SOLDIER FARMERS SEEK MEANS OF GETTING MORE LAND

Wanganui Chronicle, 20 July 1950, Page 6

SOLDIER FARMERS SEEK MEANS OF GETTING MORE LAND

“The fact remains that progress m this district in the settlement of exservicement on the land is not on a par with other districts,’’ said M. E. F. Laws, a vice-president of the Wanganui Returned Services Association, last night when a meeting of exservicemen awaiting land was held. He said the Rehabilitation Department could not be blamed because it did not enter the picture until after the ballots were held. “There is any amount of land available in this district which could be subdivided,” said Mr. L. Budge. He instanced several properties which he contended could have been acquired for the settlement of returned men. “The land is available but what is wrong is the means of procuring it.” The suggestion was made that there was much land in the Kai Iwi district which could be easily converted into good farm land. The speaker advocated opening up the back-country. “No man would take up gorse land unless he got it for nothing,” said Mr. A. Kitto. He said men should not be committed to a lifetime of slavery on a gorse farm. A man who said he had been waiting for five years for a farm, Mr. T. Guthrie, said that there had been much said about the taking over ol productive land for ex-servicemen. This, in his opinion, was all eye wash. The production of this land could be increased three or four times its present capacity. Much of this land, though productive, was not being farmed to its full capacity by any means. While this land was available it was foolish to consider placing men on gorse and scrub land. He also took exception to a statement by the general secretary of Federated Farmers, Mr. A. P. O’Shea, in describing the R.S.A. land policy as shameful. “Don’t touch undeveloped land with a barge pole,” said Mr. Kitto. He said that this land would only condemn young men to a lifetime of slavery. It was impossible to secure labour to clear gorse and scrub. Objection to men having to be regraded every time they applied for a farm in another district was expressed by Mr. C. Leigh . He considered the whole system of grading should be reconsidered. “When we were away fighting we were told that nothing was too good for us,” said one man. “Now they want to send us out on to the backcountry land.” “It was stated that there were 155 men in Wanganui who had b£en graded and were waiting for farms. A suggestion was made that the Minister of Lands - (Mr. Corbett} should be invited to come to Wanganui when considered proposals for the acquisition of land could be placed before him. Mr. Kitto moved that the attention of the Government should be drawn to the fact that sales of land were being made in Wanganui and suggesed that when such areas were up for sale the Rehabilitation Department should get first call. It was decided to urge the Government to exercise the full provisions of the act. The opinion was expressed that the meeting attended by departmental heads had been a failure because the association had no policy to present. When the heads had asked for sugges-1 tions there had been no unanimity with the result that the departmental officers gained no useful information. The following committee was set up to draw up a list of farms which are not being farmed economically and farms operated by absentee owners: Messrs. T. Guthrie, L. Budge, R. a. Brownlie, A. R. Kitto, C. Leigh, E. F. Laws, G. Anderson and J. M. J. Hartwell.