NOT "FANTASTIC"

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 59, 10 March 1936, Page 10

NOT "FANTASTIC"

CONVERSATIONS HELD

SIR A. RANSOM'S REPLY

Interviewed by telephone at his homt at Dannevirke, Sir Alfred Ransom, who was Acting Prime Minister when Lord Nuffield visited New Zealand last year, said that it a was no use Lord Nuffield saying that the land settlement proposal was a "fantastic story." Sir Alfred said that Lord Nuffield did not mention £1,000,000, but that was the figure mentioned by Sir Thomas Wilford, formerly High Commissioner for New Zealand, when he visited New Zealand prior to Lord Nuffield's visit. "Sir Thomas said that £1,000,000 was the figure that Lord Nuffield had said that he was prepared to consider," said Sir Alfred. "Lord Nuffield never mentioned any amount to me, but Sir Thomas Wilford did, and he said that it was the result of a conversation he had had with Lord Nuffield'in England; and that was confirmed by Mr. Norwood."

Sir Alfred emphasised that it wai useless for Lord Nufneld to describe the matter as a "fantastic story," because when Lord Nuffield was in New Zealand he. was taken on a visit of inspection of land settlement schemes in the North Island by the Government. "When I discussed the matter with Lord Nuffield, it was in his mind.to settle English people," said Sir Alfred. "I suggested the settlement of -New Zealanders, but he said that that was not acceptable because he had made his money in England. I then suggested that the settlement should be carried out on a fifty-fifty basis, and he said that he would consider it. If it "was a 'fantastic story' why should I have wasted my time in showing him. the development lands in the North Island when he was not interested in them.

"Perhaps I was foolish in mentioning it, but I kept my mouth shut fof twelve months."-.