C.—9

LANDS PROCLAIMED. The lands set apart for selection by discharged soldiers during the year totalled 1,828 acres, making a grand total of 1,441,618 acres proclaimed since the inception of the scheme. This large area is made up as follows: — , Area. Class of Land. Acres. Ordinary Crown land .. .. .. .. •• 605,611 Land-for-settlements land .. . . .. .. 401,218 National-endowment land .. .. .. •• 431,433 Cheviot Estate land .. .. .. .. • • 3,356 1,441,618 Proclamations have been issued revoking the setting-apart of 230,906 acres of Crown and national-endowment land and 100,710 acres of land-for-settlements land. APPLICATIONS FOR LAND. Applications for land under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, to the number of forty-one were received during the year. The following table gives the number of applications and the area allotted for each year from the inception of the soldier-settlement scheme : —

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. ,. Allotments made. Applications Year ending "• , — received. Number. Area (Acres). 31st March, 1916 .. .. .. .. 272 2, 629 1917 .. .. .. .. 522 319 143,524 1918 .. .. .. .. 513 313 103,362 1919 .. .. .. .. 1,379 348 117,018 1920 .. .. .. .. 5,041 932 403,891 1921 .. .. .. .. 5,396 1,087 414,867 1922 .. .. .. .. 878 403 97,972 1923 .. .. .. .. 284 146 25,113 1924 .. .. .. .. 216 79 16,910 „ 1925 .. .. .. .. 123 47 9,014 1926 .. .. .. .. 109 86 20,500 ,' 1927 .. .. .. .. 78 66 17,412 1928 .. .. .. .. 96 60 15,695 1929 90 77 13,275 1930 63 53 16,665 1931 .. .. .. .. 41 31 8,495 Totals for sixteen years .. .. 15,101 4,049 1,424,342