RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19258, 23 August 1924, Page 11

RETURNED SOLDIERS.

WORK OF ASSOCIATIONS. MINISTER REPLIES TO CRITICISM. (Pick United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, August 22. The Hon. Mr M’Leod, Minister of Lands referring to the criticism by the Returned Soldiers’ Association of his remarks during tho financial debate in Parliament, said he would bo very sorry to attempt in any way to belittle the good work done by tho association regarding its affairs, and perhaps in other matters of dominion importance affect mg returned soldiers. It was more in rospoci to individual matters covci. ing the land difficulties brought before him, both as a member and as a Minister, that he felt that sufficient inquiries were not made before representations were forwarded to official quarters. “ Whether it is for the reason that the purposes for which associations were first set up havo already been served, or that they do not now servo the purpose first intended I do not know, but I do know that it is only with extreme difficulty and continuous whipping that life and interest is being instilled into tho doings <;f the great bulk of the associations in question. As tho present controversy ranged round the question of the resuscitation of special borrowing privileges, more particularly housing, tho Minister said ho proposed to make a statement at an early date which he believed would go a long way to show that his opinion expressed in the House was not unfounded, as the public were being asked to believe.