AMENDMENT COMING TO SERVICEMEN’S LAND SETTLEMENT ACT

Wanganui Chronicle, 20 July 1950, Page 5

AMENDMENT COMING TO SERVICEMEN’S LAND SETTLEMENT ACT

PARLIAMENT BLDGS, Last Night (PA). —An amendment to the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Act would be introduced within a few days, said the Minister of Lands (Mr. Corbett) in the House of Representatives tonight. Mr. Corbett, speaking toward the end of the Address-in-Reply Debate, contrasted his policy for the settlement of ex-servicemen on the land with that of his predecessor. He sakl that to settle men on farmlands developed on a 40-hour week basis not only involved a tremendous write-off financially, and long delays, but prevented men building up a reasonable equity in their properties. The previous administration suffered from lack of knowledge of land development. Men going on the land in future would have the opportunity of using their skill and initiative to build up their equity in it. Partially developed land would bo made available to waiting exservicemen as soon as possible, and large areas of land sufficiently developed for settlement, but. lacking a bouse, would be allotted with a provision of temporary houses. The Government would, however, still settle on fully developed holdings a number of men, including those who had so aged while waiting on the dilatoriness of the last Government that they were now too old to develop land for themselves. The previous Government merely tinkered with the settlement of exservicemen, but he believed that within the life of the present Parliament those who had waited so long would have their requirements met. Many would get their opportunity within 12 months, and he hoped the lime would soon come when the Land Sales Act itself could be repealed. That might, have been possible before now if the Labour Government had pushed ahead as it should have, but now the Act must bo retained for a while longer and it would bo amended by a Bill shortly to appear.