Manawatu Daily Times [ESTABLISHED 21st MAY, 1875.] TUESDAY, MAY 16, 1922. SOLDIER SETTLERS.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2124, 16 May 1922, Page 4

Manawatu Daily Times [ESTABLISHED 21st MAY, 1875.] TUESDAY, MAY 16, 1922. SOLDIER SETTLERS.

The Wellington Provincial Conference of the Returned Soldiers' Association has passed a resolution in favour of the revaluation of land where such may be considered necessary. This is a samewhat indefinite proposal, and affords the Government an avenue for escape from a responsibility that must immediately be faced. The soldier settlers in many districts are in a desperate condition. They cannot pay their rent and meet their grocers' bills, and arc making insistt nt appeals for relief. If a revaluation of the land is to be made, it is contended that it should take place at once, while the prices of produce are low. Ths would scarcely be fair to tin taxpayers of the Dominion. The valuations should be based upon the market prices over a period of years. Mr G. Mitchell, ?>.P., lias expressed a doubt whether business men would be found to-day who would pay more than 50 per cent of the purchase price for the land held by the settlers. Thore may be good grounds for entertaining this doubt at a period when the markets are low and are constantly fluctuating. But can Mr Mitchell, or any other person, assure us that low prices will continue for a lengthy term? Do not all the indications point in the direction of improved prices? The Government, as trustees for the people, are required to do the right thing by all parties, and soldier settlers will scarcely expect them to do more. If the Government were to introduce legislation with the object of reducing the valuations to a standard based upon existing prices they would involve the laxpayers in a loss of several millions of money. Moreover, all Crown tenants would be entitled to similar consideration. And if values are forced down by legislation, hundreds of mortgages will be rendered valueless. The most reasonable course for the Government to adopt appears to be to postpone the payment of rent in the worst cases, and spread this over a lengthy period. If, at the end of two or three years, the condition of the markets was such that the settlers had not a reasonable prospect of making a. decent living from their selections, the Government would be justified in revaluing the properties and permanently reducing the rents. This could be done by re-classifying the land, as was the case some years ago under the renewable lease. Every patriotic citizen desires to see the soldier settler make a success of his holding. And all reasonable concessions must be made when it can be proved that the men are "triers." It is, however, Questionable whether the Government is entitled to revalue the land at a period when prices of produce are abnormally low.