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:—
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 |
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.