H.—llb

2

In order to supplement the operations of the Department in connection with workers' dwellings in the towns, the Municipal Corporations Amendment Act of last year makes similar provision to that above referred to in the Counties Amendment Act of that session, and enables the local authorities in towns to purchase land and erect workers' dwellings thereon for applicant workers in their respective districts. Land. —The land set apart or purchased during the year for workers' dwellings comprises the following : Crown land set apart —Waimate, 10£ acres ; Tolaga Bay, 3 acres. Land purchased— Frankton, 9 acres ; Te Puke, 2J acres ; Gisborne, %\ acres ; Hastings, 30 acres ; Stratford, 5| acres ; Wanganui, 5J acres ; Masterton (town), 8| acres ; Ashburton, 16 acres ; Willowbridge, 65 acres ; Oamaru, 3 acres. The areas now available for new dwellings are located as follows: Auckland (Ellerslie and Otahuhu), Huntly, Ngaruawahia, Frankton (Hamilton), Rangataua, Tolaga Bay, Gisborne, Napier (Awatoto and West Shore), Hastings, Waitara, Stratford, Wanganui (Gonville and Puriri Street), Palmerston North, Levin, Masterton, Wellington (Taitville, Johnsonville, and Petone), Blenheim, Nelson, Greymouth, Ashburton, Temuka, Oamaru, Dunedin (Mornington and Ravensbourne), and Invercargill.

RETURNS. (Made pursuant to section 18 of the Act.) (a.) The Moneys expended during the Preceding Financial Year in acquiring Land under the Act, in preparing the Same for Workers' Dwellings, and in erecting such Dwellings. £ s. d. Amount expended in acquiring land for workers' dwellings.. .. 13,601 15 8 Amount expended in preparing land for workers' dwellings. . .. 1,215 10 10 Amount expended in erecting dwellings . . .. .. 26,923 14 7 Amount expended in administration and travelling .. .. 282 19 0 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. £42,024 0 ]* (b.) The Number of Dwellings erected during the Year and the Number disposed of. The number of dwellings erected .. .. .. .. .. 81 The number of dwellings disposed of .. .. .. ~ .. 81

* The total expenditure in connection with workers' dwellings during the yeai was £42.679 19s. 2d. —viz., £41,741 Is. Id. out of Piiblic Works Fund and £938 18s. Id. out of Labour Department's vote. The above return does not include the. sum of £655 19s. Id. incurred for maintenance, fire insurance, rates, &c, upon the dwellings erected and leased to occupants under the Act of 1905, which amount is oharged for in the rents oollected.

(c.) The Weekly or other Payments contracted for, the Amount of such Payments received, and the Amount of Arrears outstanding.

District. The Weeklv or The Amount o£ I The Amount other Parents Weekly or other ! of Arrears contracted for Payments , outstanding /t ..li v „ \ received. i on 31st March, (Total for Year.) ( _ otel for } , 9U Auckland — Lawry Settlement Ecclestcm Settlement Wellington — IslancL-Bay Settlement Coromandel Street Settlement Heretaunga Settlement (Petone) .. Christchurch — Camelot Settlement .. Walker Settlement .. Chancellor Street Settlement Dunedin — Windle Settlement Wanganui — Willis Settlement Ballance Settlement Palmerston N. —Loughnan Settlement .. Greymouth— Cobden Settlement Temuka — Buxton Settlement .. .. I Timaru— Craigie Settlement Invercargill — Seaward Bush Settlement £ s. d. 2,836 9 7 792 0 9 919 10 1 515 19 5 882 17 1 1,115 5 7 557 9 0 31 9 3 697 15 6 221 11 4 235 6 7 227 17 5 150 18 1 303 9 1 322 5 0 159 0 6 £ s. d. 2,545 8 11 669 3 3 862 15 2 506 8 7 810 5 7 1,077 19 1 486 15 8 23 13 4 637 16 11 203 1 11 225 19 2 220 14 0 79 16 6 282 12 1 292 6 9 147 16 2 £ s. d. 291 0 8 122 17 6 56 14 11 9 10 10 72 11 6 37 6 6 70 13 4 7 15 11 59 18 7 18 9 5 9 7 5 7 3 5 71 1 7 20 17 0 29 18 3 11 4 4 Totals 9,969 4 3 9,072 13 1 *896 11 2 * Most of this amount had just become due at the end of March, and £631 0s. 8d. of same has since been paid.