LAND FOR SETTLEMENT

Otago Witness, Issue 3313, 12 September 1917, Page 21

LAND FOR SETTLEMENT

DEPARTMENTAL REPORT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 31.. The report of. the Land For Settlements Department was presented to Parliament today. lfc states that the number of properties considered during the year was 795, with an area of 984,783 acres. This is a very large increase over former years. Many of the areas, however, were small, while- a large number were quite unsuitable for the pur- x posre of their purchase j besides the prices asked were in many instances quite exorbitant.

During the year 50,140 acres were purchased and offered for selection at a cost of £595,419. A further area of 22,862 acres has been secured, and is being prepared for settlement. The operations of the department have been entirely confined to the purchase of land 3 for discharged soldiers, and the supply is now well ahead of the demand. In some districts very few applications are being received. With the present extreme prices ruling for all produce there is little prospect of values for land receding. Therefore, some simpler, but still effective, method may be necessary to enable the department to provide land for soldiers at a rental they can reasonably be expected to pay. The total area purchased up to March 31, 1917, is 1,606,158 acres, at a cost of £7,989,220, the number, area, and purchase money being as follow: ' Purchase. Estates. Area. money. Auckland 39 298,944 £ 646,444 Hawke's Bay ... 38 240,573 1,524,792 Taranaki 6 6,085 58,940 Wellington .... ... 39 85,660 731,287 Marlborough ... 13 216,187 643,859 Nelson 3 27,292 34,375 Westland 2 5,125 8,343 Canterbury 117 404.700 2,718,178 Otago 47 237,101 1,208,159 Southland 15 74,491 364,843 The lands purchased during tho period from April 1. 1916, to March 31, 1917, are as follow: Purchase 4 Estates Acres. money. Auckland 6 7,324 £102,824 Taranaki* 1 729 8,744 Hawke's Bay 4 1.575 62,716 Wellington 8 13,671 189,767 Marlborough 1 7,533 i>9,550 Canterbury 10 8,283 93,815 Otago 2 6,132 58,959 Southland 4 5,398 43,425 The estates offered during the year ending March 31, 1917, included 210 in Auckland (total area 369,795 acres); 48 in Hawko's Bay (73,444 acres); 74 in Taranaki (61,918 acres); 147 in Wellington (172,537 acres); 8 in Marlborough (16.354 acres); 39 in Nelson (36,479 acres); 4in Westland (5284 acres); 144 in Canterbury (116,139 acres); 42 in Otago (51,511 acres); 79 in Southland acres). Tho report states that no associations under the Land Settlement Finance Act have been formed during the year, "and until a more workable Act is provided it is doubtful if much will be done."