LAND SETTLEMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18514, 27 March 1922, Page 9

LAND SETTLEMENT

SIGNIFICANT COMPARISIONS. OTAGO’S POOR SHOWING. ' Some interesting facta concerning the progress of land' settlement in the dominion are contained in a report issued by the Central Progress League (Wellington), a copy of which has reached us through the secretary (Mr G. Mitchell, M.P.). The report shows that the number of rural land holdings have increased bv 600 in 1917-18, 322 in 1918-19. 1124 in 1919-20, and 2484 in 1920-22. The following table shows at a dance the position in each laaid district at the end of 1921 as compared with 1916. The number of soldiers’ holdings in each provinoa are given under the column headed S.H., and these have been subtracted from the third column in order to arrive at the gain or loss in each district through private subdivision;—

•Loss. From these figures emerges the disagreeable fact that in five years the total rural holdings in the dominion (other than soldiers) have increased by only 589, or approximately .75 per cent. Counting in soldiers’ holdings the increase is 4530, or approximately 5.7 per cent, in the five years. The table also discloses the secret of Auckland’s development, which is 4i times as big an increase in settlement (apart from soldiers’ holdings which make her position still stronger), as the next best on the list— Southland, with an increase of 245. It would seem, therefore, that Auckland and Southland, at the two ends of the domifcion, are making the most rapid progress, and this conclusion is borne out bv commercial opinion, which shows that Auckland City and Invercargill also reflect the prosperity of the two provinces. Wellington shows the biggest loss (287), then comes Otago with a loss of 248, and Canterbury, another South Island province, with a loss of 241. Wellington and Otago, it will be noted. Lave lost as much as Southland has gained. . , Of the 10 land districts in the dominion only five show an increase in private subdivision, so the conclusion is reached that land aggregation is at work in five out of 10 provinces. Counting in soldiers’ holdings, of the total Increase of 4530, nearly half (2252) are in the Auckland district. If Auckland’s gain of 1140 in privately acquired holdings were taken away, the rest of the dominion would show a loss of 551. The North Island shows a gain of 3514, including soldiers’ holdings, and 824 without, and the South Island a gain of 1016, including soldiers’ holdings, and a loss of 235 without. Of the total number of soldiers’ holdings (3941) 1112 are in Auckland, 2690 in the North Island, and 1251 in-the South Island.

•c * a d District. <r> c? k. C3 :: u H 13 $ Auckland 32,917 25,169 2,252 1,112 1,140 Hawke’s Bav 6.034 6,671 587 456 131 Taranaki 6.227 6,470 243 403 160 Wellingtan . 10,836 11,268 433 719 287 Kelson . 3,703 3,923 236 79 147 Marlborough 1,973 1,989 n 196 185 Westland 1,404 1,535 131 84 47 Canterburr 12,932 13,247 315 556 241 Otago . 7,959 7,914 •45 203 248 Southland 5,508 5,884 378 133 245 Totals TO, 546 84,076 4,630 3,941 1,710 1,121