FARMS FOR SERVICEMEN

Evening Star, Issue 25300, 7 October 1944, Page 6

FARMS FOR SERVICEMEN

GOVERNMENT BEARS SUBDIVISION COSTS A DEFINITE ASSURANCE , (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 7, A definite assurance that the Government would carry the costs involved in the subdividing and homesteading of farms taken over for the settlement of servicemen, and that the men would go into the properties at the basic value fixed by the Land Sales ComTOittees on the' productive capacity of the land, was given before the Canterbury Rural Lands Sales Committee by Mr S. T. Barnett, Crown representative, in a case involving the sale of a run by G. R. Macdonald to Lowry Hills Ltd. It was stated during the hearing that the Crown would divide Lowry Hills, a run of 6,416 acres, at Cheviot, into three farms. Mr \B. S. Robertson, a member of the committee, asked what the position of the committee would be when~ it hadfixed'the basic value for the land. A position might arise that the committee fixed a value based on productive capacity and the Crown spent £IO,OOO on improvements and passed the whole lot on to the servicemen. "We want to know where we are," said Mr Robertson. "We do not want it said in years to come that the Canterbury Rural Lands Sales Committee fixed the price too high when actually it has had all the costs of subdivision and improvements loaded on to it." Mr Barnett then said that he would give a definite assurance that the Government would bear the cost of the improvements, and that servicemen would be settled on the basis of value fixed by. the committee.