LAND SETTLEMENT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 227, 24 September 1943, Page 4

LAND SETTLEMENT

OPERATION OF ACT REPLY TO MR. MULHOLLAND (P.A.) WELLINGTON, this day. A reply to the statement by the Dominion president of the Farmers' Union, Mr. Mulholland, that members of the union should refuse service on land sales committees under the Servicemen's Settlement and Land Sales Act, was made by the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, in his speech in the Wellington Town Hall last night.

Mr. Fraser said that instead of getting help and assistance from men who should know better, such as Mr. Mulholland, the Government was receiving opposition. If Mr. Mulholland wished to return his particular organisation into an instrument for the furtherance of the National party that was his business, but he could, not be taken seriously as a leader in the country's war effort—and Mr. Mulholland had done some good work in that respect —when he said that, not only would he himself not assist, but his organisation would not assist in the operation of the Act, which was the best that could be devised for the settlement of returned men.

If Mr. Mulholland did what he threatened to do, and asked his union to sabotage this attempt to help returned servicemen, all Mr. Fraser could say was that the Government would still go on. There was nothing unfair in the Act, which had been framed strictly on justice, and after consultation with the best experts the Government could get to assist it. No practical alternative suggestion had been put forward. Mr. Mulholland's executive had made some suggestions, but there was not the ring of conviction about their representations. Some of the proposals were good and would be examined, and if Mr. Mulholland had any proposals to offer which were likely to improve the Act, the Government would be glad to accept them, but if he threatened to sabotage the Government's scheme, and ex-servicemen, then there would be something doing. He knew, however, that Mr. Mulholland was a man of common sense; and would take the wisest course and cooperate. Mr. Fraser said he took it that Mr.' Mulholland had spoken without adequate thought.