§ (3) In the selection of persons to be settled on land acquired under the Small Holding Colonies Acts, 1910 and 1918, as amended by this Section, the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries shall give the like preference to women who are certified by the Hoard of Agriculture and Fisheries to have been engaged in whole-time employment on agricultural work for a period of not less than six months during the present War and to persons who have served in the Forces of the Crown during any previous war, as they are required by those Acts to give to persons who have served in the Forces of the Crown in the present War.
1234Captain COOTE1 beg to move, in Subsection (3), after the word "war" ["served in the Forces of the Crown during any previous war"], to insert the words
and to persons who, having volunteered to serve in the Forces of the Crown subsequently to the fourth day of August, nineteen hundred and fourteen, were rejected on the grounds of medical unfitness.Although the purpose of the Amendment is fairly clear, perhaps I may be allowed to add one or two words of explanation and amplification. This Clause is primarily intended to benefit a class which, like Members of the House of Commons, is small but deserving. It is also part of a larger question which I should like to ask the House to consider. It is perfectly true, as has been said this afternoon, that the county councils in this country are providing small holdings for ex-Service men; but there is one fact which is forgotten. An enormous number of civilians in this country have registered applications with county councils, and those applications, in many instances, date back many years. This Amendment is an attempt to obtain for a small proportion of that class of civilians the same privileges that are to be enjoyed by ex-Service men. It will not prejudice in any way the advantages which ex-Service men will obtain under this Bill. It merely adds a very small number of civilians to those who will obtain the advantages— and they arc great advantages—which will be conferred upon ex-Service men by the Bill. In my own part of the country there are hundreds of civilians who have put in applications for some thousands of acres, and those applications date back for a considerable number of years—in some cases as far back as seven years. There is a feeling in the country that, although the Government are justified, and very fully justified, in giving ex-Service men the preference, yet they ought to give some earnest of their intention of not stopping short of putting ex.-Service men on the land and give some visible proof that it is their intention to benefit the whole of the community. It is for that purpose I move this Amendment. It will affect a very small number of men, and it will not in any way infringe upon or injure any principle contained in this Bill, neither will it commit the Government to anything on an extensive scale.
Sir A. BOSCAWENI regret I cannot accept this Amendment. We are dealing 1235 with small holdings colonies which arc specifically designed for men who have served. The idea is that these men were taken away from their civil employment and either went abroad or served at home, and they lost the work they were doing before that. Many of them would like to go on to the land. It is difficult for them to get a start, and opportunity will be afforded for a certain number, under advantageous circumstances, to get that start in. these small holdings colonies. But it does not apply to the case of the men who volunteered and were not accepted. They thereby suffered no disadvantage. They retained their regular work. Under these circumstances, I hope my hon. Friend will withdraw his proposal.
Captain COOTEI beg to ask leave to withdraw my Amendment. But I have a similar one later on, and I hope the right hon. Gentleman will give it more favourable consideration.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.