SOLDIER SETTLEMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25302, 12 August 1943, Page 4

SOLDIER SETTLEMENT

R.S.A. SUGGESTS (RANGES APPROVAL OF PRINCIPLES (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 11. The Executive Committee of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association to-day issued a statement on the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Bill. The statement recalls that the following resolutions were passed by the annual conference of the Dominion Council of the Association: —“ (a) That the Government be urged to introduce legislation to establish land and house values so that servicemen will have the opportunity of acquiring land at its productive value and a house at its economic value, and on the freehold tenure; (b) that if sufficient suitable land is not availabe for ex-servicemen from the present war, power be taken to acquire it, always provided that sufficient is left with the owner to ensure a living; (c) that the association protests strongly against the policy of land aggregation as permitted at present.” During the discussion on the resolutions it was agreed, first, that there would be no right of the freehold or other tenure had it not been/for the sacrifices of the servicemen in the present war; secondly, the prices oi farm land and houses had risen since the beginning of the war, and a certain amount of speculation in land had taken place in respect of farms which was out of proportion to the returns from genuine farming; thirdly, it was practically impossible for servicemen in the cities to obtain a freehold home at £ISOO available under the rehabilitation legislation, and this was partly due to the housing shortage; fourthly, it was difficult for servicemen to obtain the freehold of a farm at its productive value with the generous amounts' available to him under the same legislation; fifthly, the association was of the opinion that legislation for the settlement of ex-service-men should be a separate Act; sixthly, the hardships inflicted on servicemen after the last war and the huge loss involved through their settlement on the land must be avoided; seventhly, that servicemen should be entitled to the freehold. ' Stabilisation Necessary .

After the conference the resolutions were submitted to the Minister of Lands, Mr J. G. Barclay, and the association arranged meetings in farming districts for the purpose of obtaining areas of land at a suitable price, but the response had been disappointing. “It is obvious to the R.S.A. that land values must be stabilised if the returning servicemen are to obtain a home or a farm at a fair value,” the statement continues, “ and, further, that suitable land must be acquired at a fair value for soldier settlement.”

The statement added that the Dominion Executive Committee of the association had the privilege of perusing the proposed legislation in draft form, and considered that it was a definite ■ endeavour by the Government to implement the resolutions of the association’s Dominion conference. It therefore approved the principles of the proposed Bill, and advised the Government on July 21 as follows: —“ (a) In so far only as the Bill contemplates the stabilising of land values, both urban and rural, and the prevention of undue aggregation of land and its use for speculative or uneconomic purposes, the association heartily endorses the principles; (b) in so far, however, as the provisions of the proposed Bill are concerned, the association considers that they will fail to accomplish the purposes set out in the preamble (in particular, the settlement of discharged servicemen)._ For this reason, therefore, the association is unable to give its approval to the Bill as it is at present drafted.” Two Separate Bills Suggested

The statement added that since then the proposed legislation had been materially altered and title of the Bill changed. The association’s Dominion Executive Committee now suggested that the Bill should be divided into two, as follows:—First, that the stabilisation proposals should be made a separate Bill, and, as this portion was a war measure, it should be limited to a certain period after the war; secondly, the method of acquiring land for the settlement of servicemen and the terms of settlement with the right of acquiring the freehold should be a separate Bill. The statement added that the association was unable to suggest any satisfactory alternative to the principles of the present Bill, but it might well be that the principles could be carried out by other methods. To allow an opportunity for other methods to be explored, it suggested that all the interested parties should be given an opportunity to make representations before the Bill is proceeded with. , -