C—9

2

Scoi-io of Act. There are two means by which land may be set apart for discharged soldiers —viz., ordinary tenures and special tenures. Ordinary Tenures. —Under section 3 of the Act any area of Crown land or settlement land may by Proclamation be set apart for selection only by discharged soldiers under the Land Act, 1908, or the Land for Settlements Act, 1908; and land set aside under this section of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, together with land set aside under the next succeeding section (4), has, under section 7, the advantage that the Land Board may, with the consent of the Minister, remit wholly or in part, and for such period or periods as it thinks fit, any rent payable by a discharged soldier, or may postpone the due date for tho payment of such rent. In all respects save the above, land taken up by a discharged soldier under section 3 is subject to the provisions of and the regulations under the Land Act, 1908, and the Laud for Settlements Act, 1908. Special Tenures. —Under section 4, in addition to the powers conferred hy section 3, any area of Crown land or settlement land may be set, apart by Proclamation and disposed of to discharged soldiers under special conditions; and, except as may be otherwise provided by this Act or by the regulations under this Act, the provisions of the Land Act, 1908, or the band for Settlements Act, 1908, or any other Acts relating to the administration or settlement of Crown or settlement land, shall not apply to lands disposed of under this section Land taken up under section 4 carries the same privileges as regards remission and postponement of rent as does land taken up under- section 3, but a discharged soldier taking up land under section 4 of the Act may, under section 6, receive financial assistance to enable him to bring his farm into such a state that Ire can make a living from it. How to apply for Land. When a discharged soldier wishes to take up land the procedure is as follows : He obtains a provisional application form from any Land Office or from the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department, and, having answered the various questions on it and having stated the land district in which he wishes to settle, he forwards the form to the Commissioner of Crown Lands for that district. The Commissioner will then furnish the applicant with all particulars of the available lands in the locality indicated, and upon his choosing a section (provided inquiries show that lie has an honourable discharge) his application for it will be placed before the Land Board for consideration. All applications are dealt with by the Land Board, and it is the duty of the Board and the Commissioner of Crown Lands to assist applicants as far as practicable in acquiring suitable allotments. Disposal of titf, Land. Under section 4 of tire Act land may be disposed of to discharged soldiers either by way of sale or by lease, and applications must be made on the form prescribed for the respective tenures, Every applicant to purchase or to lease land under the Act and the regulations under the Act must supply with his application a statutory declaration that (a) he is a, discharged soldier within the meaning of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915; (l>) he is, subject to the provisions ,jn of the said Act, applying for the land described in the accompanying application solely for his own use and benefit, and not directly or indirectly for the use or- benefit of any other person or- persons whatsoever; (r") his answers to the questions set out in the application are true and coirect in every particular. If two or more applications are received" in respect of one allotment of land, Ihe Land Board shall determine which of the applicants, in its opinion, is most suitable to occupy tho land, or is most in need of the land, and shall dispose of the land so as to comply with the direction of the said Act that tire Board shall, as far as practicable, assist applicants in acquiring suitable allotments. If the Board is unable to determine between the claims of two or more applicants it shall cause a ballot to be taken in the manner in which ballots are taken for the purposes of the Land Act, 1908. Purchase of Land. In the case of land disposed of by way of sale the price is fixed by the Land Board, with the approval of the Minister of Lands. In the case of lands disposed of on deferred payment the following provisions from the regulations under the Act shall apply : — (a.) The purchaser shall forthwith, on tho approval of his application, pay a deposit equal to 5 per cent, of the price of the land, and shall thereupon be entitled to receive a license to occupy the land. (li.) The license to occupy shall provide for the payment of the balance of 95 per cent, of the price by equal annual instalments extending over such period as the Board in each case determines, with the right, of the licensee to pay off at any time the whole or any part of the price remaining unpaid ; and shall also provide for the payment by the licensee of interest half-yearly at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum, on the unpaid balance. (c.) Upon payment of the price in full and of all interest the purchase shall be deemed to he completed, and a certificate of title for the land shall be issued accordingly.