LAND SETTLEMENT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3180, 3 September 1917, Page 6

LAND SETTLEMENT

A GOOD YEAR THE PURCHASE OF ESTATES The report of the Land for Settlements Department was presented to Parliament on Friday. It states that the number of properties considered during the year was 795, with an area of 984,788 acres. This is a very largo increase over former years, Many' of tho areas, however; wore small, while a largo number were quite unsuitable for our purposes; besides, the prices asked were in many instances q.uito exorbitant. During the year 50,110 litres were purchased and offered for selection at a cost of ,£595,419. A further area of 22,862 acics has been secured, is being prepared for settlement. The operations of the Department have been entirely confined to the purchase of lands for discharged soldiers, and the supply is now well a"head of the demand. In dome districts very few applications are being received. With the present extreme prices ruling for all produce there is little prospect of values for land receding, therefore some simpler but still effective method may be necessary to enable the Department to provide land for soldiers at a rental they can reasonably be expected to pay. The total area purchased up to March 81, 1017, is 1,606.158 acres, at a cost of ,£7,989,220, tho number, area, and purchase money being as 101-6' 6 ' Purchase Area. money. Aci'GSt Auckland (39 estates) 295,9 ii 610, Ml Hawke's Bay (38) 210,573 1,521,792 'l'aranaki (6) fa,oßo 98,910 Wellington (39) 85,660 731,287 Marlborough (13) -IS'™! Nelson (3) 27,29? 31,. (5 Westland (2) J.lSo 8.31.S Canterbury (117) 404,/00 ..,<18,1(8 Ota"0 (47) 237,101 • 1,218,159 Southland (15) 84,491 364,843. The lands purchased during the period from April 1, 1910, to March 31, 1917, are as follow:— „ Area. Purchase Acres. money. £ Auckland (G estates) ... 7,321 'l'aranaki (1) 1 "9 8,,14 Hawke's Bay (4) V"® Wellington (8) 13M qo'Si Marlborough (1) 89,050 Canterbury (10) 8,283 93,,.15 Ofoorn Jo»osJ Southland (4) .... 5.398 43,425 Tho estates offered during the year ending March 31, 1917, included 210 in Auckland (total area 369,795 acres),. 48 m Hawke's Bay ;{73,444 acres), 71 in Paranaki (61,918 acres), 147 in Wellington (172,537 acres), 8 m Marlborough (16,351 acres), 39 in Nelson (28,179 acres), 1 m Westland (5281 acres), lit in Canterbury (11C 139 acres), 42 in Otago (51,511 acres), 73 in Southland.(9l,327 acres). _ Tho report states that no associations under tho Land Settlement Act have been formed during the year, and until a more workable Act is provided it is doubtful if much will be done.