REPATRIATION PROGRESS

Evening Star, Issue 17542, 23 December 1920, Page 3

REPATRIATION PROGRESS

£24,399,184 SPENT. A statement showing the progress made with the repatriation of soldiers, and with the land settlement scheme, up to November 30, was made by the Minister for Lands, the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, at Auckland the other day. Mr Guthrie said that 17,319 men had been repatriated by the Lands Department. Of these, 1,501 had been placed upon settlement land, the area involved being 387,529 acres ; 284 had been provided with land purchased by the Crown on behalf of soldiers or groups of soldiers, the area aggregating 44,597 acres; 1.024,532 acres of Crown and national endowment land had been settled, providing for 1,498 men; and 5,301 soldiers had purchased 1,168,293 acres of private land with Government advances. The total number settled on rural land was 8,584, and the total area occupied 2,685,051 acres. In addition, 8,755 men were assisted to purchase or erect town dwellings, this making the total of 17,319, previously quoted. The Repatriation Department had dealt with 46,303 men, of whom 21.250 had been placed in employment, 6,485 , ha'd been trained or were 'in training, and 18.568 bad been financially assisted to re-establish themselves. This made the grand total repatriated to the end of November 63,622. ■ The total amount of money involved in the repatriation of soldier had now reached the sum of £24,399.184. Under the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act £17.407,001 had been expended. Of this, £2.887,265 was absorbed in advances for the purchase of stock and for improvements, £8,648,619 in the purchase of private land, and £5,871,117 in advances for the purchase or erection of town dwellings. Operations under the Land for Settlement Act Jmd involved £5.388,019, of which £4,478,771 represented the capital value of 272 estates, comprising 351.643 acres, purchased and offered to soldiers, and £909.248. the cost of 34 estates, comprising 117.473 acres, purchased and being prepared for settlement. Under the Repatriation Act £1.504,164 had been expended under the following departments ; —Loans for businesses. £941,368; loans for furniture, £407,769; loans for tools, £18.828; employment sustenance, £5.238; training sustenance, £226,475; transportation, £4.484. Some figures detailing the progress of the scheme for settling returned soldiers on the land were also given by the Minister Up to November 30 the land already settled was as follows : Acres. Pr-ttleraent land 432.125 Crown and national endowment 1,084.632 Privately-purchased land 1.158.293 Total 2,685,051 For the present month 104 sections, comprising 35,940 acres, were advertised, "•hi!® in January 58 sections, aggregating 8,581 acres, would be offered. The area of land suitable for returned soldiers being nrepsrod for settlement comprised 501.249 acres.