TAKING OF FARMS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 185, 6 July 1945, Page 6

TAKING OF FARMS

COMPULSION SUSPENDED. (Press Assn.) WELLINGTON, July 5. Air F. Hackett (Lab., Grey Lynn), in an urgent question in the House of Representatives today, asked the Alinister of Lands (Air Skinner) whether it was true that an undertaking had been given not to operate the powers of compulsory acquisition contained in the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Act. Air Hackett asked if the Alinister realised that the effect of such an undertaking would lie to permit a vendor' to withdraw from a contract for sale if he was dissatisfied with tlie Basic value fixed by tlie Land Sales Committee. Mr Skinner said it. was true that such an undertaking had boon given in respect to single unit farms Actually only two or three farms bad been taken compulsorily m the past and then only at the retiuosl o f the n\ serviceman purchaser concerned. Probably thi- effect of (be undertaking would, iberefore, be very small. Mr Skinner explained that be bad been informed that for some lime past vendors bad been unwilling t,o offer farms to oxservicemen for fear of having their properties taken compulsorily when ibo van dor was not satisfied with the basic valued fixed. Although he did not believe this was the ea*> ho had recently given the Whalt garci branch of the RP.A. a written as enranoo that compulsion would not apply, tte hoped the result would be a great increase in the number of farms for servicemen's settlement, but if six months' «x----pcrience did not justify that, hope the former practice would be reverted to.