19

H.—ll

Collection ok Rents and Instalments. The collection of rents and instalments was taken over from the Public Trust Office by officers of this Department as from the Ist May, 1915. The arrears of rents and instalments on the 31st March, 1915, amounted to £1,215 lis. sd. The total number of houses erected at this date was 471 (average arrears, £2 lis. Bd.). The arrears outstanding at the -'list March, 1916, were £1,251 12s. Bd., and the total number of dwellings was 55.'? (average arrears, £2 ss. 3d.). A considerable sum was, however, paid off these arrears within the first thirteen days of April (reducing the average to .£1 10s, 9d.), many of the amounts (being monthly payments) having fallen due at the end of the month (for particulars sec Table (c) below). The average length of time that the 553 dwellings have been built is 8"9 rears; I he arrears to date may therefore be computed at an average of 7s. 6d. per dwelling per annum. The amount now owing is greater than it would be at normal times, on account of the war, in some cases the occupants having enlisted (see remarks at end of table (c) ). It is satisfactory to note that for the whole of the 553 dwellings throughout New Zealand the average arrears is only £1 Ids. 9d. (approximately two weeks' instalments). In nearly every instance the arrears are covered by the amounl paid off the principal by the occupant. P. W. Rowley, Superintendent of Workers' Dwellings.

RETURNS. [(a), (b), and (c) made pursuant to Section 18 of the Act.] (a.) The Moneys expended during the Financial Yeah, in acquiring Land under this Act, in PREPARING THE SAME FOB WORKERS' DWELLINGS, AND IN ERECTING SUCH DWELLINGS. £ s. d. 1. Amount expended in acquiring land for workers' dwellings... 3,123 3 2 2. Amount expended in preparing land for workers' dwellings 1,704 16 6 3. Amount expended in erecting dwellings ... ... ... 51,065 1 4 Total (paid out of Public Works Fund) ... ... 55,893 1 0 4. Amount expended in administration and travelling (paid out of Labour Department's vote) ... ... ... 702 0 0 Total ... ... ... ... £56,595 1 0* The above return does not include the sum of .£705 lis. sd. incurred for maintenance, fire insurance, rates, <fec, upon the dwellings erected and leased to the occupants under the Act of 1905, and £869 9s. Id. for fire insurance and rates in respect of dwellings erected under the Act of 1910. These amounts are charged for in the rents and instalments collected. The total expenditure in connection with the workers' dwellings during the year was thus £58,170 Is. 6d.—viz., £55,893 Is. out of Public Works Fund, and £2,277 os. 6d. out of Labour Department's vote. (b.) The Number of Dwellings erected during the Year, and the Number disposed ok. The number of dwellings erected ... ... ... ... ... 82 The number of dwellings disposed of ... ... ... ... ... 82

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

4—H. 11.

(1.) (2.) (3.) Weekly or other Arrears out- Payments oon- „,.,.,„„„ f standing as at tracted lor ht.ttiemenr, 31gt Maroh] (exclusive of 1015. Arrears, Col. 2). (Total for Year.) (4.) (5.) Total Amount Arrears out- * <ar - 1916. (5.) (6.) Arrears an at Arrears out- 31st March, standing as at 1016, were resist Marr.lt, duced by 13th 1916. April, 1916, to (V.) »r a ■ °°-£ ill (8.) Average Arrears per Dwelling, Auckland— £ s. d. £ s. d. Lawry . . .. 268 « 9 2,948 Ifi 7 Eccleston .. .. 112 1 3 1,079 16 3 Grey Lynn .. .. .. 194 10 4 Wellington— Taitville .. .. 7 19 1 924 16 8 Island Bay.. .. 39 15 8 987 8 10 Coromandel Street . . 21 3 11 489 12 6 Heretaunga (Petone). . fiO 15 10 946 3 I Christchurch— Camelot .. .. 47 8 0 1,166 19 6 Walker .. .. 67 13 10 525 17 5 Chancellor Street .. 27 13 I 252 I 10 Dunedin— Windle .. .. 61 5 10 782 1 I 7 Wanganui.— Ballance .. .. 4 5 11 291 5 9 Willis .. .. 22 4 3 235 1 II Puriri .. .. .. 158 16 2 £ s. (I. £ s. d. 3,014 II 10 202 II (i 1,106 1 11 85 15 7 191 13 0 2 17 4 £ s. d. £ s. d. 202 II 6 139 2 6 85 15 7 37 1 5 2 17 4 Nil 81 31 6 £ s. d. 1 .14 4 1 2 4 888 17 II 43 17 10 984 14 11 42 9 7 490 9 11 20 6 fi 971 10 0 35 8 II 43 17 10 18 19 4 42 9 7 21 13 8 20 6 6 3 3 9 35 8 11 14 15 4 25 25 31 12 0 15 2 0 17 4 0 2 I 1 4 7 1,166 11 6 47 Ifi 0 558 8 5 35 2 10 274 6 9 5 8 2 47 Ifi 0 18 5 2 35 2 10 20 7 fi 5 8 2 2 8 2 35 16 7 0 10 5 1 5 6 0 6 10 78fi 19 4 56 18 I 56 18 1 40 0 1 26 I 10 9 279 17 2 15 14 6 254 7 2 2 19 0 156 8 2 2 8 0 15 14 6 5 0 7 2 19 0 Nil 2 8 0 Nil 8 (5 5 0 12 7 * As shown on page 21, there were also thirty-seven bulk of the expenditure for which will appear in the next; dwellings in course of erectio' 'ear's account. on the 31st March, 191 6, the