I— C. 9.

C—9

Session 11. 1921. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. DISCHARGED SOLDIERS SETTLEMENT. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1921.

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

CONTENTS.

General Rkpokt: — pact Appendix— continued. p a g e Review of Position .. .. .. ..1 Table I Land proclaimed for Settlement during Reallotment of Forfeited Holdings .. ..2 Year .. .. .. .. ..10 Responsibilities of Administration .. .. :i Table 2. Applications reoeived and Land allotted 17 Reinvestment of Funds .. .. ..I! Table :i. Total Lands acquired by Discharged Legislation .. .. .. •• ..4 Soldiers .. .. .. .. ..18 Regulations .. .. .. .4 Statement of Mortgage Transactions .. ..19 Land opened and available .. .. ..4 Discharged Soldiers Settlement Aooount — Financial Assistance .. .. .. .. 5 Transactions I'm- fear .. .. 21 Appendix:— Balance-sheet .. .. .. ..22 Reports of Commissioners of Crown Lands .. 7

Sir, — Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, 10th June, 1921. 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, 1921. I have, &c, T. N. Brodrick, The Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Lands. Under-Secretary.

KEPOKT.

Review of Position. At the close of the year ended 31st March, 1920, oommitmenta to the amount of £12,610,254 had been made out of a total loan authority of £14,000,000, leaving £1,390,000 available for further advances. The Discharged Soldiers Settlement Loan Act passed during the year gave authority to borrow an additional £6,000,000, and under the Appropriation Acta further £1,000,000 was provided, making a, total of £8,390,000 available for advances in the past twelve months. Daring this period the sum of £5,331..726 was authorized to be advanced, which, with the amounts previously authorized, made a total of £17,941,980 of commitments, leaving an unexpended authority of about £1,297,324 for advances after the 31st March, 1921 The advances made up to the end of the year had benefited 17,853 discharged soldiers, comprising 5,331 who had been assisted to