SOLDIER SETTLEMENT.

Northern Advocate, 26 June 1924, Page 5

SOLDIER SETTLEMENT.

j Ve'rj: satisfactory progress has been made- for the relief - of discharged soldier settlers by the Dominion Revaluation Board established by the legislation of last session. With the assistance of the District Revaluation Committees, the Board has been able toconsider a very large number of applications, and my Ministers trust it will be found that the process of revaluation and reduction of rent and interest/ and in some cases of capital, will 'enable the majority of our discharged soldie.r settlers on the land to look-forward to, success with renewed hope. j..-- • - •• • . It has for some time, beqn recognised • that the . main, difficulty, arises in cases where the land was -purchased-by- the: soldiers themselves from private in-dividuals,-with a first mortgage to the Crown for its advavnee and subsidiary mortgages to the vendors. In a number of instance of this class the Board lias been able to effect satisfactory arrangements as between the mortgagor and the second mortgagee.

| STATE ADVANCES. I The policy established by the Act, | together with the approaching termination of the general mortgages extension, necessitated the increase (provided by your Act of last session) of the maximum amount permitted under the State Advances Act from £2000 to £3500 for settlers, and from £750 to £1250 for workers, and the increase by £2,250,000 of the authorisation of loan for advances to settlers and workers. Applications for advances have been received far in excess of the increased authorisation. The success of the efforts of the State Advances Department to cope with the increased demand is exemplified by the fact that during the financial year ended March 31 loans to the amount of £8,066,202 were authorised and £6,205,08(5 actually paid. Further moneys are being supplied to the office, and constant effort is maintained' to deal speedily with all applications.

» EXPORT BUSINESS. The effect of the Meat Export Control Act, followed by the Dairy Industry Control Act of yolir last session, has been satisfactory to the producers. Tho establishment of boards with statutory authority to negotiate for shipping and freights and to control the rate of supply to markets abroad has already provided many beneficial results. The fruit producers of the Dominion have indicated the desire for the establishment of a Fruit Industry Control Board, with similar powers, and legislation with that object has been prepared and will be submitted for your consideration. MAIN HIGHWAYS. The Main Highways Board has been established and has done much valuable preliminary work, including the { definition of a number of main highways. You will be asked to consider ways and means for providing sufficiI ent funds to enable the important duties of the board to be carried out. ! THE MORATORIUM. j The Mortgages Extension Acts exj pires at the end of the present year. It is not considered advisable to continue the automatic operation of extension beyond that period. The present Acts apply only to mortgages executed before October, 1919, and there is reason to believe that the great majority of those mortgages have already been the subject of arrangement between the | several mortgagors and mortgagees, having the effect of excluding the sta- J tutory extension; but it is also be- j licved that there are a limited ntim- | ber of cases where the immediate re- j moval of all protection might create j considerable hardship to the mort- I gagors. My Minister.? will therefore submit to you legislation which, while allowing the general protection to ox- j pire at the end of the present year, ] will entitle mortgagors who can prove j special hardship to apply to a Supreme j Court Judge for a further extension, ' not exceeding two years. Under the i previous Acts the mortgagee has al- J ways had the right to apply to the Court for leave to exercise his powers, though very little advantage has been taken of the statutes in that respect. Under the measure to be proposed to you, any mortgagor who desires extension is compelled to apply to the Court for an opportunity to prove his case and to satisfy the Court that there are special reasons in his case which justify a brief extension. i

THE LAND LAWS. Two measures of special importance, which were in part before you last session, will, Siy Ministers hope, be agreed to and become law during your present session. The first is a Bill to consolidate and simplify the land laws of the Dominion, and the second :* Bill to briijfj all lands of the Dominion under the provisions of the Land Transfer Act within a definite period, with special provision for the issue of provisional certificates ni the case of infirm titles. TAX AT EON INCIDENCE. Mr Speaker and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives- — The Royal Commission appointed to consider the system and incidence of land and income taxation in Xew Zealand has presented a unanimous report, which in due course Avill be laid upon the table of your House. FORESTRY RESERVES. The report of another Commission appointed to consider the effect of forestry reserves upon the revenues of local bodies lias also been received by me and will be made available for your deliberations.

FINANCIAL PROPOSALS. The receipts of revenue during the last financial year have been satisfactory. Economy has been practised in all departments, the result being that the accounts of the year closed with a surplus of £1,812,366. Proposals for certain remission of taxation will be submitted..

, RAILWAYS INQUIRY. Honourable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council and Gentlemen, of the House of Representatives— Two specially qualified gentlemen from England are at present engaged in investigating', the conditions appertaining to theraihvays in New South Wales. My Ministers propose to take | advantage of their presence in Australia to institute a Royal Commission, of which they will be members, to carry out an exhaustive enquiry into the whole system and control of our New Zealand! railways* and to. advise thereon. ; FISHING RIGHTS. The subject of fishing rights in the •interior waters of the Dominion 'has been under the consideration of my Government. Legislation is necessary ' to prevent the sate of such rights, whether in gross or as attached to riparian ownership, and especially to pre*'ent the acquisition by persons not resident in the Dominion o? power to excliidc others fram certain waters. A Bill having those objects will be laid before you. My Ministers anticipate that you may find it necessoiy to postpone finally settling the whole subject matter pending special investigation into the nature and existence of the rights, but that you may consider it sufficient in the meantime to prohibit any sueli dealings.

MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES. In addition to the legislation to which I have made special reference you will have submitted for consideration along with ether measures Bills dealing with the Stamps laws, the Chattels Security Acts motor vehicles, copyright, public works, education, dofence, lo"al bodies' loans, war funds, police offences and public debt reduction.

| VALEDICTORY. I My term of office as Governor-Gen-eral of New Zealand will expire at the end of September next, and I shall be leaving the Dominion towards the end of November. The severance of the the bonds which have ever-increasingly bonnl me in close attachment to the people of New Zealand cause me the deepest possible regret. Our sojourn has been interesting and of unalloyed happiness to Her Excellency and-my-self. As the representative of His Majesty I have witnessed with the keenest satisfaction the spirit uf fervent loyaity to the Throne and Empire which is so marked a cln./iaoteri;:tie of* New Zealand, and of which so many proofs have been given. I have watched with .great pleasure the increased production and the growth r,f trade of the Dominion, and the manner "In which recovery from tli > aftermath of the war has been effected is a subject for sinevre congratulation. Tiie birth and development of Hie New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy during my term of office and the high standard attained by the recruits entering the service are of much interest to me as

a naval officer. To the past and present members of the two Houses of the Legislature with who it I have beeii associated I beg to express my deep appreciation of their uniform courtesy and consideration, and I should like to take this opportunity also of voicing my warmest gratitude to the people of this Dominion for their exceeding kindness to Her Excellency, to myself and to the members of our family. The future prosperity of New Zealand and the welfare and happiness of its people will ever be matters of profound interest to me. Finally I express the earnest hope that Divine Provjdence may your deliberations and further the welfare of the people of the Dominion.

NO-CONFIDENCE AMENDMENT. MR WILFORD AMENDMENT. (S[-:cial to "No.thern Advocate.") WELLINGTON, This Day. Mr T. M. Wilford has expressed his intention to put forward this afternoon a no-confidence amendment. The Reform caucus meets to-night. All are expected to be present except Mr T. D. Burnett (Temuka), who has bee.-i sericußly ill. The Labour Party met las- night and reports that only matters of general interest wore discussed. Mr Wilford says that tho Liberal caucus yesterday was entirely successful. M- Donald Cameron lias been appointed chief of the Hansard staff.