POLITICAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXXI, Issue 69, 9 October 1920, Page 5

POLITICAL.

COUNTRY LAND VALUES. » tt In tlie%House of Representatives yesterday, replying to Mr R. McCallum (Wairau), who asked if it was <i fact that the Yjiluer-General had issued instructions to valuers to value country lands on a basis of the prewar rates, Mr Massey read the following memorandum from the ValuerGeneral: — "During the earlier stages of the war, 1914-1916 inclusive, an instruction to observe the pre-war standard was issued. During the period extending from 1916 to the termination of the war this instruction became inoperative, and valuers increased the values of lands tentatively up to a margin of safety. Since the termination of the war full market values have been assigned to lands by valuers employed by this department." »

The use of an optophone, stated Mr G. Hunter, M.P. for Waipawa, in tl)3 House of Representatives, enables a blind person to read an> ordinary print or typewriting, to take down a book from a shelf, or to buy a. newspaper in the street and read it himself. The hon. member gave notice to ask the Minister for Public Health whether he would favourably consider the question of importing one or more optophones.

In the course of his speech on the Loan Bill in the House last night the Premier stated that expenditure under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act totalled £22,765,006. The total number of men repartriated was 59,428, of whorl 15,818 wore put on land. A total of -487,273 acres h?d been purchased for settlement by soldiers, giving approximately 2000 holdings. '

The Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Loan B':ll was put through all itf stapes in the House last night. The Bill provides for a loan of £0 030 000. The Premier said this wo'Ud be the last compulsory loan. The Lender of the Opposition sa'd land for soldiers should be taken through the Public Works Act, but the Premier deprecated the policy of taking land by compulsion for settlement purposes, because of the cost and the delays caused by Court proceedings. Personally, he d'd not k'"W , v ],,>-.;. the big estates were wh'ch some members talked of so glibly.