LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3335, 13 February 1918, Page 38

LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

PHOGRESS OF SETTLEMENT. WELLINGTON. February 11. Although, the Government's scheme for the settleme-nt of soldiers on the land is only in its beginnings, the Minister of Lands (Mr Massey) can already point to a good record of achievoiment. The laoid proclaimed for soldier settlements now totals over 388,000 acres. It is distributed over the different land districts as follows:—Auckland, 82,158 acres; Hawke's Bay, 75,282 ; Taranaki, 9463 ; Wellington, 73,475; Nelson, 16,135; Marlborough, 8682; West-land, 8640; Canterbury, 63 874 • Otago, 44,169; Southland, 6151; — total, 388,027. To date 605 soldier settlers -have been placed on the land, the total area being 403,716 acres. Of the men .settled 507 have taken up their land under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, having received in all 213,961 acres. Fifteen discharged soldiers and 58 men still on service have drawn land in ordinary ballots, and 25 have obtained land by transfer. The advances authorised to soldiers to help them to make improvements on their land and to purchase stock amount to something like £168,000.