SOLDIER POULTRY FARMERS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18015, 6 March 1924, Page 5

SOLDIER POULTRY FARMERS.

REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE. At the fortnightly meeting of the executive of the Canterbury U.S.A. held on Tuesday night a deputation consisting: of fifteen returned soldier poultry farmers from the Tiei Efei settlement, JHornby, waited on the meeting and placed the circumstances of their case before them, with the request that the Association should assist thorn to get a fair deal from the Government.

Mr C. Harte, who acted as spokesman, said that the men on the settlement were all T.B. soldiers who had been, placed there by tho Government, but owing to the nigh price of feed and the low price of eggs, they wore losing money each week, and were unable to live on their pensions. Ah the men had applied for the economic pension granted at last session of Parliament, but their applications had been declined by the War Pensions Board.

Other speakers stated that had the economic pension been granted to them, they could have managed to carry on, but as it was, they woul-'l have to walk off their holdings.

A number of questions wero asked by members of the executive, and it was asoertained that most of the men were married, and had families.

After the deputation had retired, it was decided that the R.S.A. should organise a deputation to wait on the Prime Minister on his visit to Chriatchurch next week, consisting of returned soldier poultrymen who had been declined economic pensions. It was also resolved to write to the Repatriation Department requesting them to withdraw the final notices which had been issued to these men demanding immediate payment of the arrears on their repatriation loans. It was resolved that the deputation should wait on the North Canterbury Land Revaluation Committee requesting them to visit the settlement as early as possible with a view to granting some relief to the settlers by way of the remission of arrears o£ rent.