LAND FOR SOLDIERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue XLIX, 14 January 1916, Page 2

LAND FOR SOLDIERS

POPULAR MISAPPREHENSION.

.STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER

In spite of the wide publicity given the Government's proposals for placing returned soldiers on land, some misapprehension still exists as to the amount of assistance the Government is ready to give to returned soldiers. In view of the prevalent misapprehension, of which he has had some evidence recently, the Prime Minister made a statement on the subject yesterday to a "Dominion" reporter. "Not only is preference at ordinary land ballots given to returned Soldiers and soldiers oft active servicej" said Mi* ; Massey, "but blocks of land are especially set apart for soldiers in almost every land district in New Zealand. With the object of assisting soldiers with agricultural leanings, to get on: the land,, legislation was agreed to by; Parliament last session, in the Discharged Soldiers Set* tlement Act, which provides that the Governor may from time to time by proclamation set apart any area or areas of Crown land, or land purchased Tinder the Settlement Act, to be disposed' of by lease or sale to discharged soldiers. The same Act also provides for financial assistance to soldier settlers,, for the purposes of general' improvements such, as clearing, fencing; draining,'>and the erection of buildings, and the purchase of implements and stock. The administration of this part of Ahe Act is left with the Land Boards,', and if a board considers, that it is desirable that financial assistance should.be given to the settlers, the board will make a recommendation to that effect to the Minister for Lands, and will set out the nature and extent of the assistance recommended. The Act provides for the raising'of £50,000 for these advances. . This will proba,bly.< be [ only a very small parti 0 f the sum which: I may yet be required £or this purpose, but for the present it isi ample. Having in mind the mistakes of previous at-! tempts at land settlement, provision was made in the Act by Parliament that no land leased or sold to discharged soldiers shall be .transferred until 10 years after the commencement of the lease, except with the consent of the Land Board and', with the approval of the, Minister 'of' Lands.

"In addition to the setting apart of special blocks of land there is the further .provision made- that if a soldier applies to a land board for a section, and there happens to :be no section available from lands specially reserved for soldiers, ihe board, is- to supply the soldier "with- asection, and is to forward at once to the Minister particulars of the section allotted, in order that it may be proclaimed under the Discharged Soldiers' Act.

"If it is found later that we have not sufficient Crown land for the needs of soldiers, I shall be prepared- to purchase blocks of improved private!j7-owned land iu different parts of New Zealand for settlement by soldiers." .Mr Massey stated, further, - that a special Information Bureau had been established to supply returned soldiers with all information tliey could possibly require about how to set about getting on the land, or about other matters. If the men, wanted' work, this bureau, which' was -a Government Department, would find it for them. Leaflets of instruction were issued, and the (Defence Department had published a- Returned Soldiers' Hand Book. There was not the slightest need for soldiers missing through ignorance of the facts any of the advantages to which they were entitled. , v . ■