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at bedrock prices, enabling houses to be erected much more cheaply than they could have been done under conditions. If bushfelling, grass-seed, wire, and other necessaries were obtained by tender or contract and uniformity arranged between neighbouring districts there would not be the using of one district's price against another's that at present exists, and this phase of the question of settlement is recommended for consideration. Wellington. (G. H. M. McClube, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) The settlement operations during the year have been confined to the disposal of the remaining estates purchased towards the close of the previous year, as it was found unnecessary to make provision for the settlement of discharged soldiers owing to the falling-ofi of applications caused by the slump in the prices of primary products. In Haunui No. 2 Settlement, 347 acres, near Wangaehu Railway-station, seven sections of good dairy land were allotted in areas from 43g to 54-j; acres. In Almadale Settlement, 670 acres, situate from six to ten miles from Feilding, nine sections, all good dairy land, were laid off in two detached blocks and allotted in areas varying from 35| to 149f acres. Four small sections in the Pitt Settlement, 16 acres 3 roods 21 perches, four miles from Lower Hutt Railway-station, in areas from 3| to 4§ acres, suitable for poultry-farms, were offered, and two sections were selected. The remaining section in the Pihautea Settlement, nine miles from Featherston Railway-station, comprising 47£ acres, was selected, the timber on it having been milled. An area of 4,009 acres of bush land, adjoining the Wanganui River, between Taumarunui and Wade's Landing, formerly part of the Wanganui River Trust Domain, was subdivided into eight sections, in areas from 214 to 729 acres, all of which were selected at .ballot. Other lands offered and disposed of comprised six sections in the Hunua, Whirinaki, Makotuku, Hautapu, and Ruahinc Survey Districts, all bush, and, when cleared, good grazing-land, the areas aggregating 2,280 acres, and varying from 190 to 600 acres. In addition, eleven sections, aggregating 5,804 acres, of forfeited and surrendered sections were reoffered, and eight were reselected; while sixteen holdings were forfeited or surrendered and reallotted without ballot, the area dealt with being 3,429 acres, of which 1,758 acres were settlement land and 1,671 acres Crown land —three sections of settlement land being allotted to adjoining holders. Under the provisions of section 2 of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1917, forty persons were financially assisted to purchase an area of 22,802 acres, and 398 persons were assisted to purchase or erect dwellings. Since the inception of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, and up to the 31st March, 1922, 1,601 discharged soldiers have either been settled on or have been assisted to purchase farms, the total area held being 332,925 acres ; in addition to this 2,494 discharged soldiers have been assisted to purchase or erect dwellings, making a total number of 4,095 men who have been assisted, at a total cost of £5,701,725. This year has been most disastrous for all those engaged in pastoral and dairying pursuits, and especially so to those that had purchased farms and stock within the three preceding years, when prices for these were probably higher than at any time in the history of the Dominion. Unfortunately, most' of the soldier settlers come under the latter category, with the result that they have been unable to meet their obligations. This is not to be wondered at, as it is a well-accepted fact, even when prices arc normal, that the expenditure in developing a farm is much in excess of the revenue, and when the cost of all fencing and building materials, as well as the cost of bushfelling and grassing, during the last four years is taken into consideration it can be realized what difficulties face the soldier settlers. However, as most of this expenditure is not recurring, and with the revival in the prices of our primary products, with improved flocks and herds, hard work, and efficient management, I feel certain that 90 per cent, of the returned men will win through. So far as dairy-farming is concerned, there is a crying need for the improvement of the herds, which can only be attained by testing, the elimination of inferior cows, and the use of purebred bulls. If this were done the yield-of buttorfat per cow should increase from the present average of 170 lb. to at least 300 lb. within the next five years. Maelboeough. (John Cook, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) The following is briefly the position of the soldier settlements : — Erina : Sheep-grazing. With low prices position unsatisfactory. Moorlands : Agricultural. Good tenants ; progress satisfactory. Alberton : Agricultural. Good tenants ; good prospects. Neville : Agricultural. A single farm affected by low prices, but has good prospects. Wither : Chiefly sheep-grazing. Some workmen's holdings. Satisfactory. Bomford : Agricultural. A single farm, just selected ; progress satisfactory. Linkwaterdale : Dairy-farming. Good tenants ; good progress. Goat Hills : Sheep-grazing. Conditions improving ; progress slow. Warnock : Dairying. A single farm ; progress slow. General: As a whole the fall in the prices of our products has been a bad handicap for soldier settlers. With better prospects in view the position generally is improving, but once a new selector has suffered a throw-back his position, naturally, will be affected for some time to come, and such men will require careful handling to enable them to get established. The soldiers who have been assisted to purchase dwellings in the towns are, with few exceptions, maintaining their obligations.