When dealing with this Estimate on the last occasion I think we reached as far as sub-head I, which deals with improvements. Under that sub-head there is a reduction of £20,200 from last year. I am informed that after examination by the Land Commission they considered that the sum of £191,050 represents the amount which was considered necessary by them to be expended in the present year. It represents what they consider at the moment could be usefully expended. During previous years there have been savings under that sub-head. Last year the saving was £50,000 and in the previous year something like £26,000. The reasons for that saving, I understand, are that a good many of the energies of the Land Commission had to be directed towards carrying out the relief works that resulted from the relief Votes passed in this House. Improvement works stand in a somewhat different category from relief works. Improvement works are closely related to the taking over and improvement of estates. They have to be examined in connection with those estates, whereas relief works can be considered and examined on their merits as matters apart altogether.
It may be necessary, before the end of the present financial year when these matters have been more fully examined, to come to the House and ask for a supplementary Vote, but at the moment the amount that is asked here represents what the Land Commission are of opinion can be usefully applied. In addition to sub-heads O, P and Q, which are really a continuation of similar sub-heads in the Estimate for last year, there is a new sub-head introduced for the first time this year. This new sub-head is to provide for possible payments under Section 34 of the Land Act, 1931, in respect of claims out of purchase moneys notwithstanding certain defects in title. It is not anticipated that there may be any such claims—practically very few at any rate—arising, and this can be regarded somewhat as a token Vote. With regard to the Appropriations in Aid, these are substantially the same as last year with the important exception of excess annuities under which provision is suggested for an increase of £15,000, due mainly to the setting up of provisional annuities payable by tenants on Congested Districts Board estates under Section 23 of the Land Act, 1931, and the corresponding increase in the "Excess Annuities" due to improvements to holdings effected by the Land Commission. On the other hand, there is a decrease of £3,450 in the collection costs for payment in lieu of rent, which has been practically wiped out by the operation of Section 9 of the Land Act, 1931.
As regards the general work of the Land Commission, if we take it up to the end of the past financial year, the altered position, by comparison with twelve months ago, is, briefly, that practically the whole of the tenanted land coming under the Land Acts 1923-1931 has been vested in the Land Commission, the exceptions being a few cases in which the full particulars have not yet been ascertained and the applications of fee farm grantees and lessees under Section 44 of the Land Act, 1931, where there will have to be some further investigation. That represents a tenanted area of 2,896,000 acres comprising 97,000 holdings and representing a total purchase price of approximately £19,750,000 is now vested in the Land Commission under the Land Acts, 1923-31. Of this area, only some 560,000 acres have been also re-vested in fee simple subject to Annuity payments in 16,300 tenant-purchasers. That will give an indication to the House of the enormous amount of work that yet remains to be done to complete re-vesting in the tenants.
The same applies to holdings on Congested Districts Board estates. Under Section 23 of the Land Act, 1931, 19,400 of these holdings comprising some 650,000 acres and representing a total re-sale price of about £2,140,000 have been listed during the past year so as to put the tenants on a purchase annuity basis, but their re-vesting in fee simple in the tenant purchasers remains to be completed, along with some further particularly difficult cases which have not yet been listed. The re-sale of the congested districts holdings now remaining is a very complicated problem on account of the existence of a large proportion of uneconomic landholders, rundale tenures, and so on which will necessitate a rearrangement of holdings.
As regards untenanted land, the Land Commission have acquired under the Land Acts, 1923-31, a total area of 405,000 acres and offers have been made or the lands gazetted for acquisition in respect of a further area of 122,000 acres, while an additional area of some 670,000 acres is in various stages of investigation with a view to its suitability for acquisition. Of the lands actually acquired, over 330,000 acres have been already divided amongst 16,550 allottees. This is apart from 160,000 acres of untenanted land divided by the Land Commission on the Congested Districts Board's and Estates Commissioners' estates since 1923. The total amount expended by the Land Commission since 1923 on the benefit and improvement of estates under all the Land Acts is approximately £1,705,000, and the total relief work expenditure by the Land Commission since the inception of such works in 1924 is about £500,000. Of this latter figure, approximately £43,000 was in respect of the Relief Act of last year.
With regard to the collection of the annuities, while we cannot state that the position is eminently satisfactory there is no reason whatever to take any heed or notice of the alarmist statements that have been circulated through the country in various ways. I am satisfied that the tenant purchasers and the tenant farmers are making a genuine effort to pay the land annuities, and that any hesitancy or any difficulty that has arisen is due entirely to the depressed conditions in agriculture throughout the country. If we compare the position, say, at 31st March with the position at 31st January of the present year we find that it is no worse: that the position on 31st March is equally as good as it was on 31st January. The annuities are coming in satisfactorily, and so far, despite statements to the contrary, there has been no necessity to resort to any extra pressure to collect the annuities. There are numerous applications before the Land Commission from time to time, and particularly within the last few months from tenant-farmers asking for time and indicating reasonable efforts on their part to pay the land annuities.
Deputies might expect that I should state something with regard to the policy of the Land Commission. I do not propose at this stage to say more than this: that it will be the aim of the Land Commission to co-operate with the Government fully and enthusiastically in what is the declared policy of the Government—to provide an opening and a living for every man of character and conduct who is willing and able to work. It will be the aim of the Land Commission not only to divide land but to divide it in such a way that it will enable the people put on the land to derive an economic livelihood from it. Every effort will be made to speed up the acquisition and distribution of land. I believe that much, if not all, can be accomplished on the administrative side, but should any difficulties arise requiring legislation, then I will come to the House and ask it to pass that legislation to enable a more speedy and satisfactory acquisition and division of land to take place. I do not propose to say more at this stage.