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The War Effort of New Zealand

Results

Results.

The results hitherto achieved may be placed in tabular form as follows:—

Crown or Settlement Land or National Endowment areas
selected by Discharged Soldiers up to 31st December,
1919
Acres

876,544
No. of soldiers settled on such land 1,676
No. of soldiers assisted to purchase freehold land 2,968
No. of soldiers whose applications to erect or purchase town
dwellings have been approved
4,373
Advances authorized to soldiers in connection with purchase
or improvement of land, purchase of stock, seeds,
machinery, &c., and acquisition of town dwellings, over
£10,000.000

It is too early to speak with certainty of the success of this scheme. Some failures are inevitable and even expected. The indications, however, are that provided present prices are maintained a large number of soldiers will be thus enabled to become self-supporting settlers with homes of their own. A further and important result of the Government's policy must be largely increased production bringing with it greater national wealth and prosperity. If some financial losses occur in the earlier stages of the scheme, the taxpayers of New Zealand will, no doubt, bear them cheerfully, remembering that the debt owing to our soldiers can never be adequately repaid.

[Editorial Note: Mr. Montgomery wrote his chapter on Repatriation in 1920. The later date of the publication of this volume enables the records of the Repatriation Department at July 31st, 1922, to be given. The figures are as follows:—

Number of men assisted.
Lands Department:
In obtaining rural homes 9,388
In obtaining town homes 10,890
20,278
Repatriation Department:
Placed in Employment 28,033
Trained or in Training 7,491
Financially assisted to re-establish themselves 25,730
61,254
Total 81,532
page 175
The Total Financial Advances.
Under the Land for Settlement Act:
In purchase of estates £5,794,944
Under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act:
Advances for purchase of land, dwellings, and for stock
and improvements
£20,666,386
Under the Repatriation Act:
Loans for businesses, furniture, tools, etc., and other
financial assistance
£2,257,248
Total £28,718,578

The men are meeting their obligations extremely well and at this date there is every indication that the financial assistance afforded the soldiers will prove a most excellent investment.—ED.