8.—6

VIII

Stamp Duties. £ Revenue for 1918-19 .. .. .. .. 2,124,773 Revenue for 1917-18 .. .. .. .. 1,892,014 Increase .. .. .. .. £232,759 The amounts collected by way of totalizator-tax and bank-note tax are shown hereunder. Totalizator-tax. £ 1918-19 .. .. .. .. .. ..229,273 1917-18 .. .. .. .. .. .. 213,932 Increase .. .. .. .. £15,341 Bank-note Tax. £ 1918-19 .. .. .. .. .. .. 188,003 1917-18 .. .. .. .. .. .. 167,914 Increase .. .. .. .. £20,089 Amusement-tax. The amusement-tax collected during the year amounted to £40,291, as compared with £16,273 collected during the five months ended 31st March, 1918, during which year the tax first came into operation. DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. Land Revenue. The gross revenue for the past year amounted to £1,246,848, a sum considerably in excess of that received for the previous year. The ordinary arrears of rent and other payment at the 31st March, 1919, amounted to £40,765. Discharged Soldiers Settlement. Great activity has been displayed in the work of this important branch of the Department. The total area proclaimed under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, up to the 31st March, 1919, was 507,890 acres ; of which an area of 113,671 acres was proclaimed during the year. Possession was obtained by the Crown of thirty-one estates purchased from private owners under the Land for Settlements Act, the majority of which have been subdivided and selected. In addition, the purchase of a number of other properties was completed, but possesssion had not been given at the close of the year. Practically all the settlement land opened during the year has been selected, and no effort has been spared to meet the keen demand for improved holdings. All classes of land which are considered to be suitable for farming by discharged soldiers are being utilized solely for this purpose, and, in addition, many pastoral runs in the South Island, the licenses of which have expired, are being subdivided and will be disposed of to soldiers experienced in this class of farming. Many discharged soldiers continue to take advantage of the benefits conferred by sections 2 and 3 of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Amendment Act, 1917. Under the first-mentioned section they may obtain financial assistance to acquire freehold or Crown leasehold land and to effect improvements thereon, whilst under the latter section holdings may be acquired for one or more soldier applicants through the medium of the Land Purchase Board. One of the features of settlement under the Act has been the great demand for urban residential properties by returned soldiers who are engaged in town vocations. Up to the 31st March last advances for this purpose were authorized to 529 returned soldiers, amounting to £318,752. The transactions finally completed at that date involved advances amounting to £212,583.