LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 20 May 1915, Page 4

LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

— 1PROVISION • FOR ABSENTEES. The Prime Minister is mindful of the soldiers fighting their country's nght in. Europe, and he has made arrangements to provide that non e of liiem shall lose, at any rate in respect to land settlement, by their absence trom the Dominion "I have instructed the TTnder-Seere-tary for Lands," he informed a Dominion reporter on Tuesday "to send a circular to the Commissioners of Crown Lands throughout New Zealand, telling them* that I desire, that in all cases settlers who are now serving, at the front with our trooDs should be treated in the most liberal manner In no case should any forfeiture for non-compliance with 'residence, improvements, or other conditions of the lease take place without first submitting full particulars to the Department and to myself, and if any settler who is at the front or who desires to go to the front wishes to transfer his section, every reasonable facility must be given to allow of the approval of the application to transfer. I intend during the coming session to introduce legislation authorising members of the Expeditionary Forces to apply for either Crown or settlement lands. In the meantime if any land board is satisfied that a bona-fide relative or even a friend is applying for land with the ultimate view of transferring the section to a man who is fighting ms country's battles at the front, the board should use discretion, and byno means treat such an application as dammyism. "I propose to set apart in the near future suitable blocks of land for settlement by members of the Expeditionary Forces on their return to the Dominion. Unfortunately, the area of Crown land of good quality now remaining is very limited, but I intend to do my best for returning soldiers."