C. - !).

LANDS PROCLAIMED. The lands set apart for selection by discharged soldiers during the year totalled 1,346 acres, making a grand total of 1,442,964 acres proclaimed since the inception of the scheme. This large area is made up as follows : — Class of Land. Area. Acres. Ordinary Crown lands .. .. .. .. 606,331 Land-for-settlement.s land .. .. . . • 401,844 National-endowment land .. .. .. .. 431,433 Cheviot Estate land .. .. . . .. .. 3,356 1,442,964 Proclamations have been issued revoking the setting-apart of 233,493 acres of Crown and national-endowment land and 101,804 acres of land-for-settlements land. APPLICATIONS FOR LAND. Applications for land under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, to the number o" twenty-two were received during the year. The following table gives the number of applications and the area allotted for each year from the inception of the soldier-settlement scheme :—

The figures given, above with, respect to the allotments of land made to soldiers under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, are very instructive, as showing clearly the incidence of repatriation. Prior to 1918 soldier settlement was comparatively modest in extent, and consisted chiefly in the placing' on the land of men who had been returned wounded or otherwise unfit. But it had all along been recognized that the crucial test would be experienced when the main body of New Zealand troops overseas returned home in rapidly increasing numbers, and preparations were made accordingly. Busy years were experienced in 1918 and 1919 ; but the scheme of allotting Crown lands realised its climax during the twelve months ending the 31st March, 1921, when over one thousand men were placed on holdings of Crown and settlement land, exclusive of those who purchased land by means of Government advances. Since that time the number of allotments made has naturally shown a steady decline, which has, however, been accompanied by an increase in the work of administering the financial side of the soldier-settlement scheme. DOMINION REVALUATION BOARD. Summary of Operations as at 31st March, 1932. Application for Revaluation. Number of applications for revaluation received .. .. .. .. .. 5,347 Number of cases dealt with and determinations issued by the Dominion Revaluation Board 5,284 Number of cases not dealt with due to forfeiture or abandonment . . . . .. 63 Total capital invested (comprising capital values of Crown leaseholds and advances under £ section 2of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Amendment Act, 1917) .. .. 17,244,237 Capital value dealt with by the Dominion Revaluation Board. .. .. .. 12,528,835 Reduction in capital by the Dominion Revaluation Board .. .. .. .. 2,871,159

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a Allotments made. Year ending Applications ; receive . Number. | Area (Acres). 31st March, 1916 . . . . . . . 272 2 629 1917 .. ., . .. j 522 319 143,524 1918 .. . ., .. 513 313 103,362 1919 .. .. .. .. 1,379 348 117,018 1920 .. .. .. .. 5,041 932 403;891 1921 5,396 1,087 414,867 1922 .. .. .. .. 878 403 97,972 1923 .. .. .. .. 284 146 25,113 1924 .. .. .. .. 216 79 16,910 1925 .. ... .. .. 123 47 9,014 1926 .. .. .. .. 109 86 20,500 1927 .. .. .. .. 78 66 17,412 1928 .. .. .. .. 96 60 15,695 ;j 1929 .. .. .. . . 90 77 13,275 1930 .. .. .. .. 63 53 16,665 1931 .. .. .. .. 41 31 8,495 1932 .. .. .. .. 22 16 4,215 Totals for seventeen years .. .. 15,123 1 4,065 ' | 1,428,557