ASSISTING THE SETTLERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13869, 1 October 1908, Page 6

ASSISTING THE SETTLERS.

GOVERNMENT LOANS. PRIME MINISTER'S STATEMENT. [by telegraph.— association.] Wellington, Wednesday. Sir W, J. Steward asked the Prime 'Minister in the House of Representatives to-day whether, he could make a statement regarding the delays in paying the advances agreed to by the Advances to Settlers Department. Many persons had been very seriously inconvenienced, and numerous complaints were coming from all parts" of the Dominion regarding these ■ delays. f The Prime Minister, hi reply,- said that if the course- followed lately in regard to this Department were persisted in, he would be reluctantly compelled to instruct the Department to. stop all further lending operations until the loans already agreed to had been completed, and until time had elapsed proportional to the advances already made during the current, financial year. The Department had only a certain' amount of money at its disposal, and loans must bo dealt with in sequence. The position was that the demands were so enormous that it was impossible to meet all. In some cases an undertaking had been given by, the Department to provide a loan at a future date to enable borrowers to arrange temporary finance. Then these people came and complained unreasonably of delays. i The Department was doing what it could, but that did not include the impossible. It had' done a very ; great deal indeed for settlers. (Hear, hear.) It had already advanced £2,300,000, and during the present financial year, though but five months had elapsed, the Advances to Settlers and Advances to Workers Departments had advanced £1.000,000 and over. He hoped members would realise the meaning' of thosie figures. In one month £300,000 had been advanced. >If they went on at that rate it would bo impossible to meet all the demands. v.. v