“SOLEMN PLEDGE”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21172, 13 August 1943, Page 4

“SOLEMN PLEDGE”

LAND SETTLEMENT NEW BILL DISCUSSED PRIME MINISTER SPEAKS (P.R.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 13. ‘•This measure is an interpretation of the Government's and the country' l ' pledge to the soldier," said the Prime Minister, tiro Et. •ITon. P. Fraser, speaking in the House of: Representatives last evening in the second reading of the debate on the Servicemen’s 'Settlement and Land Sales Bill. “It there arc weaknesses and injustices,’’ he added, "lei us consider them as one House, not as a Government or Opposite n. Do not let. people avoid responsibility for an important measure by saying that this is a scheme having ulterior motives. There is no motive except fulfilment of a solemn pledge given So these men. Do not let us speak with two voices—one when the men were going away to face sickness, wounds and death, and then another when they come back.”

There were two things essential to control of the country in peace or war, the control in an equitable way of land and finance, continued the Prime Minister. Human beings nnu finance ' had been controlled —the human beings in regard to their very lives. The newspapers and Parliament hacl applauded those measures, but some, when it came to anything in live way of controlling land for <hn people, and particularly for the benefit of the soldiers, did I'hri same as the goldsmith’s' of Ephesus, who said, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians, but who dare put a hand on this goddess?” Nobody who had criticised <h e bill had criticised its objective, bill, had one suggestion come forward as lo an alternative to the measure? Government members: No. Mr. W. J. Poison (Nat., Stratford). Is not the committee stage the time lo bring ; forward suggestions? The Prime Minister: Any time. 1 thank the member for the suggestion;: he lias made. Mr. Poison: We will make some in committee. The Prime Minister: That is the right spirit. That is the spirit we want. Productive Value One criticism, added the Prime Minister, was That, far from, filling the object of keeping down values, the system of defining productive value was likely in many cases to increase that value. When the capitalisation rate of 4A per cent was fixed, that undoubtedly put up value in fairness to those whose land would be concerned. Mr. Poison: It works the other way on the small man. The Prime Minister said that if that were so steps could be taken to rectify the nosition. They wanted tbp soldiers settled in fairness to everybody. Mr. Fraser asked what was -the use of trying to terrorise the people by saving that the men on the Land Sales Committees would be creatures of the Government. They would no' be creatures of the Government and would not receive instructions from the Government. The. committees and three members of the court, would be appointed judicially and not because of any nolitical alignment. A would be because of experience m land operations. Inconsistency Alleged

“Some critics say wc are going to rob the farmer,s and others say that the farmers are going to get too much. The critics don’t know their own minds. We believe that competent Land Sales Committees and courts will see that justice' is done, he added. It had been claimed thal the Government was denying the great privilege of freehold to trie* soldiers; he continued. He was not going to discuss the freehold-leasehold question, bid under the proposals put. forward, whether it was freehold or leasehold, the value was there. That was what he was concerned about. Soldiers from the last war had not shown any great desire, for freehold. Of the 393(1 lessees of Government land only 382—less than one-tenth--had applied.for freehold. W.'bv raise the freehold bogey' again? Ho was indifferent about freehold or leasehold.. He was anxious that the men coining back should be settled on the land without debt, accumulating on them. Native Land Owners The Prime Minister said he believed that the Native Land Department had claims in hand and was so organising and negotiating with native, landowners that ‘it was 1 bought there would be so much land offered volun‘ariiy by the native owners that there would be no necessity for compulsory acquisition. What too Government was concerned about was that native sc!criers should have the same, opportunity for rehabilitation and land settlement.as uvciv other soldier who went to the war. Mr. Fraser said that everyone was agreed upon the objective, the . only question being as to how it was achieved. No other, system or proposal had been put forward. It was easy to attack, denounce and to try to destroy the measure, but it was easier still to evade suggesting something better. Mr. F. W. Doidgc (Nat.. Tauranga): Will you give the freehold? Mr. Fraser said that he would not, object. They would discuss that with the men concerned. If values were kept right under the particular system proposed in the bill, the problem of leasehold or. freehold would become more or less academic. Maori Member’s Views

A Maori view of the bill was given by Sir Apirana Ngata (Nat., Eastern Maori). He suggested that it was unreasonable to ask members just about lo face their constituents to discuss the basic principles of such a measure in a collected way. As the bill now stood, Maori freehold would be liable to be taken compulsorily, but tne Prime Ministpr’s promise to exclude Maori lands had removed any possible objection to the bill from the Maori people. How big would be the problem of settling Maori soldiers could be gauged from the fact that m H years the number of units settled under the native land development scheme had been 2300, and thcie were probably 4000 Maori servicemen to-be considered in connection with the present war.