AIDING SOLDIERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 119, 22 May 1945, Page 6

AIDING SOLDIERS

GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS

PROVIDING HOMES AND LAND

O.C. HAMILTON, Monday. The work done by the Government for the rehabilitation;, of exservicemen and the. difficulties connected with providing sufficient houses were dealt with by the Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr. Skinner, addressing a meeting to-night in support of the Labour candidate, Mr. C. A. Barrell, in the Hamilton byelection. "Housing is the basic need for exservicemen arid-is a great problem in connection with rehabilitation,"' said Mr. Skinner. "There is no short cut to solving- the problem." Up to the eiid of March, 2800 loans had been advanced for ex-servicemen to buy or build houses. That represented a total of well over £3,000,000. To that must be added 2986 ex-servicemen who had been allocated State rental houses, making 5786 ex-servicemen who had been housed under the rehabilitation scheme. One of the great limiting factors in house building was manpower. i Dealing: with land settlement the Minister said :.there was not one land district in New Zealand in which the Government was not negotiating for large areas. Up to the end of March the Government had purchased between 120,000 and 130,000 acres for ex-servicemen. This would be settled just' as soon as subdivisions could be carried out, houses built : and . other necessary work done.. „■ "It is expected that some 6000 men from this war will wish to settle on the land, and I am confident that it can be found for them," said Mr. Skinner. "The Lairtd Sales Act has not had the dire results that were prophesied in 1943, when it became law. It will be seen by an examination of the records that properties are changing hands freely to-day." Since the inception of the Act 5382 transfers of farming properties had been dealt with and approved by land sales committees throughout New Zealand, and 38,895 urban property transfers had been completed, said Mr. Skinner.

HAMILTON, Monday.

Out of more than 5000 farms, land sales committees had ordered reductions in the considerations asked in 675 cases, said the Minister. The total reductions amounted to £213,780. In the cases of urban properties, reductions had been ordered in 7088 cases, the total amounting to £736,(325.