H.—ll.

25

increase in the cost of living during the past few years, and justifies the care taken by the Workers' Dwellings Board in selecting and approving suitable applicants. As in previous years, a consider ble proportion of the arrears due on the 31st March was paid by the 16th April -viz., £506 16s. 4d. The sums due on the 31st March and not paid by the 16th April (£846 18s. 3d.) amount to an average of 7s. 6d. per dwelling per year, compared wdth 7s. 9d. in 1918 and 7s. 6d. in 1916. This year the arrears are, with one exception, more than covered by the amount paid off the principal after deduct ng depreciation. The following table shows the position in regard to arrears as at the 31st March. 1919, as compared with the four previous years : —■

The following are the usual returns respecting the workers' dwellings erected to date : — RETURNS. ' (a), (b), and (c) made pursuant to section 18 of the Act. (a.) The Moneys expended during the Financial Year in acquiring Land under this Act, in PEEPAEING THE SaMK FOR WORKERS' DWELLINGS, AND IN ERECTING SUCH DWELLINGS. £ s. d. 1. Amount expended in acquiring land and dwellings already erected 1.427 17 6 2. Amount expended in preparing land for workers'dwellings .. 399 7 10 3. Amount expended in erecting dwellings .. .. .. 5.466 2 I Total (paid out of Public Works Fund) . . .. 7,293 7 5 4. Amount expended in administration and travelling (paid out of Labour Department's vote) . . .. .. .. 303 19 9 Total .. .. .. .. .. £7.597 7 2 The above return does not include the sum of £1,813 lis. 6d. incurred for maintenance, fire insurance, rates, &c, in respect of some of the dwellings. 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 £9,410 18s. Bd, viz., £7,293 7s. sd. out of Public Works Fund, and £2,117 lis. 3d. out of the Labour Department's vote. (b.) The Number of Dwellings erected and purchased during the Year, and the Number disposed OP. The number of dwellings erected or purchased .. . . .. 14 The number of dwellings disposed of .. . . v. . .. 14

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

4—H. 11.

Date. Number of Dwellings. Arrears. Average Arrears per Dwelling. 1 31st March, 1915 31st March, 1916 31st March, 1917 31st March, 1918 31st March, 1919 .. : 471 553 .. 619 .. ! 639 .. I 653 £ s. d. I .215 li 5 1,251 12 8 1,013 11 II 1.514 16 9 1,353 14 7 £ s. d. 2 II 8 2 5 3 1 12 9 2 7 4 2 I 6

(1.) Settlement, (2.) Arrears outstanding as at 31st March, 1918. (3.) Weekly or other Payments con- I traeted for (exclusive of Arrears, Col. 2). I (Total for Year.) Total Amount received for Year. (5.) (6.) Arrears out- Number of .standing as at Dwellings on Hist March, j Settlement 1910. . unpaid for. J_ (7.) Average Arrears per Dwelling. AucklandLawry ISccleston Grey Lynn Wellington— Taitville Island Bay Latta Coromandel Street Mcintosh Heretaunga Christchurch — Camelot Walker Chancellor Street .. Hulbert .. £ s. d. 303 12 6 37 14 6 0 IS li 45 8 9 38 16 4 4(1 17 0 12 11 7 18 15 7 61 II 10 87 10 1 43 2 11 3 12 li 15 2 1 £ s. il. 3,058 9 3 1.187 IT 2 221 (> 10 1,574 8 3 1,014 19 9 425 • 8 4 492 0 0 381 13 8 1,341 7 9 1,15) 9 2 533 10 0 258 5 6 495 1 2 £ s. d. 3, Ml '.) 2 1,181 11 9 209 17 4 1,578 7 11 1,031 0 3 -152 11 9 488 5 5 395 10 8 1,351 16 10 1,189 11 5 548 15 2 2,4 17 7 485 14 11 £ s. d. 200 12 7 81 43 II) 11 31 12 8 0 6 £ s. d. 2 I) 6 1 8 5 2 1 i -II 4 1 33 22 9 10 25 13 13 7 8 16 6 2 12 4 18 7 10 51 2 ii 34 1 5 0 0 18 0 1 14 2 1 7 2 0 1) 10 1 4 2 57 7 10 35 27 17 0 16 7 0 5 7 24 18 4 ; 11 1 12 9 1 14 10 1 (I 1 2 4 5