DISCHARGED SOLDIERS SETTLEMENT.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 578, 26 October 1920, Page 2

DISCHARGED SOLDIERS SETTLEMENT.

Hie repoi t covtrnii; ti'c opera i «o.rof the Government in connexion with the repatriation and settlement o> our soldier citizens forms vciy peasant reading and indicates j'airlv c-.r. elusivelj. that whatever charges nay he lairl against them in . ither re -}>octthe members of liis Govern uieiil luue not nculecied tie i'ltei cats ft' our returned men. l.'p t' September :io last the ejpendituiv under I.he Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act, the Discharged ,S< iciiers f-oans Act and other authorities ha--jiuiounted to £16.040,200. the expeii diture being t;540,200 in e:;ce-s ui he commitment, which amount will, of coursi;. be.made out id' the new loan (it t:6,000,000 u .111:' m iseel by Farliamciit the otiier day Of this total no less a sum than lhas beer. advanced towards t!ie purchase and erection of' town dwellings, the balance being expended on the jk'ichase ot private or >u i.ive lands. Crown leasehold, tiie divmiige of mortgages, and the 'ai' ,'!ij S of stock, etc. Some 7SOII repatliated met, ha'vi.' been settled b\ the Lands De- I partmenl, ami another 7038 have been , ... -!.-ti'd to obtain their own ' ome.--either in- purch-iy or building, the! •.ven.ge :,ilvan«v in respect of the : latter being jKiij.'t, while the other, average advances are: For stock and :

improvements £531, and for,the purchase.of land £1645, the average capital value of the section's settled being £2404. In addition, the Repatriation Department has rendered financial assistance to 17,358 returned men, has placed in employment 20,018, and has either trained or has under training some 6234 others, bringing the total number of repatriated men up to 59,428. The area of land upon which our soldier citizens have qbeen settled aggregates some 2,396,671 acres/ and the Lands Department has either available or under preparation for settlement an additional 780,860 acres.