STATE ADVANCES

Evening Star, Issue 19840, 13 April 1928, Page 14

STATE ADVANCES

LONG DEFERRED APPLICATIONS [Special to the ‘Stab.’] WELLINGTON, April 12. For some -years the State Advances Department lias been endeavoring to catch up on its loan applications, but inquiries made by Mr M 1 Combs, who as the member for Lyttelton is interested in both town and country borrowers, show that, it is. now dealing with advances to settlers’ applications made in August, 1926. “As they proceed they are getting a little further behind,” explained Mr M’Combs to your correspondent, “ for the reason that August, 1926, applications 'were rather heavier than can be dealt with from the financial resources of any one month. Doubtless when November and December, 1926, are reached faster progress will bo made. Judging by the Finance Minister’s statement to Parliament last session regarding .delay in disposing of loan applications, the department lia.i got lurtiicr behind since that time. Another interesting development is that* a number of fanners who had loan applications on the advances to settlers’ list, some of them very long-dated, are not yet receiving attention, though more recent applications under the rural advances scheme’are producing results in loans granted. There is an clement of unfairness in this, and it somewhat offsets the advantges of the' new scheme, 1 find that, contrary to what is sometimes suggested, the department deals with applications strictly in line with the order of priority, and that no town is getting preference.”