SOLDIERS ON THE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17295, 20 October 1919, Page 9

SOLDIERS ON THE LAND.

| * TOTAL OF 3290 ON FARMS. i i DWELLINGS FOR 2416 MEN. j DISTRICT PURCHASE BOARDS. A statement of the progress of soldiersettlement was made by the Minister for Lands, the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, in moving the second reading of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Amendment Bill. Mr. Guthrie said the Lands Department had assisted, in round figures, 6000 soldiers, and had spent in that way £5,969,159. The number of soldiers settled on settlement land was 749 on 140,000 acres, and 676 had been settled , on 589.275 acres of Crown and national endowment land total of 1425 men on Crown, national endowment, and settlement lands, occupying in all 729,275 acres. The number of soldiers who had acquired land under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act was 1865, occupying 432,992 acres. The total number settled on rural land was thus 3290, occupying 1,162,267 acres. The number assisted to purchase dwellings was 2416, while the number -who had received assistance to stock and improve their own holdings was 100. The total of soldiers assisted was, therefore, 5806. The department had ready for immediate selection a further 109,028 acres, while another 542,585 acres, not yet available, would be ready immediately. The properties purchased numbered 199, comprising 291,217 acres, and the total cost was £3,152,749. The assistance given to purchase dwellings, private, and native lands, and stock, by way of mortgage, etc.. totalled £5,629,825, making a grand total of £8,782.574. The Minister added that in order to facilitate settlement legislation was to he introduced providing a separate land purchase board for every land district. That very day 11,708 acres had been acquired, and the total for October to date was 6f,005 acres.