LATE IN THE FIELD

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3309, 1 April 1926, Page 13

LATE IN THE FIELD

LAND SOJUDIKKS WHO STAKTKD WELL. WELLINGTON, March SO. A deputation from the R.S.A. ■waited on the Government to-day. Mr W. Perry was spokesman. He said there wore cases of soldiers who had sold their farms in 191516 to go to the war and who, when they returned, had found their own finance to settle on the land, without assistance from the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Department. These men now required assistance to pay off mortgages, but found they could not obtain loans from the State Advances. If preference could not be given to men applying to State advances. then it was asked that the D.S.S. Act be re-opened for the benefit of the men mentioned. The Hon. A. D. McLeod said the provision that not more than £2500 should be advanced to soldiers was found useless in practice. Only that day, ho had seen a man who had put £16,000 of his own money into land and there was. apparently no means of saving him. None of the lending departments, even if they had the money available could save that sort of man. What was being done was to make advances, whore possible, on stock. The department found that in many cases stock was free, or partially free and when such advances were made, it loft a balance with which the interest of liabilities could be met. The whole question of adding to the discharged [soldiers' settlement fund was a matter for the Government.