e-i

Proclamations have been issued revoking the setting-apart of 258,143 acres'of Crown land and 108,419 acres of land-for-settlements land. From the inception of the soldier-settlement scheme in 1915 the total applications received number 15,181 and the allotments made number 4,114 covering a total area of 1,450,887 acres. The Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account was abolished by section 6 of the Finance Act, 1937. STAFF This report would not be complete without some reference to the good work which has been accomplished by the staff, both office and field, during the past twleve months. The volume of work has been heavy and constant, and will continue to be so for some time yet, but with the assistance of a keen and efficient staff I am confident that the Department will be able to cope with whatever demands are made on it. STATISTICAL SCHEDULES The statistical schedules give information on the acquisition, development, farming, and disposal of blocks which were on hand at 31st March, 1948, and of blocks which were purchased or acquired and of which possession was taken during the twelve months ending 31st March, 1949. Single-unit properties acquired under section 51, Servicemen's Settlement and Land Sales Act, 1943, for immediate allotment without development are not included. In order that all these properties may be included in one schedule it is not possible to show the separate dates of acquisition of areas making up any one block or to show the individual dates of disposals, but more detailed information on these points, and on the types of units is available in the notes supplied by officers in charge of the development operations. Abbreviations used—Type of farm—D = Dairy ; S = Sheep ; 0 = Orchard ; WH = Workers' home ; MG = Market garden ; T = Tobacco ; I = Irrigation. S& C = Sheep and Crop. Eeferences : § = Acquisition price of area utilized; Z = Gallons milk ; X = City supply ; f = Balance after £60,000 recovered from vote, " Lands and Survey". Where properties were under development prior to the war for civilian settlement and have subsequently been set aside for ex-servicemen settlement the transfer between accounts was at valuation at the date of transfer. Any losses or profits on the civilian accounts will be reported to Parliament when the blocks are finally disposed of and the, final profit or loss ascertained. House cows on sheep-farms have been excluded from cows milked. Where land has been alienated on leasehold tenure the rental value has been included in the " Total Disposal Price." The " Area Farmed " is, generally speaking, the land within the ring fences including shelter-belts and small unusable areas, but excluding large areas of bush, swamp, &c., of no grazing value. Areas shown have been adjusted to agree with any surveys made subsequent to the acquisition of the properties.

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