DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. DISCHARGED SOLDIERS SETTLEMENT. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1939.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1939 Session I, C-09

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1939. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. DISCHARGED SOLDIERS SETTLEMENT. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1939.

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

Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, Ist July, 1939. Sir, — 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, 1939. I have, &c., R. G. Macmorran, Under-Secretary. The Hon. Frank Langstone, Minister of Lands.

Lands proclaimed. The lands set apart for selection by discharged soldiers during the year totalled 148 acres, making a grand total of 1,454,221 acres proclaimed since the inception of the scheme. This large area is made up as follows : — Class of Land. (Acres). Ordinary Crown lands .. .. .. .. .. 614,160 Land-for-settlements land .. .. .. .. 403,173 National-endowment land .. .. .. .. 433,532 Cheviot Estate land .. .. .. .. .. 3,356 1,454,221 Proclamations have been issued revoking the setting-apart of 240,779 acres of Crown and nationalendowment land and 105,141 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, 1939.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (605 copies), £3.

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

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\ i • ,. Allotments made. , r Applications Year ending , i 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 1939 .. .. . • 1 1 11 Totals for twenty-four years . 15,175 4,106 1,443,021 * Includes additions to existing holdings.

Sale (including Deferred Payment). Lease and License. Grand Totals. Number of Land District. Discharged- „ Number Number Purchasers nol(11ng8 . £oldier_ Holdlns?8i Rental. charged HoIdln!?g _ Licensees. Under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, and Amendments. Acres. £ Acres. £ Acres North Auckland .. 11 10 2,154 2,705 265 265 45,156 8,283 276 275 47,1(10 Auckland.. .. 55 55 3,349 20,168 459 459 69,533 18,077 514 514 72,882 Gisborne .. .. 3 3 589 3,567 99 125 47,388 5,952 102 128 47,977 Hawke'sBay .. .. .. .. ■■ 197 217 79,290 26,889 197 217 79,290 Taranaki .. .. 2 2 91 2,080 85 84 21,113 5,667 87 86 21,204 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 .. .. .. .. .. 42 43 13,726 2,654 42 43 13,726 Westland .. .. 1 1 148 150 17 17 19,645 193 18 18 19,793 Canterbury .. 30 30 1,741 15,493 353 343 215,556 36,564 383 373 217,297 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 76 10,759 3,201 71 81 11,785 Totals .. 130 129 12,666 62,868 2,426 2,445 882,565 195,725 2,556 2,574 895,231 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 .. .. 2 2 164 4,710 37 46 37,439 2,661 39 48 37,603 Hawke'sBay .. .. .. .. 75 87 39,271 8,152 75 87 39,271 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 ]08 95 233,004 Westland.. .. 1 1 200 168 63 59 16,158 329 64 60 16,358 Canterbury .. 3 3 56 386 200 209 149,220 18,842 203 212 149,276 Otago .. .. 3 3 76 457 205 200 860,571 20,881 208 203 860,647 Southland.. 1 1 127 40 69 84 64,635 2,344 70 85 64,762 Totals .. 89 86 27,708 36,835 1,596 1,570 1,734,229 109,699 1,685 1,656 1,761,937 Grand totals .. 219 215 40,374 99,703 4,022 4,015 2,616,794 4,241 I 4,230 2,657,168