SELLING OUT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15321, 17 September 1920, Page 3

SELLING OUT.

SOLDIER SETTLERS AND THE FREEHOLD. WELLINGTON, this day. The disquietening feature of soldier settlement m many of the soldiers acquiring freehold to sell out at a profit, was referred to m the annual report oi' the Lands Department, and was raised m the House by Mr. E. Newman, who urged the Minister m charge of soldier settlement to prevent these lands falling into the hands of civilians. He knew there was a great .temptation to sell the freehold at an enhanced price. •He knew of a case where a soldier could Kave sold at double the original price if he could have been relieved of the restriction. Mr. Guthrie declared that the Government's policy, was distinctly opposed to returned soldiers selling out their holdings. However, there were cases where -men, owing to infirmity, had not been able to- keep up their work on the land. Then they were allowed to surrender their holding, with due allowance for improvements effected, but the Department would not agree to a trans fer except to returned soldiers. They were discouraging applications from soldiers to obtain the freehold with the object of selling, because once the land got into the hands of civilians it was relieved of the restrictions which prevailed *i or 10 years. The Minister added that he knew of cases where men had a good chance to sell at a big" profit, which m one case would have been £6000 without • the expenditure of a penny, but he stopped it at once. Colonel Mitchell: Stop, speculation by civilians also.— Parliamentary Reporter.* ■_!■■■■ — ■»— — mm >