SOLDIERS' SETTLEMENT

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 81, 10 August 1923, Page 5

SOLDIERS' SETTLEMENT

AMENDMENT BILL PASSED. PARTY WRANGLE. Pe* Press Association. Wellington, August D. The House went into committee to-day on the Discharged Solflk-rs - Settlement Amendment Bill. At clause three, proviu.ng for district revaluation committees, Mr E A. Ransom (Pahiatua) moved that one member of the committee skjind be elected by the returned «oldie r settlers of the land district concern-

The Hon. W. D. Stewart u*c,ed that this would mean d~day, an,! one of the objects of the Bill was to expedite matters. In scattered districts it might take weeks to consult the feeling s of the soldiers and in the meantime everything would be hung up.

Mr J. R. Cbrrigan (Patea) thought iio one who took part in the first valuation of soldiers' lands should be appointed to the revaluation committee, and on this point the Premier agreed. He would instruct the Minister in charge to see that this was avoided. As to Mr Ransom's amendment, these committees should be above suspicion; there must be no suggestion of wire-pulling to get particular men on the board. The first responsibility mvxt rest with the Dominion Board, and he could not see any better way of getting able, experienced, practical, and impartial men than the system followed in the Bill. If a returned soldier was appointed could it be said the committee wag unbiased? The amendment was defeated by 38 votes to 85.

Clause ton, dealing with second mortgages, was but the committee being unable to evolve satisfactory! phraseology the clause wa& postponed. When considering clause eleven, dealing with the postponement of arrears of rents, the Premier said it would also apply to arrears of interest on stock mortgages owing to the Crown. The clause wat* passed.

The Premier stated that clause 13 would not apply to nurses who served at the front. Provision was made for nurses under the Lands For Settlement Act.

The remainder of the clauses were

then passed without amendment. The committee then resumed the discussion on clause ten, which had been re-drafted in a form stating that a Crown mortgage could not be reduced without the consent of the Ministers foe Land and FMaace^

unless and until all other mortgagee had been discharged, the Crown at the same time being given power to negotiate fo r the purchase of second mortgages.

The Premier said it was estimated it would cost £1,100,000 to buy out second mortgages on rural lands. More would bo required to deal with soldiers' houses.

Mr T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition) hoped the board would exercise the powers given to it under this clause with great care, because undoubtedly great efforts would be made by second mortgagees, who were mainly Government supporters, to make the best bargain they could to redeem at their full value their mortgages, which at present were not worth the paper they were writton on.

Mr W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) protested against the way the public finance was dealt with in the House. They dealt with millions as if they were half-crowns, and "* this clause they were giving the Government carte blanche to issue debentures to any extent they pleased. This, he thought, was a very careless method of dealing with the public finance. The Premier warmly, retorted vbMb the public finance was nemr better managed than at present. Mr Wilford: "That is self praise." M r Massey said there were othnrs who took part in the management of the Dominion's finance beside himself and Mr Veitch's insinuation was a. reflection on them as well as on him. Mr Veitch contended his whole desire was to draw attention to the fact that the Bill put no limit upon the amount, which may be borrowed under it. That there had been careless finance in the past was proved by the necessity for bringing this Bill down.

Some remarks by Mr H. Atinore (Nelson) served to further stir up the party wrangle which had suddenly arisen, whereupon the Premier said he would try. and pour oil on the troubled waters. He then proceeded to explain that to make the Bill effective finance must be provided. Neither he nor any man could say just how much would be required to get rid of the second mortgages and that was why noi statement had been made on the subject-, but the safeguard of the country was that the Finance Minister had to 1 be consulted regarding the expenditure. Just before the supper adjournment the party wrangle blazed up again, owing to a Liberal member asserting that the entire credit for the Bill was due to the Opposition, whose criticism had forced the hand of the Government. This however, wag cut short by the adjournment and was not continued. When the committee resumed clause ten was then passed and reported to the House with amendments. The amendments were agreed to and the Bill was rend a third tim» and passed