DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. DISCHARGED SOLDIERS SETTLEMENT. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1938.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1938 Session I, C-09

C.—9

1938. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. DISCHARGED SOLDIERS SETTLEMENT. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1938.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 14 of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915.

Sir, — Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, Ist July, 1938. In accordance with the provisions of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, I have the honour to submit herewith the report of the operations under the Act for the year ended 31st March, 1938. I have, &c., W. Robertson, Under-Secretary. The Hon. Frank Langstone, Minister of Lands.

Lands proclaimed. The lands set apart for selection by discharged soldiers during the year totalled 9 acres, making a grand total of 1,454,073 acres proclaimed since the inception of the scheme. This large area is made up as follows : — Class of Land. f rea - Acres. Ordinary Crown lands .. .. .. .. .. 614,012 Land-for-settlements land .. .. .. .. 403,173 National-endowment land .. .. .. .. 433,532 Cheviot Estate land .. .. .. .. .. 3,356 1,454,073 Proclamations have been issued revoking the setting-apart of 240,098 acres of Crown and nationalendowment land and 105,046 acres of land for settlements land.

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Applications for Land. One application for land under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, was received during the year. The following table gives the number of applications and the area allotted for each year from the inception of the soldier-settlement scheme : —

Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account. The Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account was abolished by section 6 of the Finance Act, 1937.

Total Lands acquired from the Crown by Discharged Soldiers and held at the 31st March, 1938.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (805 copies), £3 10s.

By Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington. Price 3d.]

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. ,. Allotments made. , T ,. Applications Year ending rpl-eived : Number. Area (Acres). 31st March, 1916 .. .. .. .. 272 2 629 1917 522 319 143,524 1918 .. .. .. .. 513 313 103,362 1919 .. .. .. .. 1,379 348 117,018 1920 .. .. .. .. 5,041 932 403,891 1921 .. .. .. .. 5,396 1,087 414,867 1922 .. .. .. .. 878 403 97,972 1923 .. .. .. .. 284 146 25,113 1924 .. .. .. .. 216 79 16,910 1925 .. .. .. 123 47 9,014 1926 .. .. .. .. 109 86 20,500 1927 .. .. .. .. 78 66 17,412 1928 .. .. .. .. 96 60 15,695 1929 .. .. .. .. 90 77 13,275 1930 .. .. .. .. 63 53 16,665 1931 .. .. .. .. 41 31 8.495 1932 .. .. .. .. 22 16 4,215 1933 .. .. .. 12 6 4,133 1934 .. .. .. .. 10 8 1,536 1935 .. .. .. ... 8 7 2,954 1936 .. .. .. 12 7 3,638 1937 .. .. .. .. 8 8 1,877 1938 .. .. .. .. 1 4* 315 Totals for twenty-three years .. .. 15,174 4,105 1,443,010 * Includes additions to existing holdings.

Sale (including Deferred Payment). Lease and License. Grand Totals. Number of Land District. Discharged- Number Number of Number Number w , ltT . h „ T soldicr Nu £ ber Area _ price _ Diseharged- Annual of DisPurchasers Hol(ling , »MI« Holdings . Rental. chared HoJain& , Licensees. Under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, and Amendments. Acres. £ Acres. £ Acres. North Auckland .. 11 10 2,154 2,765 269 269 45,876 8,616 280 279 48,030 Auckland.. .. 54 54 3,250 19,648 463 463 70,530 18,148 517 517 73,780 Gisborne .. .. 5 5 753 8,277 106 105 49,368 11,605 111 110 50,121 I-Iawke'sBay .. .. .. .. .. 198 218 79,437 26,969 198 218 79,437 Taranaki .. .. 2 2 91 2,080 86 85 21,194 5,734 88 87 21,285 Wellington .. 16 16 417 5,873 723 700 165,873 75,302 739 716 166,290 Nelson .. .. 3 3 1,216 1,292 20 20 12,916 1,492 23 23 14,132 Marlborough .. .. .. •• 44 45 14,349 3,341 44 45 14,349 Westland .. .. 1 1 148 150 17 17 19,645 193 18 18 19,793 Canterbury .. 29 29 1,736 15,203 353 342 215,556 38,296 382 371 217,292 Otago .. .. 4 4 1,935 5,470 100 96 181,610 11,451 104 100 183,545 Southland.. .. 5 5 1,026 6,010 66 74 10,759 3,532 71 79 11,785 Totals .. 130 129 12,726 66,768 2,445 2,434 887,113 204,679 2,575 2,563 899,839 Under other Acts. (This includes lands selected at ordinary ballots, leases and licenses purchased at auction, and holdings acquired by transfer or otherwise.) North Auckland .. 12 12 1,173 1,325 107 104 24,103 3,506 119 116 25,276 Auckland.. .. 54 52 22,816 20,604 341 311 145,749 7,361 395 363 168,565 Gisborne .. .. .. .. .. .. 46 43 41,174 4,107 46 43 41,174 Hawke's Bay .. .. .. .. .. 76 88 39,733 8,198 76 88 39,733 Taranaki .. .. 7 6 1,776 7,478 134 131 57,760 3,787 141 137 59,536 Wellington .. 3 3 221 1,081 166 161 58,935 34,728 169 164 59,156 Nelson .. .. 3 3 1,099 586 91 83 47,384 1,035 94 86 48,483 Marlborough .. .. .. .. 108 95 233,004 6,073 108 95 233,004 Westland.. .. 1 1 200 168 63 59 16,158 341 64 60 16,358 Canterbury .. 3 3 56 386 202 209 151,528 21,463 205 212 151,584 Otago .. .. 3 3 76 457 205 200 860,571 20,881 208 203 860,647 Southland.. .. 1 1 127 40 70 85 79,959 2,824 71 86 80,086 Totals .. 87 84 27,544 32,125 1,609 1,569 1,756,058 114,304 1,696 1,653 1,783,602 Grand totals .. 217 213 40,270 98,893 _ 4,054 4,003 2,643,171 318,983 4,271 I 4,216 2,683,441