LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18026, 27 February 1922, Page 5

LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER. AREAS NOW AVAILABLE. A statement showing the areas of land that have been opened by the Lands Department for soldiers' settlement and other lands formerly set aside for discharged soldiers but which are now open for general application undeir the Govvernment's land settlement, policy was made by the Minister, the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, in Wellington on Saturday. Following .is a list of the areas available for selection in the different land districts in the Dominion -.—North Auckland, 5689 acres; Auckland, 136,495 acres; Hawke's Bay, 7643 acres; Taranaki, 8246 acres; Wellington, 5& acres; Nelson, 54,494 acres; Marlborough, nil; Westland, 146,911 acres; Ciintwbury, 19,062 acres; Otago, 4758 acres; Southland, 24,332 acres; total, 406.685 acres. Small areas in towns and villages, serves, education reserves, etc., included in these figures. The appended return shows the total number of *and areafc vawJadVable for selection by discharged soldiers in all land districts as at January 31, 1922:— North Auckland, 46 holdings, comprising 4521 acres; Auckland, 31 holdings, comprising 19,227 acres;. Hawke's Bay, six holdings, comprising 341 acres; Taranaki, five holdings, comprising VI acres; Wellington, three holdings, comprising 13 acres; Marlborough, two holdings, comprising 19 acres; Nelson, 29 holdings, composing 18,541 acres; Westland, fiva holdings, comprising 1233 acres; Cantertory, four holdings, cormpfrising 13 acres; Otago, 16 holdings, comprising 2804 acres; Southland, 18 holdings, comprising 1154 acres; total, 165 holdings, comprising 47,893 acres. <* Up to January 31, areas had been porchased for returned soldiers under th« Lands for Settlement Act as follow: — Land District. Are*. (Acres). S HawktJ Bay .- 62,758 884.821 Turanak .. 22,i55 447.096 aVelWton .- 69.5C9 1,760.241 \ T ol«m . . 25,460 128,380 M.Xrough .. 15.576 138.776 Canterbury .". 78.M0 376,132 OtaSO • • • W5.548 ' 687,26-1 Southland . 105.188 526.282 £6.015.497 Included in the areas mentioned above are 193 largo estates subdivided into 1799 holdings, averaging £2602 capital value, and 119 smaller estates subdivided into 310 holdings, averaging £3800 capital value Seven properties comprising 4775 acres, costing £127,012, are at present being prepared for the settlement of 61 soldiers. ~ The average cost of settling soldiers on settlement land, including advance for stock and improvements, is £3420.