C. —9.

should, in the near future, be in a fair way towards prosperity. The complaints about too-dear land and too-heavy charges are seldom heard now, and the feeling is growing among the men themselves that they wish to be regarded not as soldier settlers distinctively, but as primary producers with the other landholders. Speaking generally, it can be said with the utmost confidence that the soldier settlers in Otago have made good. Only one abandoned soldier's farm is on the hands of the Department, and the reason for this is that the area is too small to provide a living in itself. SOUTHLAND. (N. C. Kensington, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) There has been a steady improvement in the position of soldier settlement in this district during the past year. This can be largely attributed to the satisfactory prices of the past two years, added to the encouragement given to the settler by the general decisions of the Dominion Revaluation Board. There are still a few settlers who will require some concessions, but the majority are on a sound footing. The result of indifferent success in some cases has been caused by insufficient stocking, and the endeavour to dairy extensively on a property that was more suitable to a limited herd, and a certain number of sheep. Many settlers now realize the necessity of running a few sheep with their dairy herd, as a means of dealing with ragwort and generally cleaning up the farm. The general position of the soldier settler can be regarded as now on sound lines, and the revenue received in this office during the past year for principal and interest under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act must be regarded as very satisfactory. Three soldier settlers on indifferent farms abandoned their holdings during the year, but these properties have since been taken up. Two town houses fell back on the hands of the Crown as mortgagee and have been sold. There are no soldier farms or town houses on the hands of the Department in this district..

TABLE 1. Total Lands acquired from the Crown by Discharged Soldiers and held at the 31st March, 1929.

13

Sale (including Deferred Payment). Lease and License. Grand Totals. Number of Land District. Disced- Area Annua, » ~ Area Purchasers noidlngs. Tenants. — H oM°U. Licensees. Under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, and Amendments. Acres £ Acrcs £ .A.cres North Auckland .. 15 14 2,625 3,435 297 295 53,952 9,879 312 309 56,577 Auckland .. 45 45 1,330 15,690 539 532 . 86,442 25,255 584 577 87,772 Gisborne .. .. 1 1 29 15 120 118 56,930 13,231 121 119 56,959 Hawke's Bay .. .. .. .. .. 232 241 91,985 30,409 232 241 91,985 Taranaki .. 1 1 2 310 136 132 30,318 8,419 137 133 30,320 Wellington .. 15 15 87 5,543 720 697 162,584 75,349 735 712 162,671 Nelson .. .. 3 3 1,216 1,292 23 23 14,279 1,615 26 26 15,495 Marlborough .. .. .. .. .. 54 53 17,157 5,173 54 53 17,157 WestJand.. .. 1 1 148 150 17 17 19,645 193 18 18 19,793 Canterbury .. 25 25 317 8,886 372 371 218,429 40,749 397 396 218,746 Otago .. .. 4 4 281 1,320 132 126 205,840 13.775 136 130 206.121 Southland .. 12 12 1,582 7,545 74 81 11,373 3,964 86 93 12,955 Totals .. 122 121 44,186 2,716 2,686 968,934 228,011 2,838 2,807 976,551 -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 .. 11 11 1,168 1,304 93 90 21,019 3,309 104 i 101 22,187 Auckland .. 49 47 22,754 20,503 339 310 145,646 7,261 388 I 357 168,400 Gisborne .... 1 1 3 85 42 39 34,803 4,392 43 40 34,806 Hawke's Bay .. .. .. .. .. 44 45 14,807 3,795 44 45 14,807 Taranaki .. .. 3 2 272 510 169 152 54,121 3,054 172 154 54,393 Wellington .. .. .. .. .. 145 140 53.950 32,550 145 140 53,950 Nelson .. .. 3 3 1,099 586 95 90 51,512 1.491 98 93 52,611 Marlborough .. .. .. .. .. 126 117 267,969 7,104 126 117 267,969 Westland .. .. 1 1 200 168 68 64 17,442 371 69 65 17,642 Canterbury .. 3 3 56 386 217 226 157,410 23,231 220 229 157,466 Otago .. .. 1 1 53 177 225 218 914,924 21,734 226 219 914,977 Southland .. 1 1 127 40 44 45 77,852 2,210 45 46 77,979 Totals .. 73 70 25,732 23,759 1,607 1,536 1,811,455 110,502 1,680 ' 1,606 1,837,187 Grand totals 195 191 33,349 67,945 4,323 4,222 2,780,389 338,513 4,518 , 4,413 2,813,738