dominion. Notice hail to be served on all parties interested in the land. Mr. Poison: Do not talk rubbish. You know that it call be served when he come- hack. The Mini-ter of Housing. Mr. Armstrong: You know they will not be served. Will Not Displace Men. Mr. Poison: Thai i- a different thing. Mr. Lang-tone said they were not going to displace one man and put on another in his place if th t i farm were iH'ing worked economically. All that lie was concerned about was that nece*sary provision was made to enable the (iovcrnincnt to aeipiire land. That was all the liill did. Jt set out in a fairly lucid form ways and means of acquiring land and that it was for returned soldier settlement. No land would be taken away com pulsorilv from a soldier who was away fighting, but if he liked to offer hi* land directly or through his attorney, that was a totally different thing. Land also would not be taken away from a man who had boys away fighting and that would l>e used for their settlement. .No land would l>e taken unless there were three additional settlers to oeeupv it.

'"Surely those safeguards dispose of a lot of the fears and bogys raised against taking any land any whore,'' added th© Minister.