R.S.A. Appoints Four Men To Act On Farm Committee Of Executive

Wanganui Chronicle, 27 May 1948, Page 4

R.S.A. Appoints Four Men To Act On Farm Committee Of Executive

The suggestion that a farming committee should be set up to watch the interests of ex-servicemen wanting to secure farms was advanced by Mr. L. A. Budge at last night’s annual meeting of the Wanganui Returned Services’ Association and was adopted. He suggested that the committee should include farmers of proven ability and ex-servicemen who were waiting for farms. That he had personal experience of the muddling of a Government department was mentioned by Mr D McGregor. He instanced the bungling and mismanagement which the department was responsible for in the Cherrybank subdivision. The officers responsible had no individuality and were merely’ machines. He thought that a committee could do good work. There were no more patriotic people than the farmers' who were only too willing to help, but had the cards stacked against them. The association could not expect farmers to throw their farms away and live on unearned income.

That the association already had a farming sub-committee was mentioned by the president (Mr. H. R. Gilberd). However, If the meeting wished to form a committee it was at liberty to do so. The sub-committee was comprised of members of the executive and co-opted members. At the annual Dominion conference next month a deputation of farmers and representatives of the RS A. would wait on the Government regarding land settlement matters, said Mr. E. F. Laws. He suggested that the question of forming a committee could be left, over until after then, when the delegates from Wanganui might have some concrete proposals to advance.

”1 think that it would be nutting the matter off too long,” said Mr. Budge. He mentioned that a ballot of land advertised in the newspapers this week for the Taranaki district needed some consideration. Although applicants were already graded A for farming they had to appear before a sub-committee in Wanganui before they could enter the ballot. Then on the day of the ballot they had to appear before another sub-committee in New Plymouth to have their eligibility decided. “If that ,is necessary then they cannot have much faith in the local committees,” said Mr. Budge “If p serviceman has been graded A for farming then It should not be necessary for him to appear before anv other committee The fart that applicants for farm managers’ posts had to put up sums ranging from £l9O to £lOOO was mentioned bv Mr E. T. Chainev. It was hard when men had to buy their jobs. Messrs. 1.. A. Budce. D. McGregor, C. Lee. and E. T. Chainev were appointed to the sub-committee to be set up by the incoming executive.