8 8.—13. R

Advances to Local Bodies. Number. Amount. Hawke's Bay .. .. .. .. 1 £600 The number and amounts of current advances on freehold and leasehold are as follows :— Advances to Settlers. AT x. Amount. Number. £ g _ d On freeholds .. .. .. .. .. 1,497 1,078.045 9 2 On leaseholds .. .. 69 51,427 4 3 On freeholds and leaseholds combined .. .. 8 8,616 14 8 Totals .. .. .. .. 1,574 £1,138,089 8 1 Advances to Workers. NT , Amount. -N umber. £ s d On freeholds 143 £71,962 7 7 The number and amounts of current advances oil rural and urban and suburban land are as follows : — Advances to Settlers. at k Amount. Number. „ , £ s. d. On rural land .. .. .. .. .. 842 668,160 15 3 On urban and suburban land .. .. .. 732 469,928 12 10 Totals .. .. .. .. 1,574 £1,138,089 8 1 Advances to Workers. Number. Amount. £ s. d. On urban and suburban land .. .. .. 143 £71,962 7 7 The number and amounts actually paid over, classified according to tenure of the securities, are as follows:— Advances to Settlers. Number. Amount. On freeholds .. .. .. .. .. 119 128,875 Oil leaseholds .. .. .. . . .. 1 980 Totals .. .. .. .. 120 £129,855 Advances to Workers. Number. Amount. On freeholds .. .. .. .. .. 2 £1,200 The amount actually paid over to 120 settlers during the year was £129,855, to 2 workers £1,200, and to 3 local bodies £1,630 —a total of £132,685. 1,574 settlers are now indebted to the extent of £1,138,089 Bs. Id. ; 143 workers, £71,962 7s. 7d. ; and local bodies (in respect of 295 loans), £418,611 Is. 2d.—a total of £1,628,662 16s. lOd. in respect of principal moneys. Mortgages and instalments of principal repaid for the year amounted to £90,259 lis. The total amount of interest collected for the year was £91,642 lis. 9d. The interest earned for the year amounted to £93,869 19s. sd. The cost of management and expenses were nil. A. A. Prichard, Deputy Superintendent. State Advances Office, Wellington, 30th June, 1927.

RURAL ADVANCES BRANCH. The Rural Advances Act, 1926, came into force on the Ist April, 1927, and since that date the Department has done everything possible to expedite the payment of advances. During the quarter ended 30th June, 1927, 112 loans amounting to £270,835 were authorized, and 22 advances totalling £47,260 were actually paid over. A. A. Prichard, Deputy Superintendent. State Advances Office, Wellington, 30th June, 1927.

5