SOLDIERS' DIFFICULTIES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 15873, 12 July 1922, Page 9

SOLDIERS' DIFFICULTIES.

BOARD TO INYJESTIGATE SETTLEMENTS. REPORT ON BASIS OF ADJUSTMENT. (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, tins day. The Government intends setting up a board of practical men to consider' the position of every soldier settlement, with a view to making suggestions for getting over the difficulties of soldiers. This announcement, made by Mr. Uuthrie, Minister of Lands, in the House last night, was greeted with Upposition laughter, Mr. Wilford remarking: '' \V hat! Another commission 1" The Minister retorted that this had been suggested before. Mr. lsitt: We will want a board to inquire into the wisdom of boards, Mr.' Statham: Will you let us see its report? Will it be tabled? Air. Guthrie : That will be decided later. (Laughter.) 1 liave not held anything back in connection with returned soldiers. lie went on < to say that the Government had been accused of giving soldier settlers sympathy, but little else lie could show this was untrue. It had done a great deal more. It had granted a postponement of the payment of interest without loss of rebate, and when the prices of produce were stabilised it would reconsider the whole position. A suggestion had been made that a revaluation could be made at once on the basis of average prices of produce -during the last 12 years, but as tbese years included those of peace prices he did not think the soldiers would thank those who made the suggestion. Mr. Isitt: Will this board report belore the election?

Mr. Guthrie -. "They will have a very heavy job in front of them. (Laughter.; The Minister suggested that the worst examples of high prices of land for soldiers occurred under the clause of the Act enabling the Government to finance purchases by soldiers themselves. It wpuld have been far safer if this clause had not existed, because it placed a returned soldier in the hands of speculators and land agents, though he had point-blank refused to have , dealings with agents. The boaad would decide tho case of each settlement on its merits, taking into consideration any special difficulties, whether local or general, under which the men may be laboring. The problem was most difficult to tackle, as all soldiers were not in a similar financial position. He thought this suggestion, which he had discussed with the Premier, and which would be brought before the Cabinet in a few days, would meet the position, and was the only means by which the present difficulties of soldier settlers could be met. RIG FIGURES. Tho Minister,' earlier in his speech, quoted elaborate figures relating to soldier settlement and repatriation. Homes had been provided in town and country to tho number .of 20,105. The Repatriation Department kid placed 27,392 men in employment, and had trained or was training 7468, while 25,699 soldiers had been re-established in business. Altogether 80,004 soldiers had passed through tho hands of the Lands and Repatriation Departments, so that he could claim that few soldiers who returned had been neglected. A general summary of the position was indicated by (he Minister as follows: Lands for settlement, purchase of estates, £5,794,000; Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act loans, for purchase of land, purchase oi stoek, and improvements, £20,544,000; Repatriation Act loans, for businesses, furniture, and dwellings, £2,224,000; making a grand total expenditure oi £28,564,000. Coming to the details of expenditure, the Minister said 9356 men had been settled on land, the acreage being 3,967,000 acres. In addition 10,749 had been provided with town homes. Details of expenditure were as follows*. Purchaso of private land, £8,792,000; purchase jjf stock and other iin-. provements, £3,966,000; purchaso and erection of town dwellings £7,785,000; total actually paid over, £20,047,000; amount repaid, £1,578,439. EASING THE BURDEN.

The Minister gave the following particulars of how the Government is 1 assisting soldiers to get through difficulties. Postponements of rent on settlement lands totalled £85,683 ; interest on mortgages postponed, £32,740; instalments of principal on farms and dwellings postponed, £6320; total £124,643. Tho remissions of rent on Crown and settlement land amounted to £19,532: remissions of interest on mortgages, £1715; total remissions, £21,247. The rebates granted to date totalled £69,565; instalments in arrears on farms, £38,137; ditto on dwellings, £7982; instalments postponed on farms and dwellings, £6310. There, had been 52 foreclosures on farms, and 35 on dwellings, tho amount lost on farms dis posed of beuifj £461, and on dwellings £640. Arrears of rent on Crown and soldier settlement lands totalled £161,746, and arrears of interest £279,311; total, £441,057; arrears in instalments of principal on farms, £38,137; dwellings, £7982; making a grand total of arrears of £487,176.