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1907. NEW ZEALAND

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS (ANNUAL REPORT ON).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

COISTTEISTTS.

Ginebal Report— Pa se Land opened for Selection during Year .. £ Land selected during Year Progress of Settlement Inspections by Bangers " The Bush and Swamp Grown Lands Settlement Act, 1903" Improved-farm Settlements Village Settlements .. .. •• •• 5 Pastoral Buns .. • • • • •• jj Bevenue Bi ceipts Bebates of Bent .. •• ■• •• Grown Purchases under "The Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905" .. ■• •• 5 Maod Land Commission Native Land Surveys .. •• •• ° " Thirds " and " Fourths "to Local Bodies .. b "The Timber and Flax Royalties Act, 1905 " ... - 6 Land-for-settlements Estates .. • • 6 Forestry .. .. ■ • • • . ■ • ' Scenery Preservation .. • • • ■ • " The Workers' Dwellings Aot, 1905 ".. ■ • 7 Domains Cemeteries .. Landless Natives, South Island Chatham Islands Medical Assistance to Settlers in Outlying Districts Land Audit Departmental and General Accounts Beport by Chief Clerk .. . • • • 9 Appendix I— Settlement of Crown Lands— Auckland.. Hawke's Bay .. •• 15 Tararaki.. .. ■ • • • • • W.lli..gton 21 Nelson .. .. •■ ■• •• * a Marlborough .. .. • • 29 Westland.. .. .. ■• •• 31 Gaiiterbury .. .. ■• •• 35 Otego .. .. .. •■ •• 39 Southland .. .. • • • • * 2 Cheviot Estate .. .. • • 47 Appendix ItLand for Settlements — Auckland.. .. .. ■• *" Hawke's Bay .. .. • • • • 50 Taranaki .. .. .. • • 52 Wellington .. .. . •• 52 Marlborough .. .. • • • • 53 Westland .. .. •• 55 Canterbury .. .. •• •• 55 Otago 62 Southland .. .. b7

Appendix Hl— Paso Village Settlements .. .. •. • • 68 Appendix IV — Improved-farm Settlements .. .. .. 73 TablesTable 1. Lands absolutely disposed of from the Foundation of the Colony, Summary of .. .. .. 77 2.—Lands opened for Sale or Selection during the Year.. .. .. 77 3.-Lands taken up during the Year, Summary of .. .. 78 4. --Holdings taken up during the Year, Analysis of .. .. .. 80 „ 5. —Lands sold for Cash during the Year 81 „ 6.—Deferred-payment Lands .. .. 82 7. —Perpetual - lease and Small - area Lands .. .. .. .. 83 8. —Occupation with - right - of - purchase Lands .. .. .. .. 84 9. —Lease-in-perpetuity Lands.. .. 85 10. —Agricultural-lease Lands .. .. 87 , 11.—Occupation Leases under " The Mining Districts Land Occupation Act, 1894 " .. .. .. .. 87 12.—Village Settlements .. .. 88 13.—Village Settlements, Summary of Position of .. .. .. 90 14.—Special-settlement Associations .. 91 15.—Homestead Lands .. .. 92 16.—Small Graziiig-runs .. .. 92 17.—Pastoral Licenses .. .. .. 93 18.—Miscellaneous Leases and Licenses .. 94 19.—Gross Revenue received during the Year .. .. .. .. 95 20.—Lands reserved and alienated .. 97 21.—Forfeitures and Surrenders during the Year .. .. .. 97 22. -Thermal - springs District, Lands within .. .. .. .. 98 23.-Native Townships Lands .. .. 98 , 24.—Bush felled. Area of .. .. 99 25.—Selectors on Books of Department, Number of .. .. .. 99 20.—Crown Tenants, Number of, Area held, and Arrears of Rent .. 100 , 27.—Endowments: Lands taken up during the Year .. .. 101 28.—Endowments : Revenue received during the Year .. .. .. 102 „ 29.—Cheviot Estate: Summary of Receipts for the Year .. .. 102 30. —Cheviot Estate: Outlay and Income 102 81.—Arrears of Rent due to the Crown .. 108 32. —Improved-farm Settlements .. 104

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Tables— continued. Table 33. —Land for Settlements Acts, Land acquired and leased under 34. —Selectors and Lands selected under Settlement Conditions: Comparative Statement for past Ten Years , 35.—Transactions under " The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903 " 36.—Rebates of Rent granted during the Year .. „ 37.—Grown Lands proclaimed under Local Bodies' Loans Acts, the Amount borrowed, and the Amount repaid to Public Account 38. —Blocks of Land proclaimed under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Acts, and Report of SurveyorGeneral thereon ..

Page Tables — continued. page Table 39.—Work done for other Departments 106 and for Local Bodies .. .. 123 „ 40.—Crown Grants, Certificates of Title, &c, prepared during the Year .. 124 114 . 41.—Pajments to Local Bodies from " Thirds " and " Fourths " during the Year .. .. 124 115 116 M Maps— Showing Land Transactions during the Year, North Island .. .. .. .. At end. 161 Showing Land Transactions during the Year, South Island .. .. .. . Showing Land-tenure, North Island .. „ 117 Showing Land-tenure, South Island .. „

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ANNUAL REPORT.

The Undee-Secbetaby for Lands to the Hon. the Minister op Lands. Sib, — Department of Lands, Wellington, Ist June, 1907. I have the honour to submit herewith the annual report upon the operations of the Lands Department for the past year, embracing not only the areas opened for selection and the areas taken up by new selectors, but also touching briefly upon the various branch or cognate matters which have come under its supervision, or which have been intrusted to it to carry out. I have, &c, William C. Kensington, The Hon. Robert McNab, Minister of Lands. Under-Secretary for Lands. Land opened fob Selection, 1906-7. The total area under all classes of land-tenure opened during the past year amounted to 640,262 acres, or 871 acres less than last year, and the subjoined table shows the districts in which the land was opened and the several tenures dealt with :—

Table A.—Lands opened for Sale and Selection during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

The area opened is divided into 287,853 acres in the North Island, and 352,409 acres in the South Island, the area in the South Island (except in the Nelson Land District) being chiefly pastoral runs. Here it may be interesting to place before you the position of New Zealand this year -with regard to Crown lands. In last year's report a total area of 3,489,100 acres was shown as still available for settlement, and the present position is as follows : — Acres. Available for settlement in last year's return .. .. .. 3,489,100 Deduct land selected .. .. .. .. .. .. 958,652 Leaving a balance of .. .. .. .. 2,530,448 Area being prepared for selection .. .. .. .. .. 1,141,191 Making a total of .. .. .. . . .. 3,671,639 Deduct area of pastoral runs open for selection .. .. .. 1,382,917 Being a balance of .. .. .. .. .. 2,288,722 At first sight the position is not reassuring, but if to the above balance of 2,288,722 acres is added the area of Native lands now being purchased under " The Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905," by the four land-purchase officers (under the supervision of the Under-Secretary for Lands, but subject to the approval of the Hon. J. Carroll, Native Minister), which totals for the whole North Island something over 321,744 acres, it will leave an available balance of 2,610,466 acres. Thus :— . Balance as above .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,288,722 Add Native lands being purchased or under negotiation .. .. 321,744 Leaving a balance available of ~ .. .. 2,610,466

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District. Optional System. Cash by Auction. Lease by Auction and Application. mentl. BuBS - I S.G. Small Buns, Grazing- Land for runs. Settlements. Lease in Perpetuity only. Lease in Perpetuity, Land for Settlements. Native Towns. Totals. Auckland Hawke's Bay .. Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough .. Westland Canterbury .. Otago Southland Acres. 87,888 3,783 42,440 2,014 18,359 2,646 Acres. 754 21 74 63 190 Acres. 243 55 78 400 Acres. *785 Acres. 25j 326 Acres. 2,582 Acres. 38,122 Acres. 5,696 4 j 979 Acres. 30,609 12,569 1,918 16,406 Acres. 42 Acres. 165,894 42,581 49,489 29,889 48,038 3,104 8,259 26,238 114,483 152,287 "73 48 2^834 8^097 29^441 2 458 29 175 88 2^307 11,000 60,485 136,134 12I268 20,009 8^259 631 25,356 626 2,168 2,569 3 5, 871 419 8,000 4 j 845 "25 Totals .. 161,867 1,394 8,386 934 235,779 34,859 52,090 56,794 88,115 44 640,262

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The lands being prepared for settlement during 1906-7 are set forth in the subjoined table : — Table B. —Lands being pbepaeed for Settlement at Ist February, 1907. Land District. Acres. Auckland .... .. .. .. .. .. .. 815,056 Hawke's Bay 135,239 Taranaki .. ..''. .. .. .. .. .. 32,086 Wellington .. .. .. .. .. ..' .. 50,000 Nelson .. .. .. .. .. 76,650 Westland .. .. 32,160 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,141,191 Lands selected, 1906-7. The demand for Crown land under the various tenures shows no diminution, the number of selectors and the area selected being larger than the previous year. The new selectors total 2,280, the area taken up being 958,652 acres, or an average of 311 acres for each ordinary selector of settlement lands other than pastoral or miscellaneous leases. The subjoined Table C discloses the tenures under which the several tenants or licensees have been granted their holdings :—

Table C.—Number of New Selectors, and Area taken up, from 1st April, 1906, to 31st March, 1907, and Total Amount of Revenue received during the Year.

Nature and Tenure of Lands selected. O w _ o Area selected. Average Holding. Cash received oi Past and Current Transactions. Town lands sold for cash ».. Suburban lands sold for cash Rural lands sold for cash Perpetual leases made freehold .. Occupation with right of purchase made freehold Deferred-payment instalments .. .. Perpetual leases .. .. .. Occupation with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Agricultural lease Village settlement, cash deferred payment perpetual lease .. , occupation with right of purchase .. „ occupation with right of purchase made freehold perpetual lease made freehold „ lease in perpetuity Village-homestead special settlement Special-settlement associations— Perpetual lease .. .. .. Lease in perpetuity Improved-farm special settlements made freehold Occupation leases, Mining Districts Land Occupation Act Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs Thermal springs, Rotorua Miscellaneous leases and licenses Miscellaneous Cheviot Estate— Cash Lease in perpetuity Village-homestead special settlement Grazing-farms Pastoral runs .. .. ,-. Miscellaneous leases Land for Settlements Acts— Cash Lease in perpetuity .. ... „ (village) Special-settlement associations (lease in perpetuity) .. Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs Miscellaneous leases .. 245 52 121 A. R. P. 255 3 10 180 3 22 19,896 2 35 A. B. P. 10 7 3 1 36 164 1 29 £ a. d. • 18,488 5 11 412 296 is 215,529 2 14 73,545 3 13 523 0 20 248 1 34 1 1 8 5,135 19 1 25,245 6 6 2,566 13 7 3,355 2 6 40,858 15 10 36,507 6 6 14 13 4 386 10 0 45 6 8 410 10- 8 7 18 9 5 0 0 19 2 5 32 17 1,012 1 38 173 0 17 31 2 22 10 0 29 333 13 9 1,785 6 3,198 19 10 1 46 "i 1 24 5,621 3 18 i 1 24 122 0 34 48 7 2 6,104 10 3 4,769 7 11 519 10 7 946 3 4 27,896 7 8 69,617 5 9 47 5 0 46,345 16 11 32,646 6 6 26 33 113 4 481 1,043 3 4 73,851 1 14 370,388 2 34 110 71,706 1 28 40 0 23 2,237 3 27 3,277 3 4 0 1 10 149 0 12 16 7 0 31 0 1 32 379 19 6 5,836 7 10 836 17 11 6,209 10 7 193 3 8 219 6 5 4 169 2 0 42 1 20 13 301 16 0 15 80,691 2 28 1 0 38 268 0 12 344 9 11 172,883 6 2 314 3 0 147 1 1 22,643 4 5 121 13 0 9,989 15 3 18 41,002 1 6 2,277 3 24 34 3,533 2 39 108 3 29 Totals ., .. ' .. 2,280 958,652 0 30 420 1 33 547,405 9 0

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Table D shows the position of the several areas applied for during the past year under the optional conditions of " The Land Act, 1892," and the preference of tenure, which has been markedly in favour of occupation with right of purchase, except in the Nelson Land District, where the number of selectors and area selected under the occupation-with-right-of-purchase tenure are less than under the lease-in-perpetuity tenure : —

Table D.—Lands selected on Optional System, showing Preference of Tenure

Table E (which is given below) is interesting, as showing that the barometrical reading of the numbers who have selected land during the past seven years for the purpose of close settlement is once more upon the ascending scale. Table E.—Numbee of Selectors who have selected Lands under Settlement Conditions during the past Seven Years. Year. Selectors. 1900-1 1,767 1901-2 L632 1902-3 .. .. .. .. .. .. •■ •• L602 1903-4 2,053 1904-5 .. .. .. .. .. •• •• •■ 1,581 1905-6 .. .. . . .. .. • • • • • • L536 1906-7 .. .. .. .. .. •• •• •• 1,64*1 Repoets op the Commissioners op Ceown Lands, and General Progress op Settlement. Each land district has its own special features, and the several Commissioners have dwelt in detail upon all points of special interest. They one and all draw attention to the great demand for bona fide settlement, and to the steady progress made by all classes of settlers. The North Island, generally speaking, has had a prosperous year, barring portions of the Auckland District, which suffered heavily from floods just at the season when the crops were being gathered in. The South Island, and more especially Otago and portions of the Canterbury Land District, suffered, on the contrary, from a prolonged but unusual drought, which has had disastrous effects upon many portions of the districts. Great activity is being shown in the Nelson Land District, under its energetic Commissioner, and the large areas of Crown lands which in the past have remained unopened and untouched are now being brought into notice, with the most satisfactory results, as most of the land opened for selection will carry grass very well when the forest is felled, though not, as a rule, suitable for agricultural purposes. Inspections by Rangers. The following table shows the result of the various inspections made by the Crown Lands Rangers, and shows conclusively that the Crown tenants are carrying out the improvement conditions of the Land Act in the spirit as well as in the letter:—

District. Occupation with Right of Purchase. Number. Area. Lease in Perpetuity. Cash. Number. Area. Number, j Ares. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington ... Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury ... Otago Southland ... 236 10 90 30 5 3 Acres. 103,813 3,499 69,945 25,674 1,665 2,646 30 6 ' 18 9 8 Acres. 9,969 1,994 10,995 276 6,725 10 3 2 6 Acres. 1,392 3.737 1,672 3,375 11 27 2,745 5,543 374 1 5 4 48 197 544 3 Totals 412 215,530 74 30,333 31 10,965

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Table F.—Number of Inspections made by the Rangers for the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

The properties visited are slightly in excess of last year, being 9,852-, as against 9,311 shown in the last report. The area inspected—viz., 2,454,433 acres—is, however, slightly less than that reported upon last year. The improvements required to be made upon the total inspected area was £979,736, whilst the improvements actually made are valued at £2,006,791. The defaulters are in excess of last year, and are classified as follows : For non-fulfilment of improvement conditions, 697 ; for nonresidence, 702 ; for other reasons, 19 : total, 1,418. The work of our Crown Rangers is not only very onerous, but is at best a thankless task. Generally speaking, however, it is carried out in every part of New Zealand in a most praiseworthy manner, and the settlers as a whole realise it is necessary that inspections should be made for their own benefit, and also for the moral support it gives to the bona fide and hardworking settler against such as hold the land without seeking to'carry out the improvement conditions. Opeeations op " The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903." The area opened for selection during 1906-7 under the provisions of this Act amounted to 196,842 acres, and the number of selectors who availed themselves of its provisions was 504; the area selected (being made up of land previously opened added to that opened this year and shown above) was 246,359 acres, the amount remitted for the year on new selections being £8,345. The total number of selectors now holding areas under the provisions of the Act is 1,372, holding 642,080 acres, the annual rent remitted on the whole being £22,378. Improved-farm Settlements. Great interest still centres in these settlements, but the only district which has increased its numbers since last year's return is Taranaki, which heads the list with 43,023 acres set apart, and with an actual area occupied of 33,634 acres by 707 persons, who have felled the forest upon 12,809 acres, have grassed 13,760 acres, and own 7,654 head of cattle. Wellington, which comes next, has decreased both its area held and also its settlers resident, as this year 32,572 acres only are returned as set apart, of which 27,127 acres are occupied by 684 persons. But in the next item there is a great advance, as the forest-area felled is 17,070 acres and the area grassed 17,691 acres, while the cattle owned and upon the sections number 20,398—a most satisfactory result. Auckland has 6,719 acres occupied (out of 12,104 set apart) by 179 persons, who have felled 1,695 acres forest and grassed 2,302 acres. These 179 settlers own 1,258 head of cattle. Hawke's Bay has 1,916 acres occupied out of 2,025 acres set apart. The settlers number seventy, who have felled and grassed 1,915 acres and own 442 head of cattle. In the South Island, only Southland contributes its quota to these settlements, with 5,067 acres set apart, and 5,000 acres occupied by 169 persons, who have felled 3,260 acres of forest and grassed 3,155 acres. The settlers own 806 head of cattle. Very little extension of this class of settlement can be looked for, owing to the scarcity of suitable land. It is hoped, however, that a sufficient area near the North Island Main Trunk line may be purchased under " The Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905," to enable workers who wish to settle to have a further chance of so doing when the railwaj 7 is approaching completion.

«y tn O <D . j. 't* no S * £ aQ, co o -r g n fValue of I iprovements Number of Defaulters Distriot. A rea Required. Actually made. o u a ° « 5 fc, ft Q fc, g o as ££ CO _ u a "DO r° -Q «) ri(53 03 O GJ & Total. Auckland ... Hawke's Bay Taranaki ... Wellington Nelson Marlborough Westland ... Canterbury 2,070 747 374 1,828 164 391 432 1,849 1,163 834 A. B. P. 449,430 3 16 402,604 2 1 165,183 1 32 292,149 2 9 72,708 2 7 102,286 0 0 24,185 0 0 562,278 0 1 283,633 0 0 99,974 1 1 £ P. d. 118,626 9 11 132,526 7 7 65,737 0 0 135,068 2 7 10,977 12 7 58,083 16 6 5,307 15 11 253,741 6 8 161,754 2 3 37,913 2 4 £ s. a. 272,617 2 10 374,498 12 11 115,375 6 6 307,246 11 6 30,098 12 6 101,194 0 0 35,926 0 0 469,897 2 6 228,379 0 5 71,558 5 10 281 43 74 21 20 11 89 31 77 50 329 71 21 81 37 14 27 13 81 28 13 "3 610 127 95 105 57 25 116 44 158 81 Otago Southland ... 3 Total ... 9,8521 2,454,433 0 27j 979,735 16 4 2,006,790 15 0 697 702 19 1,418

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Village Settlements. These are gradually being converted into other tenures, as the special conditions have in most cases been long since fulfilled, and in most instances the lessees have surrendered their leases in exchange for other tenures. A special report by the Superintendent is printed in Appendix 111. Pastoral Runs. In last year's report a useful return was embodied showing the years in which the leases of the several pastoral runs in Canterbury and Otago will be falling in. Reports in advance are being obtained as to the suitability or otherwise of the areas for close settlement. The subdivision of the Blackstone Hill and Lauder Runs, in Otago, into areas for close settlement and small grazing-runs was attended with great success, there being 1908 applicants, and the whole area opened has been selected. Revenue Receipts. The receipts from all sources give the very satisfactory total of £578,223, or £27,981 in excess of last year's receipts. Divided under the two headings of " Territorial " and " Non-territorial," the results are, from sources scheduled as territorial, £250,900. This embraces cash, deferred payment (almost non-recurring), perpetual lease (under " Land Act, 1885"), occupation with right of purchase, lease in perpetuity, small grazing and pastoral runs (under " Land Act, 1892") ; also timber licenses from Crown lands other than State forests. Non-territorial revenue realised £327,323. This is derived from numerous sources not enumerated above, such as rents received from land-for settlements estates, which reached £206,443; coal and mineral leases, State forests, endowments administered by Land Boards, Cheviot Estate, &c. The principal contributors (given in the order of the gross amount of their receipts) are —Canterbury, £131,514 ; then Auckland, £95,115 ; Otago, £89,633; Wellington, £71,969; Hawke's Bay, £61,461; Marlborough, £32,985; Southland, £27,244 ; Taranaki, £27,046 ; Nelson, £25,937 ; and Westland, £15,323. For the coming year, 1907-8, it is estimated that £256,000 will be received from territorial sources, and £310,200 from non-territorial, or a total estimated revenue of £566,200. Rebates op Rent. The rebates of rent granted under " The Crown Tenants' Rent Rebate Act, 1900," for the past year has been availed of by 8,345 Crown tenants, who have received remissions to the amount of £7,225 17s. lOd. ; under " The Land for Settlements Consolidation Act, 1900," 3,055 tenants have been granted rebates to the amount of £16,753; whilst the tenants on the Cheviot Estate, to the number of 201, received rebates to the amount of £683 10s. 3d.: the total number of Crown tenants benefited being 11,601, who received a total remission of £24,663 3s. Crown Purchases undee " The Maoei Land Settlement Act, 1905." In last year's report was foreshadowed the intention of the Crown to commence purchasing under the powers given by this Act, and it was decided by Government that the several land-purchase officers should engage in the purchase of suitable blocks of Native lands under the supervision of the UnderSecretary for Lands, who would take instructions for this work from the Hon. the Minister for Native Affairs. As a special report upon these operations will be laid before Parliament by the Native Minister, it will suffice to say that in the Auckland District some 205,016 acres are under negotiation ; in the Hawke's Bay District, 7,954 acres ; and in the Taranaki and Wellington Districts, 107,975 acres. Here it may be useful to state that since 1891 the Crown has purchased 2,800,330 acres of Maori-owned land, distributed as follows : — , Ac;es. Auckland Land District .. . . .. ..' .. .. 1,436,607 Hawke's Bay Land District .. .. .. .. .. 448,697 Taranaki Land District .. .. .. .. .. .. 344,434 Wellington Land District .. .. .. .. .. .. 570,690 Maoei Land Commission. In readiness for the work of the Commission appointed to deal with the question as to the best method of dealing by the Maoris with the lands still held by them, an exhaustive return was compiled dealing with 956 separate blocks, containing a gross area of 4,975,444 acres, giving the description of each block (whether agricultural or pastoral, forest or open) and the present value per acre of the land. No doubt a copy of this return will be attached to the Commissioners' report. In connection not only with the survey necessities disclosed by the published proceedings of the Maori Land Commission, but also in connection with the surplus areas placed in the hands of the Maori Land Boards to deal with by way of lease. is the pressing necessity of pushing on with

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Native-land Sueveys. The general report upon surveys will be dealt with by the Surveyor-General in his annual report, but the question which presses heavily upon the head of the Department is the paramount one of being able to advise both yourself as Minister of Lands and the Hon. the Minister for Native Affairs howto provide the necessary number of surveyors for the urgent work of subdividing the areas dealt with by the Maori Land Boards, and of carrying out the orders of the Native Land Court, so that the dealing with lands may not be blocked. It is quite clear that in order to enable the Maori Boards to place their lands in the market at a reasonable rental the cost of survey must be very moderate. In addition to this it must be remembered that few of the Maori Boards have any accumulated funds from which to pay private surveyors, and, therefore, to carry out the policy of speedily opening Maori lands at the least possible cost, the Native Minister has to enlist the services of the survey staff of the Lands Department, both for the preliminary work of supplying schemes to the Maori Land Boards, and the subsequent carrying-out of the same, because in the cases of the services of Government surveyors the cost can be repaid by instalments, and spread over three or four years. The only drawback hitherto to this policy has been the lack of Government surveyors who could be spared from the vigorous prosecution of the Crown-lands surveys. However, it is hoped that within the next year six or more Government staff surveyors can be liberated from the immediate work of settlement surveys, and take up in lieu thereof the work of Native surveys. Payment of " Thieds " and " Foueths " to Local Bodies. The total amount distributed to counties and Road Boards amounted to £29,064, whilst £2,303 was expended by the Chief Engineer of the Roads Department. A return has just been compiled showing that no less than £16,271 which might have been paid over for expenditure by local bodies has not been claimed within the time provided for by law, and will now be placed at the disposal of the Roads Department for road upkeep and formation. " Timbee and Flax Royalties Act, 1905." Under the provisions of the above Act, a sum of no less than £12,569 2s. lid. has been passed to the Local Bodies' Deposit Account, the two largest contributors being Auckland, £7,571 ss. 4d., and Westland, £3,405 19s. ; Nelson and Southland coming in third and fourth, with respectively £574 13s. 6d. and £558 6s. 2d. Land-fob-settlements Estates. The reports by the several Commissioners of Crown Lands give a detailed statement of the progress of the estates in their districts, and, generally speaking, the progress is very marked and the outlook hopeful; but heavy floods in the summer in the Auckland District, and an exceptionally dry season in parts of Canterbury and Otago, somewhat militated against the Crown lessees in those portions of New Zealand. Ten additional estates have been opened for selection during the past year, and a portion of an estate acquired previously, but not then opened, making a total area for selection of 189,633 acres, the number of new selectors for the year being 198, and the area selected 105,239 acres, yielding a rental of £22,513

Table G. —Estates offered for Selection during the Year ending 31st March, 1907, under "The Land for Settlements Consolidation Act, 1900," and its Amendments.

Land District, and Name of Estate. Area acquired. Number of Selectors. Area selected, [ Ann _f^ M 31st March, 1907. \ OD IS** Date of Opening. Auckland — Selwyn (northern portion) Mangapouri Mangawhero Hawke's Bay— Mangatahi Taranaki — Huinga Wellington— Hikawera Mahupuku A. R. P. •107,882 1 3 2,572 1 13 7,987 3 33 28 34,743 1 29 £ s. d. 1,239 0 4 23rd April, 1906. 25lh March, 1907. 1 J t t t 12,290 3 16 22 12,272 0 34 4,245 3 4 5th February, 1907. 1,880 1 18 7 1,266 1 0 801 4 0 4th October, 1906. 2,615 2 33 7,064 2 25 5 10 2,605 0 0 7,027 0 0 663 13 10 1,534 0 0 5th June, 1906. 5th June, 1906. (25th June, 1906. U7th Sept., 1906. Dyer .. .. 16,657 0 0 35 16,439 1 10 4,328 19 0 Otago— Steward Plunket Totara 21,935 2 7 6,136 0 0 3,161 0 22 48 18 25 21,729 1 28 6,126 0 9 3,031 0 23 5,021 12 6 2,165 6 6 2,513 15 0 9th April, 1906. 5th February, 1907. 25th March, 1907. Totals 189,633 3 5 198 105,239 3 13 22,513 0 4 ' Includes 57,166 acres set aside as a forest reserve, if the financial vear. I Trail sai ;tions as to dispoi ; al of land not completed before the clo6e

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During the two months subsequent to the close of the financial year, the following areas have been allotted: Selwyn Settlement, 1,176£ acres to four selectors; Mangapouri Settlement, 2,371 acres to nine selectors; Mangawhero Settlement, 7,810 acres to seventeen selectors; Huinga Settlement, 588 acres to three selectors; Totara Settlement, 94| acres to one selector : making an additional area of 11,452 acres allotted to thirty-one additional selectors. The estates acquired but not opened on the 31st March, but which are now under survey ready for opening for selection, are: In the Hawke's Bay Land District —Otanga, near Dannevirke, of 4,028 acres : Nelson Land District —Wangapeka, of 4,480 acres : Otago Land District —Otekaike, of 17,767 acres; Ashley Downs, of 3,697 acres; and Airedale, of 2,662 acres. Up to the present date some 149 estates have been acquired, of a total area of 1,017,588 acres, which are occupied by 3,869 selectors, who, with their families, number over 12,000 persons. Foerstey. Accompanying last year's report was a separate paper on the State forests of the colony. This year I have dealt with " The Timber Industry of New Zealand " ; and full details as to the quantity of milling-timber available in the different land districts, together with the number of sawmills in operation, and the annual output and cutting-capacity thereof, are given in a report (C.-4) which is also being laid before Parliament. I may briefly state that it is estimated that at the present time there remains about 36,000,000,000 superficial feet of milling-timber growing upon Crown, Native, and private lands ; that 411 mills are in existence, with an output during the past twelve months of 432,000,000 superficial feet; and that over seven thousand workers are employed in these mills, regarding which full information is supplied. Full particulars of the operations of the reafforestation branch of the Department, under the control of Mr. H. J. Matthews, will be printed separately as a parliamentary paper. A perusal of his report (C.-1b) on the various nurseries and plantations shows the efforts the Government are making to cope with the diminishing supply of indigenous milling-timber. Hampered as they are by a diminishing revenue from State-forest sources, much economy is necessarily being practised, as " The New Zealand State Forests Act, 1885," does not authorise any portion of these expenses being charged against the consolidated revenue. Scenery-peeseevation, During the session of 1906 an amending Act was passed by Parliament, and as a consequence the new Scenery Preservation Board, consisting of the Surveyor-General, the General Manager of the Tourist Department, and the Commissioner of Crown Lands for each land district, was duly constituted. Meetings of the Auckland, Wellington, and Otago Boards have been held, and a number of recommendations for the acquisition and reservation of land for scenic purposes submitted to the Governor. Particulars of the year's proceedings, and of the numerous reservations made from time to time for the purposes of scenery-preservation, will be found in the annual report on scenery-preservation (C.-6) laid on the table of both Houses. During the preceding twelve months 11,237 acres of land was gazetted under the Scenery Preservation Acts, making a total of 25,802 acres since 1904. The expenditure for the year amounted to £9,411 9s. Bd., which includes £8,096 3s. 6d. paid as compensation for land taken; and proposals for the acquisition and proclamation of further areas of land are now under consideration. " Woekers' Dwellings Act, 1905." In accordance with its provisions, the Land Boards of the Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago Land Districts were handed over the following completed dwellings, viz. : — Dwellings. Auckland (Ellerslie and Otahuhu) .. .. .. .. 20 Wellington (Petone) .. .. .. . . .. .. 25 Christchurch (Sydenham) .. .. .. .. .. 12 Dunedin (Windle) .. .. .. .. .. .. 14 being a total of seventy-one dwellings, fifty-two of which were let at date of compilation of this report. All new dwellings are being erected under the direction of the Hon. the Minister of Labour, and when completed pass to the control of the Land Board in whose district they are situated. Mr. J. E. March has been the Inspector to whom was intrusted the work of bringing under the notice of the workers the advantages offered them under the provisions of the Act.

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Domains (undee Act of 1905). These are dealt with in a separate report, and, as directed by the Domains Act Amendment of 1905, are reported upon by the Minister. It suffices to say that far more interest is now taken by the several Trustees, and the provisions of the Act are being efficiently observed. The total number of domains dealt with is 415. Cemeteeies. Cemeteries to the number of 482 are under the charge of this Department, and the gazetting of Trustees to take charge, and the filling-in of vacancies occurring through resignations, and other routine work is carefully attended to. As indicated in last year's report, small grants are made to assist the fencing-in, clearing, and putting-in-order of new cemeteries in outlying country districts. Landless Natives in South Island. By the passing of " The South Island Landless Natives Act, 1906," power has been taken to give effect to the awards made by the Commissioners. As soon as the whole of the surveys are completed, the necessary notices will be issued in the Kahiti, specifying the areas allotted and the names of the Maoris participating. Chatham Islands. In February last, at the request of the Hon. the Native Minister, Mr. C. Brown, of the Wellington District Survey Office (whose duties lie principally with Native Land Court work) was despatched to the Chatham Islands to report upon each block of land, dealing with the area and capital value, the value of the improvements, the unimproved value of each, and also its general character as to soil, &c. His report, which was very complete, dealt with 142 blocks and subdivisions of blocks, the total area being 191,047 acres, the capital value being £123,473 ; the improvements are valued at £26,720, and the unimproved value is £96,752. The land sold to Europeans amounts to 93,413 acres. The Native land leased to Europeans amounts to 38,692 acres, and unleased 58,918 acres. Crown land, such as school-sites, &c, amounts to 24 acres. Medical Assistance to Settlees in Outlying Districts. Some sixteen separate districts have availed themselves of the subsidies granted to settlers who form themselves into medical clubs and arrange amongst themselves as to the amounts they can guarantee towards the support of a medical man who will locate himself in their midst. Of these sixteen eleven are in the North Island and five in the South Island, the subsidies granted for each Island being respectively £605 and £375. Land Audit. In accordance with the provisions of section 3 of " The Public Revenues Act, 1906," arrangement was made with the Auditor-General to take over, as from the Ist February, 1907, Mr. Runcie and his assistants, who had hitherto carried on the land audit of the Department in the most able and painstaking manner. The system of audit hitherto in vogue, as far as this Department is concerned, was a most searching and reliable one, and the " card " system introduced by the Auditor enabled a most complete check to be kept upon the transactions with every Crown lessee or licensee, as well as all timber sales and transactions. I learn with much pleasure that up to the present the Auditor-General has seen fit to make no change in the system of auditing the accounts of the Lands Department, whose income has now reached £578,000 per annum. Depaetmental and General. It is some satisfaction to know that though as Minister of Lands you have visited nearly every portion of New Zealand, and have either met with every class of settler and Crown tenant or have been by letter in communication with them, no substantial grievances (which Commissioners and Land Boards could have alleviated) have been brought before you. Though it is in the natural order of things that some twenty-five thousand Crown tenants cannot always be treated in such a manner as to have no iust cause of complaint, it may fairly be claimed that the whole of the Land Boards and Commissioners as well as every officer of the Lands Department, do their very best to avoid all unnecessary friction, and I take this opportunity of stating that personally I feel deeply indebted to the whole staff of Commissioners and their officers for the ready and unremitting attention paid to their onerous duties. The Chief Clerk (Mr. O'Neill) of the Head Office has attached a statement showing the detail of the work carried on in this office, to which are added the duties in connection with

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immigration, of which I am also the Under-Secretary. I consider Mr. O'Neill one of the most efficient Chief Clerks in the Service. He has with him some most able assistants, and of these I may mention Mr. Danby, who acts as Immigration Officer in Wellington, and boards all the Home steamers on arrival, and generally undertakes immigration-work ; Mr. Hawthorne, upon whom devolves not only the general supervision of all reserves, but the compilation of all the statistics used for the annual returns ; Mr. Jourdain, in addition to his ordinary and spoc/ -,1 work, is also Secretary to the Scenery Preservation Board, and the duties are performed in a most satisfactory manner; Mr. Hardy (under the Chief Clerk) has the supervision of all domains and cemeteries, and his work is carried out in no perfunctory manner. The other officers of the clerical staff have also been most assiduous in attention to their duties. Accounts of the Depaetment. This all-important branch is under the charge of the Accountant (Mr. Paterson), who with only two assistants (Miss Woodhouse and a cadet) carry out all the details required for an expenditure amounting to £752,750. A schedule showing the various headings under which the accounts are kept is herewith appended for general information : — Summaey of Expenditure for Year ended 31st March, 1907. Gtross. Vote £ a. (1. 66 Lands and Survey .. .. . . .. . . 154,224 5 7 67 Lands and Survey. Miscellaneous .. _ .. .. .. 35,245 15 11 - 116 State Forests Account .. .. .. . . .. 25,020 7 1 118 Scenery-preservation .. .. .. .. 9,411 9 8 119 Land-for-settlements expenses . . .. .. 2,470 18 6 120 Workers' dwellings expenses . . .. .. .. 603 10 5 121 Maori-land settlement expenses .. .. . . . . 1,604 7 5 Miori Land Settlement Act Account and "Unauthorised" ... 105,621 12 9 Land for Settlements Account and '• Unauthorised " .. 380,817 15 6 Cheviot Estate Account .. .. .. .. 34 2 1 103 Immigration .. .. .. .. .. .. 18,319 7 7 113 Improved-farm settlements . . . . . . 3,415 13 10 114 Lands, Miscellaneous .. . . . . .. . . 1,912 1 I 115 Irrigation and water-supply .. .. . . .. 762 1 4 Unauthorised Account (ordinary) .. .. .. .. 31192 Miscellaneous accounts, pensions, refunds, Native townships, thermal springs, &c. .. .. .. .. 12,975 3 0 £752,750 0 11 I think it is most creditable to Mr. Paterson (and in this I am borne out by the Secretary to the Treasury, Colonel Collins) that he is able to carry on so efficiently the entry and checking of such numerous accounts. REPORT BY THE CHIEF CLERK. The year has been an exceptionally busy one, but the officers have carried out their duties with assiduity and promptitude. Correspondence. The correspondence which has been recorded and despatched during the year amounted to a total of 35,403 letters and telegrams. Land-sales. The procedure for notifying and opening Crown lands for sale and selection required by the provisions of the Land Act necessitated the issue and gazettal of 142 Warrants under sections 113, 121, and 136 of the Act 7 Proclamations under section 172, 3 Proclamations under section 23, 2 Proclamations under section 162. 9 Proclamations under section 168 and 11 Orders in Council under sec-

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tion 169. For the purpose of advertising, 134 separate sale posters were printed. The number of copies for each poster ranged from 350 to 2,000, according to its importance. Four editions of the Land Guides were published and circulated, the number totalling 12,000 copies. Reserves. The reservation and setting-apart of Crown lands for public purposes and for issuing titles to local authorities required 72 Warrants under sections 235 and 236 of the Land Act. There were also 22 Orders in Council issued vesting reserves in local authorities in trust for the purposes for which the lands had been set apart. Some changes in the purposes of reserves were made which involved the issue of 3 notices of intention to make such change, and 11 Warrants changing the purpose. Exchanges of reserves for other lands were permitted in several instances, and 9 Orders in Council were published giving the necessary authority to carry out these exchanges. Domains and Receeation Reseeves. Thirty-five Orders in Council were issued bringing recreation-grounds under the provisions of the Public Domains Act. Twenty-five Orders in Council appointing Domain Boards, and 68 instruments appointing members of Domain Boards, were issued. One appointment of a Board was revoked by Order in Council. Ten domains were visited and inspected by an officer. Cemeteeies. The appointment of trustees and the cancellation of other appointments was responsible for the issue of 51 Warrants, which were duly gazetted. Woekees' Dwellings Act. Regulations were prepared and gazetted, and 3 Orders in Council were issued setting land apart for the erection of such dwellings. Scenery-preseevation. Ten Proclamations were issued dealing with this question. Miscellaneous. There were 56 miscellaneous Warrants and notifications upon various matters, such as rivers proclaimed under the Timber-floating Act. roads through Native lands, notices laying off roads, &c. Old-age Pensions. The Department administering this Act referred 169 cases for certificates regarding arrival of persons in the colony, and the ages of the persons when they embarked. Certificates were supplied in the majority of cases from the records preserved in regard to immigration under the Act of 1870.

Titles. The following return contains a summary of the number of Crown grants, Warrants, certificates of title, leases, and licenses issued during the year:-

2 3 Land Distiiot. J g js a a r o a i 3 ■3 ■- c |§ d -h 3 « fl 5J .2 Certificates notincluded in Warrants. rH a> j3 ; a Area. 01 t. *> ■=,2 rr| O Srsl Sal G to s S! s (ranted Natives. _ o . s s I 3 » S Area. o 0> m v a rrg .as a 2 <o £ t u C D O r. c QJ r. si o a C .uckland .. | 1 lawke's Bay | 3 'aranaki .... Vellington .. 1 Jelson .. 1 larlborough lanterbury .. 3 Vestland Itago .. 1 louthland .. 3 40 90 63 11 31 8 8 13 4 3 8 1 16 5 11,000 20,800 600 1,900 6,100 33,000 1,600 859 5,500 9,00.0 13 5 4 60 i 5 17,000 5,700 20,306 23,300 173 300 238 96 106 237 56 14 62 35 95 184 28,040 26,590 20,906 25,263 6,111 33,173 3,175 859 5,546 9,963 3 5 •1 52 1 150 4,700 21,100 22,000 173 79 1 5 25 2 0 24 9 5 7 6,000 23 64 837 27 620 7,440 23,778 56,488 12,442 7 i 1 1,275 "3 31 4 2 43 932 i 43 i Totals .. 13 107,719 8 2 1,513 97 90,359 94 67,754 1,123 159,626 66 48,166 163

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APPENDICES.

APPENDIX I.—SETTLEMENT OF CROWN LANDS.

EXTRACTS FROM THE REPORTS OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF CROWN LANDS ON SETTLEMENT OPERATIONS DURING THE TWELVE MONTHS WHICH ENDED ON THE 31st MARCH, 1907.

AUCKLAND. The Settlement of Ceown Lands. In reporting on the operations of the Department in this land district, a repetition of information which is plainly evident on a perusal of the tables has been avoided, except in such cases as appear to require special notice, or where a general statement may enhance the value of the tabulated details. The special feature of the following summary is that it shows how far the district has contributed during the year to the settlement of the Crown lands of the colony. Notwithstanding that 497 persons have been allotted 185,424 acres on the various leasehold and occupation tenures, the official records show that there continues a keen demand for land by people who are anxious to become settled on farms of their own.

Summary showing Number of New Selectors and Area taken up from the 1st April, 1906, to the 31st March, 1907, and Total Amount of Revenue received, during the Year in the Auckland Land District.

Nature and Tenure of Lands selected. Number of Selectors. Area selected. Cash received on Past and Current Transactions. Down lands sold for cash ... ... Suburban lands sold for cash Rural lands sold for cash Perpetual leases made freehold ... ... \ Occupation with right of purchase made freehold Deferred-payment instalments ... ... Perpetual leases ... ... ... ... Occupation with right of purchase [jease in perpetuity... tillage settlementCash ... Perpetual lease (repayment of advances) Lease in perpetuity tillage-homestead special settlements... Special-settlement associations (lease in perpetuity) [mproved-farm special settlements [mproved-farm special settlements made freehold Occupation leases, Mining Districts Land Ofcupation Act 5mall grazing-runs ... Pastoral runs rhermal springs, Botorua Miscellaneous leases and licenses Miscellaneous Workers' Dwellings Act Land for Settlements Acts— Gash Lease in perpetuity Small grazing-runs Miscellaneous ... ... ... ... 59 11 28 236 41 8 4 2 4 21 4 7 67 5 a. B. p. 146 1 9 40 0 10 1,878 2 37 108,812 3 27 13,822 3 22 : £ s. d. I,547 7 4 224 15 2 1,094 3 10 875 15 0 4,794 6 6 249 0 9 834 4 7 13,582 6 5 6,663 7 2 14 1 0 18 1 7 ... ' 358 0 0 170 7 7 102 16 9 119 16 4 325 12 11 72 0 32 312 0 2 91 10 0 408 13 4 8,551 0 0 19,109 0 0 : 110 526 16 10 517 16 3 47 5 0 -20,476 8 1 1-21,639 7 1 89 8 1 8 2 36 15,586 0 9 22,357 0 0 ... 70 2 6 13,525 9 0 271 0 5 3,384 3 4 Totals ... ... • ... 497 185,424 2 29 92,302 0 5 * Includes £17,560 7s., timber licenses and sale of timber. f Ioclud Includes £17,735 11s. 7d. State foreste'revenuc.

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Lands offered and disposed of oueing the Year. The survey staff has been busily engaged in subdividing land for settlement purposes (a great deal of which is naturally getting more remote from year to year), resulting in the following area of lands being thrown open for selection : — .' cm. North of Auckland Citv .. .. .. .. .. .. 42,432 South of Auckland City .. . . .. .. .. .. 123,462 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. 165,894 At the beginning of the year the following area was open for selection : — Acres. North of Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. 143,747 South of Auckland City .. .. .. . . .. .. 682,842 Total .. .. .. .. .. 826,589 The area of land already open for selection, together with the area of new land offered, was therefore as follows :— Acres. North of Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. 186,179 South of Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. 806,304 Total area available for selection during the year .. .. 992,483 The following is an estimate of the new lands that will be opened during the coming year : — Acre" . North of Auckland .. .. .. .. .. .. 40,000 South of Auckland .. .. .. ... .. .. 105,000 Total ~. .. .. .. .. .. 145,000 Conditions and Peogeess of Settlement. Generally speaking, the reports from Crown Lands Rangers show that there are signs of progress in almost every direction. In localities that cannot be included amongst the more progressive ones, all that can be said is that they are practically in the same position as when last reported on. The non-progressive districts may have difficulties peculiar to them which have not affected other localities, and yet. whilst not showing signs of progress, have at least held their own. North of Auckland. The Rangers report as follows : — Mongonui County. —Settlement in this county is progressing at a fairly satisfactory rate. The chief industries are mixed farming, dairying, gum-digging, timber and flax milling. There are two co-operative dairy factories and one creamery in full work, another creamery in course of erection, and a third will probably be erected shortly. There are four timber-mills and five flax mills. The farmers and settlers generally have had a prosperous year, in spite of the heavy losses sustained by the unusually high flood in January last. Whangaroa County. —There is not much progress in Whangaroa County. It is hoped that the copper-mines will revive trade in the district. Bay of Islands County. —The bulk of the land in this county is of very poor quality. At Ohaeawai there is a dairy factory, and a creamery at Okaihau. There are also three flax-mills at work in the county, and one sawmill. The chief industry is stock-raising. There is a considerable area of first-class Native land at Kaikohe, which would be readily taken up. Hokianga County. —The Hokianga River and its tributaries, which have a length of about 250 miles along which oil and steam launches ply, give a special advantage to this county. Large vessels may be taken eighteen miles up the main river. Kohukohu and Rawene are the most important centres. The most progressive Crown settlement is Waimamaku (including Waiotemarama), which supports a cheese factory. The Kauri Timber Company's mill provides plenty of work for those in need of it. Herekino, Motukaraka, Broadwood, and Utukura are the next more advanced settlements. Throughout the whole county there is every indication of progress. The grass sown by the Department on a surrendered section near Broadwood was a great success, and has been the means of bringing several good settlers into the district. In the county there are six flax-mill/; and five sawmills at work, the wages at which amount to a considerable sum. Constant attention is necessary to protect from trespassers the State kauri forests of Huaki and Waipoua to the south, and Te Hura and Warawara to the north, of Hokianga River. Whangarei County. —The Crown tenants are, with few exceptions, doing very well. Especially is this so in Mangakahia and Purua Survey Districts, and in that part of Maungaru within the county. Otamatea and Hobson Counties. —The settlers in these districts all appear to be making fair progress. In the Tokatoka Swamp there has been a marked improvement. There are two creameries at work in the district, which has evidently a bright future before it. Bay of Islands County.— ln the' part of the county that comes within my district there has been considerable activity in the gum and flax industries, and settlement is progressing satisfactorily.

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Generally speaking, the settlers are prosperous, and the flax and butter outputs have considerably increased. Swamps are being drained and planted with flax in several localities. There is keen competition among mill-owners for the green flax, and it is readily bought even when extremely difficult of access. The timber industry has also been active, and there is a good demand for labour in the timber, flax, and gum industries The Ranger whose district extends over an area both north and south of Auckland City reports as follows on the portions which he has visited : — Waitemata, Rodney, Otamatea, Waipa, and Manukau Counties. —Most of the settlers have effected good improvements and are doing well. A considerable area of bush has been felled, and fair burns have been obtained. Several flax-mills are working in the Waitemata County. Stock-raising, however, is the principal occupation of the settlers. Thames County (part). —The land available for settlement being mostly broken country, settlers confine their operations principally to stock-raising, which has greatly increased, and they are diligently felling and burning bush, with good results Being chiefly a mining district, settlement is somewhat curtailed on bush lands through most of the areas being withdrawn from Hauraki Pastoral Lease Regulations, a form of tenure exceedingly popular with settlers; but, as a number of timber leases are now nearly devoid of milling-timbers, the areas will soon become available for settlement. The mining, kauri-timber, and gum industries continue to provide employment for a large number of persons. New schools have been erected, and roadwork is being pushed on by the local body. A considerable area of rich swamp country will be available as soon as a successful drainage scheme has been devised. Coromandel County, Ohinemuri and Piako Counties (parts).—The report on Thames County applies equally to the Coromandel County. Stock-raising is the principal occupation, and there are several flax-mills also at work. In the Waitoa district, although more recently selected, good improvements have been made, and the selectors are fairly prosperous. The land available for settlement is easily brought under cultivation, as it is mostly flat and covered with fern or tea-tree. Waikato County. —Most of the selections in the county were inspected, and I found the improvements well advanced. Bushfelling had been effected extensively, and good burns had taken place. Dairying and stock-raising are the principal occupations of the settlers, who appear to be doing exceedingly well. Raglan County. —The report on Waikato County applies similarly to the selections in this county. There are signs of prosperity everywhere. South of Auckland. The Rangers have supplied the following reports : — Waitomo County. —There is every indication that the selectors who have gone into these backblocks are satisfied with their sections. There has been an increase in the number of cattle and sheep. Bushfelling is being carried on energetically. Schools and dairy factories are being erected, and there is every sign of a progressive district. A large area of Native land has been taken up by private individuals. Awakino County. —There has also been excellent progress in this district. The settlers are devoting their attention to stock-raising, and settlement is progressing satisfactorily. Kawhia County. —A marked increase in the number of cattle and sheep, the area brought under crop, the extensive bushfelling, and the general evidence of energetic settlement indicate that this will be a very prosperous district. The Northern Steamship Company has a small steamer trading from Kawhia up the Marakopa River, and it has proved a great boon to the settlers in the contiguous districts. West Tau-po and Waipa Counties. —Dairying, stock-raising, and cropping are receiving attention from the settlers in the Puniu Survey District, but I am not in a position to say much about the general progress of settlement in these counties, as I have not been able to go over any considerable portion of the locality. Opotiki County. —Selectors, on the whole, are making good progress, and have established comfortable homes, especially those who have obtained large areas. A few small areas taken up by people with small means have made poor headway, which shows that the Opotiki forest lands are not suitable for small farms or for people with little means to carry out the improvements. The whole district was visited by heavy floods in January, which caused considerable damage to roads and crops. Whakatane County. —The swamp lands in the Rangitaiki and Matata districts are receiving great attention in the matter of flax-cultivation. Some of the sections have changed hands at high prices. A considerable sum of money is being spent in taking levels and putting in drains, but until the floodwaters from the Rangitaiki River are prevented from running into the swamp no satisfactory results will be obtained. For the present it is impossible for the selectors as a whole to reside. The high land in the county is first-class dairying country, and the selectors are doing well. Tauranga County. —A number of new settlers have taken up land in this district, and people are just beginning to find out that it is first-class dairying country. With good practical farming, the socalled Bay of Plenty cattle-disease is a myth. Rotorua County. —When this district becomes cleared and grassed there is nothing to prevent it from becoming a large dairying centre. All that is required is strict attention to grass-seed ; all soft grasses should be avoided. The timber industry is in full swing. In addition to the four large sawmills at Mamaku, another has been erected at Arahiwi, and a mill has been moved into the forest lately purchased by the Government from the Thames Valley Land Company. There, has also been a large mill erected in the Horohoro district, and seven miles of tram-line have been formed from the Ngatira Railway-station to the mill. There is a demand for labour in the district.

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H|/?a.stf Taupo County. —The greater part of this county consists of open manuka scrub, tussock, and fern land, with the exception of about 80,000 acres of good milling-timber. Timber-mills are at work in the district, but there are only eight selectors in the county. Cattle-raising is the chief industry. Piako, Ohinemuri, and Thames Counties (parts). —The reports on this part of the district are practically similar to those already given above. The Rangers in whose districts are situated special settlements, village settlements, and improvedfarm settlements have supplied general reports on the various settlements, but these are being dealt with under separate headings. One Ranger has practically devoted the whole of his time to the 'nspection of the holdings acquired under the Land for Settlements Acts, and he has made a comprehensive detailed report on each settlement, which is also dealt with separately. The Rangers' returns show that a very large number of inspections have been made. As in former years, the figures demonstrate the activity of the settlers, as they have effected improvements far in excess of the statutory requirements. I would here like to remark that our Rangers' duties in these northern districts are various and extensive, requiring tact, industry, and perseverance, and the mere examination of holdings for compliance with the conditions of the Land Act represents but a tithe of their labours. The demands on their time for timber-measurements and flax-approximations are great, and the multifarious wants and complaints of the gum-digger, fruit-grower, the gold and coal miner, the timber-floater, to say nothing of native, scenic, thermal, and other matters, make their life a responsible and arduous one. The Difficulties of Settlees. Want of access is perhaps the greatest difficulty in the north that settlers have to contend with, although absence of schools and the prevalence of swamp-areas in some localities also add to the difficulties of settlement, and keep people who would otherwise make their homes on their selections from taking their families out. In a measure the question of establishment of schools and other conveniences of civilisation depends upon the settlers themselves, but few care to go out with their families and put up with the drawbacks on the chance of others eventually following. Isolation has a depressing effect, and is therefore avoided as much as possible. Notwithstanding this aspect, however, the schedule of Rangers' reports shows that the percentage of resident selectors is very high There continue to exist two distinct classes of defaulters —viz., (1) those who have taken up land and obtained all the concessions as to non-payment of rent and residence, whose actions demonstrate them as simply hanging on with a view to disposing of their interests at a profit when the conditions of occupation shall have become compulsory ; and (2) the hardworking man of small means who supports his family by outside work and puts all his small savings into the improvement of his holding in view of subsequent residence, but who, even after a great struggle, has failed to carry out all his obligations These two classes call for the exercise of care and discrimination in dealing with defaulters, as the former is not entitled to any consideration, whilst the latter deserves all the encouragement that is within the power of the Land Board to concede. Land Board. The Land Board held twenty-five meetings during the year, some of which extended over a period of three days. The variety and multitude of matters dealt with by the Board make it impossible to classify all the subjects, but an idea of the volume of business is given from the return of transfers and mortgages, 429 of the former and 373 of the latter having been considered. The Land Board, with a view to keeping in touch with the many varying phases and wants in different localities, as well as seeing the settlers on the land, made three tours of inspection during the year —one in the Whangarei, Hobson, and Bay of Islands Counties, while a large block of land was being opened in the Mangakahia Valley ; another through Opotiki and Whakatane Counties, at a time when an impoitant ballot was being held at Opotiki. The back settlements in this county were visited, and examinations were also made of Rangitaiki Swamp and the Waimana Estate. The Board also recently went over the Selwyn, Mangawhero, and Mangapouri Estates. I have myself individually paid special visits to different parts of the land district during the year. Forest Lands and Timber Industry. The Chief Timber Ranger reports that there has betn a continued demand for milling-timber in the district, and to meet the requirements five parties, comprising twelve men, are constantly employed measuring timber prior to submitting it for public competition. Of the various kinds of timber. 41,847,206 ft. have been disposed of during the year, and the royalties received amounted to £34,630 6s. 3d. A special rep< rt in connection with the timber industry has been compiled for the Head Office, showing the number and localities of sawmills in operation, and details regarding the number of men employed, the output, and exports, together with approximate quantities and kinds of timber remaining on Crown lands and State forests. Twenty timber-floating licenses were issued during the year, eighty-nine lapsed, and the total number issued since the Act came into force is 173. There can be no doubt that the time is well within sight when the great kauri industry will be a thing of the past, and attention will have to be given to other varieties of timber, of which, fortunately, there is still an abundance ; and the dav will ccme when, amongst others, the large timber-conservation of about 57.000 acres on the Selwyn Estate, with its comparatively easy railway connection, and its hundreds of millions of feet of rimu, totara, kahikatea, and tawa —now thought, perhaps, but little of by many —will become a valuable national asset.

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Flax. Industry. The importance of this great industry is every day becoming more apparent, and its great possibilities are forcing themselves upon the attention, of the Land Board and the Department. There are very large areas of Crown swamp in different districts, and particularly in the Piako, which, with an expenditure of, say, from £1 to £1 10s. an acre, would raise their values to anything from £5 per acre upwards. During the past year arrangements were made with Mr. Scotcher, flaxmiller, in the Piako Swamp, to plant out in flax-plants the poorest part of the swamp as an experiment. On looking at the plants a few days ago with the Hon. Mr. McNab, I was astonished at the growth and the success under such conditions. It augurs well for the future prospects of flax-growing that such good results can be produced from poor land. Experts in the past have advised that 300 acres of closely grown flax, when once established, will provide employment in perpetuity for a mill employing fifty hands in the cutting, milling, and drying; but even if it required an area of 500 or 1,000 acres, the advantage to the country as a whole would be enormous. I, therefore, am decidedly of opinion that Crown land capable of growing flax should be conserved with this end in view, and only offered after it has been sufficiently drained for that purpose. Broadly speaking, what I mean is not thorough draining, but having the main outlets cut, so that every flax-farmer would know from the first where his diains would run, and would then gladly do the rest himself. Hauraki Pastoral Leases. From the Ranger's report it will be seen that this form of tenure is one that appeals to the classes of selectors of land over which the conditions of occupation prescribed apply. Improvements have not fallen due on many of the selections, but during the ensuing year the required time will have expired, when it will be necessary to inspect the holdings, and at the end of the year a better idea will be given of how selectors have carried out their obligations. T would point out that, as the object of the Hauraki Pastoral Lease Regulations was only to make use of the open country for grazing, no applications, as a rule, are now approved for any land having timber on it that could be used either for milling or mining. The following is the Ranger's report with regard to those holdings : " This is a tenure that is becoming very popular with the settlers in the mining district. It is the only way of settling these poorer classes of land to advantage, as it gives fairly large areas at low rental. The majority of the area which is open for selection is rough and broken, principally fern land, and only suited for the fireresisting grasses, such as Danthonia and rat-tail, and when stocked with sheep, which are most suitable for this class of country, it gives good results. Speaking generally, most of the settlers have made good improvements, and are thrifty and contented." Correspondence. The Record Clerk reports that during the year 28,264 letters and parcels and 1,791 telegrams were received, and 53,071 letters and parcels and 1,803 telegrams despatched. Accounts. The Accountant states that the number of vouchers passed through the books during the year amounted to 2,008, representing an expenditure of £48,046 4s. 3d., and forty transfer vouchers showing credits amounting to £3,659 18s. lid. On the Chief Draughtsman's Imprest Account 1,121 vouchers requiring payment were made by 1,767 cheques, totalling £21,551 3s. Bd. ; and the amount imprested by the Paymaster-General was £22.571. On his Official Account 857 cheques were drawn for a total sum of £11,322 19s. 9d. On the Commissioner's Imprest Account thirteen vouchers requiring payment were made by twenty-one cheques, amounting to £108 13s. 3d., and the amount imprested was £200. On his Official Account eight cheques were drawn for a total sum of £750. The average number of men employed per month on survey parties was seventy-one, for which wages amounting to £7,489 2s. was paid; and for timber-measuring, &c, the average was ten, for which £1,688 9s. 9d. was paid. The sum of £2,208 lis. 6d. was collected for survey liens, and re-leases (in triplicate) numbering 168 were issued, while ninety-six cards were forwarded to the Auditor of Land Revenue, Wellington. 772 applications to have land cut out in satisfaction of survey liens were forwarded to the Native Land Court. J. Mackenzie, Commissioner of Crown Lands. HAWKE'S BAY. Lands opened for Selection. The lands opened for sale and selection under the various tenures during the year reached the total of 42,581 acres. Of this area, 14,506 acresjwere offered for the first time, and 28,075 acres had been previously offered. A brisk demand for land continues, the difficulty of meeting which is considerable ; and, whether easy"pf access or otherwise, available areas have been largely applied for, and wholly selected in every instance.

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The area shown as open for selection —viz., 19,797 acres —comprises pastoral-run and town lands exclusively, thus illustrating how eagerly land is selected in this district. Lands disposed of. This year's revenue shows a decrease of £6,172 on the total of last year. One of the chief contributing causes of this falling-off is the failure through inability or disinclination on the part of selectors under the occupation-with-right-of-purchase system to acquire the freehold of their holdings, as out of forty-four lessees under that tenure only five availed themselves of the opportunity. The land transactions for the year ended the 31st March, 1907, with the number of tenants, the area held under each tenure, and the revenue derived therefrom, are given concisely in the following summary : —

Summary of Land, Transactions, 1906-7.

Review of each System of Tenure. Deferred Payment. —Remains unchanged, one tenant holding a pastoral area of 1,415 acres. Perpetual Leases. —Twelve tenants hold an area of 3,543 acres of Crown lands, paying £132 annually, whilst 3,233 acres of < ducation-endowment lands are held by seventeen tenants, and for which an annual rental of £161 is payable. The lessees herein are rapidly converting their holdings into freehold or exchanging to lease in perpetuity, so the tenure bids fair, like deferred payments, to soon become a system of the past. Occupation with Right of Purchase has been further augmented by ten selections, whilst two were written off, and five acquired the freehold. This leaves 245 tenants, holding 134,717 acres, and paying an annual rental of £6,699. Value of improvements effected on properties visited was £97,316, as against

Transact ons during Year. Leaseh 31si >ld Lands held at March, 1907. Revenue received during Year 1906-7. Tenure. Number. Area. Number. Area. Cash Perpetual lease made freehold Occupation with right of purchase made freehold Perpetual lease Deferred payments Occupation with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Village settlements — Occupation with right of purchase Cash ... Lease in perpetuity Village - homestead special settlements Special - settlement associations —Lease in perpetuity Improved farms Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs Timber-cutting Miscellaneous leases Transfer fees Crown-grant fees ... Survey liens Other sources 46 1 5 A. R. P. 815 1 36 327 0 0 2,088 0 0 A. R. P. £ s. d. 1,988 17 9 560 0 0 1,789 3 0 "io 3,498" 3 5 12 1 245 3,543 0 23 1,415 0 0 134,717 2 22 164 7 4 63 15 0 6,051 18 4 6 1,993 3 24 202 103,615 3 28 3,375 10 0 7 45 0 14 0 12 6 "l2 792 1 7 "62 27 2,718 0 39 160 1 18 5 0 0 1,157 12 3 60 5 10 14 3,111 0 19 116 1 8 4 14 30,652 0 0 3,282 0 14 17 85 17 "85 1,916 0 0 248,938 3 2 117,713 0 0 63,437 8 24 238 18 6 2,782 7 3 762 4 1 240 0 0 754 -8 9 207 2 0 60 18 7 61 9 4 443 17 10 Totals ... Land for settlementsLease in perpetuity Lease in perpetuity (village) Small grazing-runs Miscellaneous leases Miscellaneous receipts Cash village Buildings, &c. Native townships ... Endowments 98 24 1 43,449 2 6 12,585 3 12 2" 1 0 774 419 14 16 9 681,332 0 29 119,093 1 13 33 3 24 19,681 0 0 369 0 27 20,884 10 0 34,684 11 11 21 8 11 4,118 2 6 185 19 6 3 11 0 8 0 0 776 13 1 434 18 6 344 0 6 "l 0" 1 0 15 77 3 25 103 26 692 3 2 9,362 2 35 Grand totals 391 56,115 3 3 1,361 830,565 0 10 61,461 15 11

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£38,516 required by the Act, and souls residing were 226. As stated in my remarks under " Lands disposed of," not so much eagerness is evinced towards making these holdings freehold when the opportunity occurs, which may be attributed to the fact that tenants who have not the requisite cash to enable them to acquire the freehold recognise the wisdom of paying 5 per cent, to the Crown in preference to a much higher rate to money-lenders, whilst those possessing the necessary capital can easily find an investment that would allow a fair margin of profit as between the rental paid to the Government and the interest earned by such investment. Lease in Perpetuity. —Six fresh selections only under this tenure have obtained during the year. There were two forfeitures, two surrenders, and one exchange, and the area now held by 202 tenants is 103,616 acres, for which an annual rental of £3,606 is payable. Value of improvements required was £28,291, whilst the value of those effected was £73,877, and souls residing were 171. Small Grazing-runs remain as at last year, 248,938 acres being held by eighty-five tenants, who pay an annual rental of £2,775; and of twelve leases expiring in February, 1908, eleven have been offered to existing lessees for a further term at increased rentals, and the twelfth is to be subdivided and offered as two runs. Pastoral Runs. —There are 117,713 acres held by seventeen settlers, representing an annual rental of £777. Four new selections were made during the year, included in which was a time-expired lease reselected by the original holder, whilst two (inclusive of the foregoing) were surrendered. Inspections and Rangers' Reports. One Ranger visited 567 properties, with an area of 241,051 acres, on which he found 1,870 souls residing. The value of improvements required was £78,086, as against £199,539 actually effected. 21,504 acres of the total area visited was felled, 26,234 acres was grassed, and 8,442 acres in crop; whilst 452 buildings were erected thereon, of a value of £20,521. Out of a total of 567 tenants, 104 were defaulters—for non-residence, 57 ; for improvements, 39 ; and other causes, B—due in some instances to want of schools or to insufficient means of access, although in this latter respect there is a marked improvement since last year. The other Ranger reports that he visited 180 properties in the Poverty Bay district, with an area of 161,553 acres, and found that 470 souls resided, and that improvements to the value of £174,959 had been effected, as against £54,440 actually required. Area felled on holdings visited was 64,000 acres ; grassed, 69,000 acres ; and in crop, 257 acres. Buildings erected were 221, of a value of £22,604. Position and Peogress of Settlement. The high standard of settlement obtaining in this district has been well maintained during the year, and the predictions of my predecessor as to its well-being and prosperity fully justified. Settlement has proceeded apace, increasing steadily, and for lands which have been thrown open for selection there has been keen competition—in all cases a good class of settler being obtained. Especially is this so in the case of the Mangatahi Settlement, of 12,272 acres, opened for selection on the sth February last. The Land Board was most careful in examining applicants, and, in the endeavour to secure the best class of settler, rejected no less than twenty of the 151 who applied for the twenty-two allotments. On every hand there are unmistakable indications of satisfactory settlement, and the Rangers' reports disclose further progress. Total improvements effected on all lands are valued at £199,539, and those required at £78,086. Stock carried stands at —horses, 3,714 ; sheep, 379,550 ; cattle, 17,686 ; and pigs, 1,394 : being an increase of 67,586 as compared with last period. The results of the year, both from the farmers' and pastoralists' points of view, have been excellent, prices all round being well sustained, and this Department, in consequence, experiencing little or no trouble in collecting rents and enforcing the requirements of the Acts. With the splendid climatic conditions which obtain here, landholders can hardly avoid prosperity, and one is, therefore, with the present hopeful outlook, quite safe in predicting another successful year. Rebate of Rent. Four hundred and seventy-six tenants, holding an area of 221,358 acres, have benefited to the extent of £997 under " The Crown Tenants' Rent Rebate Act, 1900 " ; and under " The Land for Settlements Consolidation Act, 1900," 389 tenants, holding an area of 214,017 acres, were granted rebates amounting to £3,561. These figures are considerably in excess of last year's totals. Number of Tenants, and Arrears. Last year's numbers have been further added to, and now 1,361 tenants hold 830,565 acres, for which £61,720 is payable annually, or an average of £45 3s. per tenant per annum. Nineteen tenants are in arrear to the amount of £254, being thirteen under Land for Settlements Acts, owing £240, and six ordinary, owing £14. When it is remembered that arrears for the past two years were £2,102 and £1,044 respectively, it will be seen that this constitutes a record for the district. Forfeitures and Surrenders. There were ten forfeitures for non-compliance with conditions, five being again selected and four not yet reoffered. Six surrenders were accepted —two for subdivision, and four unable to carry on. Five of these are again occupied, and one not yet reoffered. Lands to be opened. The area available for selection, and part of which will be dealt with during the coming year, totals 140,128 acres ; 109,635 acres being in the Cook and Waiapu Counties, under the optional and grazing-

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run systems, and 30,493 acres in Waipawa and Hawke's Bay Counties, under the optional, lease-in-perpetuity (Land for Settlements), and pastoral-run systems. Land Board. There have been seventeen meetings of the Land Board during the year (including the four quarterly meetings held at Gisborne), at which 2,020 letters, applications, and other documents were dealt with, inclusive of 112 transfers. Taking advantage of the Board's presence at Gisborne, a tour was made of the Willows, Pouparae, and Waimarie Settlements, in the Poverty Bay district, in order to ascertain the effects of the disastrous floods of July, 1906, which inundated a considerable portion of these lands, and to report thereon. I am pleased to say that with the exception of a few instances in which temporary loss and derangement of operations resulted, and which have"been specially dealt with, the settlers have now recovered from the effects, and, favoured by an exceptionally fine season, are once more in a sound position. Depaetmental. Soon after my transfer to this district, under the guidance of Mr. H. Martin Smith, Crown Lands Ranger, I visited the following settlements, in order to acquire a knowledge of the country and to ascertain the condition of the settlers, — i.e., Elsthorpe, Lindsay, Forest Gate, Argyll, Hatuma, Tomoana, Raureka, and Mahora—and on every hand there was a general appearance of prosperity, and also evidence that the tenants, as a whole, are an industrious and practical lot of settlers, and, as no complaints were brought before me, it is to be concluded they are satisfied with their prospects. Turning to office matters, there were 30,706 letters and 521 telegrams received and despatched, and 634 vouchers, representing payments amounting to £16,159, were dealt with during the year; receipts for rents totalled 3,096 ; cards to Auditor, 163 ; reports to Government Advances to Settlers, 206 ; and leases prepared, 273. In conclusion, I desire to record my appreciation of the courteous, efficient, and ever-ready assistance rendered me by the entire staff. Heney Teent, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

TARANAKI. The land transactions for the year ending the 31st March, 1907, are shown in the subjoined summary:—

Class of Selection. Transactions during the Year. Held at 31st March, 1907. Number. Area. Number. Area. Revenue received during the Year. Number. Area. Number. Area. Cash Deferred payment Perpetual lease Occupation with right of purchase Occupation with right of purchase made freehold Lease in perpetuity Lease in perpetuity —Land for settlement Village settlements— Occupation with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Special settlement —Lease in perpetuity Improved-farm settlements... Small grazing-runs Miscellaneous leases Transfer and other fees Crown-grant fees ... Endowments Timber licenses Miscellaneous receipts State-forests royalty 26 2 A. R. P. 3,843 2 39 398 0 0 1 13 428 A. R. P. 99 0 0 3,961 0 16 216,069 3 21 £ s. 2,989 15 404 6 185 3 6,894 15 d. 9 4 3 9 "90 69,945" 1 33 10 2,547 3 33 3,691 2 2 27 8 15,018 3 13 1,300 0 0 469 35 179,687 1 3 3,672 1 37 4,440 11 3,203 13 6 6 9 8 10 1 11 5 10 86 69 0 8 16,213 0 15 8 18 737 8 3 8 2 344 2 0 252 17 122 33,633 3 0 16,654 2 6 1,493 3 2 1,247 9 325 6 665 3 224 5 39 4 47 0 28 3 1,856 13 55 17 1 5 1 0 8 0 6 6 6 25 324" 1 11 Totals 190 93,722 2 39 1,442 471,562 0 28 27,046 9 4 Note.—" Miscellaneous receipt .coount. is " includi £1,523 12s. 6d., repayment :o Government Loai is to Local Bodies

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Crown Lands offered foe Selection and disposed of. The area open for application on the 31st March, 1906, was 106,799 acres, and 49,337 icres was opened during the year, making a total of 156,136 acres ayailable for disposal. Of this area 12,846 acres was withdrawn and reoffered during the year at reduced prices. One hundred and twenty selections were made, comprising a total area of 88,700 acres (more than double the area returned last year), leaving 54,590 acres open for application at the close of the year. Two blocks, comprising an area of 20,721 acres, in Ohura and Mahoe Survey Districts were offered under optional conditions for the first time,' and the whole of the sections were applied for, there being a great deal of competition for them Four groups of forfeited sections, comprising an area of 21,719 acres, were offered under optional conditions, and 20,425 acres were selected. Two groups of forfeited sections, comprising an area of 4,979 acres, were offered for lease in perpetuity only, and 4,487 acres was taken up. The Huinga Settlement, near Toko, was opened under the Land for Settlements Acts on the 4th October, 1906, and out of ten sections, comprising an area of 1,884 acres, nine have been selected, with practically no competition. One allotment of 34 acres in Spotswood Settlement was reopened and selected. A total area of 78 acres was offered for lease by public auction, and only 3|acres.'remain unselected. The selections under section 114 ot " The Land Act, 1892," comprise one 69 acres 3 roods 39 perches for cash, and seven allotments for lease in perpetuity comprising anjjarea of 680 acres 2 roods 18 perches. Regarding four of the latter, in response to a requisition I inspected the country and fullv realised the necessity of granting the application for enlargement of these holdings. The land offered for sale by public auction comprised fifty-four allotments in the Town of Waitara, of which forty-two were quitted at advances on upset prices ; forty-three allotments in the old military settlers' townships of Huirangi and Manganui, all sold as suburban lands ; twenty-four allotments in the Village of Tarata, nine being sold at upset prices ; and two suburban sections in the Town of Aria which were offered during the year will appear in next year's return, together with the Manganui allotments previously mentioned. The inquiries for land available for selection have been very numerous, and there is no doubt that the provisions of " The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903," coupled with the improvement of access and good prices now obtaining for wool, are the principal reasons for the larp-p blocks of land, some of which have been in the market for some years, now being taken up. Peincipal Systems of Tenuee. These are, in this district, confined to the occupation with right of purchase and the lease in perpetuity, resulting from lands opened under the optional conditions, and the selections this year from lands opened in this manner are as follows : Occupation with right of purchase—9o ; area, 69,945 acres. Lease in perpetuity—lß ; area, 10,995 acres. Cash—3 ; area, 3,737 acres. Position and Peugeess of Settlement. The Ranger for the central and southern portions of the land district makes the following notes from his inspections during the year : — " In a general summary of the progress of settlement in the central and southern part of the district I have to say that on nearly all the different classes of tenure there has been good progress. Tho improvements are generally much in excess of requirements. The properties visited number 191, covering an area of 60,805 acres. The requirements of the Act were improvements to the value of £46,094, and the improvements effected weie valued at £84,677. " Under the land-for-settlements tenure, which comprises the Tokaora, Clandon, Spotswood, and Huinga Settlements, the first two named have all the indications of success. Huinga, which is only just starting, has nearly all been applied for, while Spotswood is in rather a backward position. Should the oil industry, however, be a success, the land in this settlement is likely to bo in demand, as it adjoins the principal boring-areas. " The different improved-farm-settlement holders in the Ngaire, Huiroa, Mangaere, Taumatatahi, and Whangamomona Settlements, with the exception of the last, are prosperous, largely owing to the dairying industry. Whangamomona, the least prosperous, is heavily handicapped by bad roads, high prices of provisions, and the distance from markets. The poorer class of settler is generally giving up the struggle, and is being replaced by men who know something of farming. " Under the farm-homestead system of tenure the settlers are all making good progress. Many of these have got all their land in grass, and where it is at all suitable dairying is the principal industry. " Small Grazing-runs. —Where these are near markets they are successful, this year especially so, owing to high price of wool. " Under the ordinary tenures, which include perpetual lease, lease in perpetuity, and occupation with right of purchase, settlers have complied well with the conditions. I would, however, point out that settlement is seriously retarded by the scarcity of men for bushfelling. " On the whole, the year has been exceptionally good for all classes of landholders, owing to the plentiful supply of grass, and the good piices ruling for butter, wool, and all classes of stock." The Ranger for the northern part of the land district reports that tho holdings visited number 183, covering an area of 104,378 acres. The Act required improvements to be effected to the value of £19.643, and the value actually effected is £30,698. He makes the following remarks : — " The settlers all over the northern part of Taranaki are doing fairly well, and generally have had a good season, those on or near the west coast, as a rule, being well satisfied with the prices obtained for their butter. Away back in the Ohura country the settlers are not so fortunate, having practically

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to take what they can get for their dairy-produce, and, the price of cattle being down, those depending on this class of stock have had rather a disappointing year. However, the country keeps on making steady progress, and those who stocked with sheep last year have done extremely well out of them. The number of sheep coming into the district this autumn shows a considerable increase. ! " The settlers in the improved-farm settlements at Totoro, Mangapapa, and Nihoniho are making an effort to have dairy factories established in their midst, but the want of proper access is the great drawback. On the 19th April the first auction sale in the district is to take place, at Matiere. This will be of great assistance to settlers, as formerly a man wanting a few head of cattle very often had to go without, as it would not pay him to go away to the nearest auction sale for a few head. " During the present year schools have been opened at Mangapapa and Kaeaeae, and an effort with the same object is being made at Aria, Tatu, Tokirima, and Turoto Road. " A medical association has been formed at Ohura, and arrangements practically completed by which a doctor will shortly be resident in the district. This will be an immense benefit to settlers, as at present the nearest doctor is forty-odd miles away. " This winter the Aria settlers will have the advantages of a telephone, the erection of which is almost complete." Rebates of Rent. During the year 753 tenants holding under lease-in-perpetuity and occupation-with-right-of-purchase conditions of the Land Acts were granted 10 per cent, rebate on their annual instalments, amounting to £891 17s. Bd., and twenty-two land-for settlements tenants received a rebate of 10 per cent., equal to £153 2s. sd. These figures show an increase of 116 tenants who availed themselves of the privilege, and represent a very large proportion of the tenants entitled to obtain it. Aerears of Rent. Excluding the current instalment, the number in arrear was fifty-five, as compared with eightyseven last year ; the amount owing being £465, as against £1,273. Taking the current instalment into consideration, the number of tenants was 229, against 251 last year; the amount owing being £1,923, as compared with £3,150. I have found it necessary to resort to the process of law in some cases, which I have every reason to believe will have a salutary effect. Forfeitures and Sureendees. There were twenty-three holdings under ordinary conditions resumed, some for breaches of the Land Acts and others at the request of the selector. There were also two holdings under the Land for Settlements Act —in the Spotswood Settlement—forfeited for non-payment of rent. Two holdings were voluntarily surrendered. The reasons for these forfeitures and surrenders are mainly the unfitness of the selector for back-block life and the want of good access by road. This latter is an ever-present difficulty in connection with the opening of new lands. Reserves, Foeests, etc. The reserves set apart during the year comprised 1,110 acres for growth and preservation of timber, 760 acres for primary education, and small areas for public recreation, school, cemetery, and travelling stock. Five areas, totalling 75 acres and 16 perches, were set apart for scenic and historic reserves. Disposal of eemaining Crown Lands. A block of about 15,000 acres of second-class land in the Ohura and Piopiotea West Survey Districts is now being prepared for settlement, and will be ready for offering about July or August next. It will, I anticipate, prove to be fairly good grazing-country. The surveys have recently been commenced of the undermentioned blocks : About 13,000 acres in the valley of the Mohakatino, on the south side, second-class land ; about 13,000 acres in the Pouatu and Mahoe Survey Districts, between the Tangarakau and Heao Rivers, also second-class land ; and about 7,500 acres in the Totoro Survey District, on the south bank of the Mokeu River, some of which may be found to be first-class land. It may be possible to have some of these lands in the market during the next financial year, and I have every reason to believe all that is offered will be eagerly sought after, the demand for land being so great. Office-work. The volume of clerical business attended to is about the same as last year, being made up as follows : Correspondence inwards and outwards, circulars, applications, parcels, &c, 20,075 ; cheques drawn for wages, &c, 854 ; vouchers dealt with, 771 ; transfers recorded, 176 ; receipts for rents, refunds, &c, 3,238 ; provisional titles issued, 105; cards furnished to the Auditor of Land Revenue, 254 : total, 25,473. In addition to the ordinary work arising out of the transactions for the year, there has been the preparation of titles consequent upon the completion of surveys of lands disposed of within the last two years under the " provisional area " system, together with the necessary corrections to the bcoks of reference caused by amendment-of aieas Frans. Simpson, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

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WELLINGTON. Number of New Selectors and Area taken up, from the 1st April, 1906, to the 31st March, 1907, and Total Amount of Revenue received during the Year.

A comparison of the summary of the year's transactions with that of the previous year shows a decrease of 3,797 acres in the area selected during the past year under all systems, the number of selectors being, however, 151 more. The total area now on the books on settlement conditions is 634,280 acres 1 rood 29 perches, held by 3,367 selectors, or 38,745 acres and ninety-four selectors more than the previous year. The gross revenue received showed an increase of £11,418 on last year's figures. Lands open for Sale or Selection. The total area of Crown land offered for sale or selection during the year was 29,889 acres, which, added to the area standing open on the Ist April, 1906—viz., 44,670 acres —made a total area of 74,559 acres available for selection. Of the area of 29,889 acres offered during the year, 28,072 acres was offered for the first time. The principal operations during the year were the offering of the Mahupuku Settlement, 2,362 acres; Hikawera Settlement, 1,753 acres ; and Dyer Settlement, 16,439 acres —all the lots in which were immediately disposed of, as were also the homestead sections in Longbush and Tablelands Settlements, which had hitherto been withheld owing to a Supreme Court injunction. Sales by auction took place of lots in Ohakune, Waiouru, Raetihi, Mangaweka South, Pongaroa, Pohangina, and Taihape Townships, and in Hawaenga and Makukupara Villages. Two pastoral runs in the Motukawa Block, comprising an open area of 2,834 acres, were offered by public auction for terms of seven years. Two sections in the Pohangina Survey District (7 and 8, Block VII), comprising an area of 315 acres, were offered on optional system, the numbers of the applicants for them being 420 and 394 respectively. A lot of 448,000 superficial feet of matai and kahikatea timber on Section 3b, Block XVI, Te Kawau Survey District, was offered by public auction. Twenty-five five-roomed workers' dwellings, comprising seven different designs, in the Heretaunga Settlement, at Petone, were offered on the 10th September. The demand for the dwellings has not been keen, but all of them have now been allotted, with the exception of four, which it is expected will soon find tenants. Out of the 29,889 acres offered during the year, 1,041 acres was offered subject to " The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903," 528 acres being classified as heavy bush and 513 acres as scrub land. About 1,413 formal applications were received for lands during the year.

Nature and Tenure of Lands selected. Number of Selectors. Area selected. Average Holding. Cash received on Past and Current Transactions. A. R. P. 50 0 8 3 10 1,691 0 0 A. R. P. 0 2 0 3 10 422 3 0 £ s. d. Town lands sold for cash Suburban lands sold for cash Bural lands sold for cash Perpetual leases made freehold Occupation with right of purchase made freehold Deferred-payment instalments Perpetual leases Occupation with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Village settlement— Cash Village-homestead special settlements... Special-settlement associations— Lease in perpetuity Improved-farm special settlements — Lease in perpetuity Occupation with right of purchase ... Small grazing-runs... Pastoral runs Improved-farms made freehold Miscellaneous leases and licenses Miscellaneous Land for Settlement Acts— Lease in perpetuity Workers' dwellings Small grazing-runs Miscellaneous leases 100 1 4 1 j 3,297 11 0 506 10 8 13,365 19 11 30 9 25,673 3 33 276 0 23 85o" 3 8 30 2 30 2 13 6 289 19 8 9,872 17 5 5,916 10 0 7 16 5 15 156 2 17 0 3 0 9 3 6 28 10 0 1,864 10 5 4 1 24 4 1 24 4,736 0 6 5 39 8 3 746 3 0 4,530 2 18 5,435 3 9 4,594 0 0 149 1 16 116 2 29 679 2 0 1,531 1 13 1 2,677 10 4 45 483" 1 20 10 2 38 2,070 18 10 2,166 17 9 428 0 7 1,060 17 1 4,256 0 0 64 17 6 4 17,911 1 32 12 5 8,097 0 0 3,048 0 0 279 3 18 0 0 15 1,349 2 0 762 0 0 13,503 2 6 106 4 6 1,300 13 5 3,361 11 2 Totals ... 359 72,709 0 34 70,812 19 3

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Inspections and Rangers' Reports. These* 1,094 inspections by the two Rangers in the east-coast district, of an area of 144,164 acres, being an increase of 238 in number, but|a decrease of 131,639 acres on last year's figures. The value of the improvements required to be effected was £54,487 ; the amount actually spent was £114,995, being £60,508 more than was required to be spent. In the west-coast district 734 inspections were made by the two Rangers, of an area of 147,986 acres, being a decrease of eighty-eight in| number and an increase of 62,755 acres in area from last year's figures. The amount required to be spent on improvements was £80,581, whereas £192,252 was expended, being £111,671 in excess of requirements. The grand totals for both districts are as follows : Number of inspections made, 1,828, over an area of 292,149 acres, being an increase on last year's figures of 150 in number and a'decrease of 68,884 acres in area. Improvements were required to be effected to the value of £135,068, and improvements actually done amounted to the value of £307,247 ; excess, £172,179. Out of 1,828 holdings inspected, only 105 selectors had not complied with requirements. Rebates of Rental. Rebate amounting to £2,497 for prompt payment of rental was granted to 2,314 selectors. These figures show an increase over last year's returns of 127 selectors and £79 in amount. Areeaes of Rental. There are 136 selectors in arrear with two or more payments, amounting to £1,279 165., comprising an area of 16,736 acres, being a decrease on last year's figures of £431 4s. in amount and forty-one in number, the area being lessfby 3,115 acres. The total arrears, inclusive of the current half-year's rents, are 317 in number, £3,027 in amount, for 48,229 acres. These show a substantial decrease on last year's figures. Small Grazing-euns. Eight leases expired by effluxion of time during the year, the annual rent being £243 12s. 9d., and the area 5,652 acres. All these runs have been offered to and accepted by the late lessees at new valuations, in terms of section 209 of " The Land Act, 1885." Forfeitures and Surrenders. There were four forfeitures during the year on ordinary Crown leases, four under the land-for-settlements lease-in-perpetuity tenure, and four Native-township leases, the total area being 989 acres, and the total annual rent £220. Two surrenders, of an area of 14 acres, were accepted, the annual rent being £10. Reserves and Endowments. During the year 2,692 acres was reserved for the following purposes : Scenery, gravel, stock, primary education, public buildings, &c. An area of 9,733 acres, set aside as an endowment for the Wanganui River Trust, was disposed of during the year as small grazing-runs. Cash Lands. The area disposed of for cash was 1,744 acres, comprising two selections of 1,672 acres under Part 111 of " The Land Act, 1892," the land purchased without option being 100 lots of town land, aggregating 50 acres, one suburban lot of 3 acres, and two rural lots of 19 acres. Fifty-one lots of Pohangina Township (Wanganui Harbour Board Endowment), aggregating 12 acres 3 roods, were sold for cash, the price realised being £288. Timber Royalties. The revenue received under this heading amounted to £297. Meetings of the Land Board. During the year the Land Board held twenty-five meetings. " Thirds " and " Fourths." The allocation under " The Land Act, 1892," of the proportions of rent from. Crown lands taken up under the various systems of tenure has been made, and the amounts paid to the credit of the respective local authorities, to whom £6,211 os. lid. has been paid for duly approved proposals for roadworks and under hypothecation certificates. There were 249 proposals for expenditure of " thirds " and " fourths " received from the local bodies, and after careful examination 235 of these were submitted to the Land Board for favourable consideration, and were approved. Seven certificates of hypothecation were also approved of by the Land Board and issued under the signature of the Chairman. I regret to have again to report that the proposals for the expenditure of the accrued " thirds " and " fourths " made by. certain of the local bodies have not been adequate or in accordance with the amounts standing to their credit. On the 31st March last, £15,983 os. 2d was in the Receiver of Land Revenue's Deposit Account to the credit of the County Councils and Road Boards, while during the twelve months only £6,211 os. lid., as mentioned above, has been disbursed. lam now having a schedule prepared showing the various amounts standing to the credit of the local authorities of which

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notice has been given for at least eighteen months, and for which no proposals have been received, so that action may be taken to carry out the provisions of section 121 of " The Public Works Act, 1905." Clerical Branch. The number of letters received during the year amounted to 13,935, and those despatched to 15,980, including letters, rent notices, parcels, &c. A grand total of 60,415 letters, &c, were received and despatched during the year. 470 cheques were drawn on Imprest Accounts for a total of £3,129 Is. lOd. The number of vouchers dealt with was 1,175, representing a total of £25,535 lis. 9d. John Steauchon, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

NELSON. Condition and Progress of Settlement. The condition and progress of settlement in Nelson Land District during the year just ended may be regarded as highly satisfactory. That is saying a great deal, when there is taken into consideration the fact that the southern portion of the district—more than one-half the area of the province—comprising thousands of acres of flat and undulating bush country and fertile river-flats well adapted for agricultural and pastoral farming was withdrawn from settlement from 1884 to 1901—seventeen years— under " The East and West Coast (Middle Island) and Nelson Railway and Railway Construction Act, 1884." Settlement had commenced in Nelson as early as 1842, and had extended in isolated communities of small farmers from Nelson along the Waimea Plain, and thence north-westerly along the seaboard fronting Tasman Bay and Golden Bay to Takaka and Collingwood. Subsequently a settlement was established at Karamea, on the west coast of Nelson Province. The settlement referred to, with the exception of Karamea, had not, however, good back country, essential to the expansion of permanent settlement, and the southern portion of Nelson being closed against selection, farmers' sons were compelled to seek other fields in order to obtain lands. The lands in southern Nelson were released from the Midland Railway reservation in February, 1901, and it was not until April, 1905, that any serious attempt was made tore-establish and promote close settlement in any systematic way. In April, 1905, the Maruia Block was opened for selection in areas varying from 150 to 1,000 acres. Shortly afterwards additional areas were opened in the same district, and also in the neighbourhood of Murchison. These lands were rapidly selected, and a distinct advance in settlement during the last two years is evidenced by the determination shown by the selectors to bring their holdings into cultivation with a view to providing permanent homes for themselves and families. This is the true basis of successful settlement, for it is, generally speaking, free from that pernicious speculative spirit which induces persons to take up land in the hope of making something out of it without putting anything into it. The outstanding feature connected with new settlement in this district is the determination of the settlers to face and overcome all the difficulties—and there are many —attendant on the converting of bush land into pasturage. One cannot too much admire the determination and spirit of self-sacrifice found amongst the settlers. The capital expended by them on their holdings is in some instances wages earned in the district, and in other instances the savings of persons previously employed in mining pursuits. It will be thus seen that the settlors, generally speaking, are poor men, living practically from hand to mouth, putting their earnings into their holdings in clearing, felling, burning, sowing, and stocking as their finances will permit. They have already done excellent work, for the comparatively small areas which have been cleared and cultivated have altered the character of the country, thereby dispelling a number of erroneous notions which had previously obtained respecting the quality and capabilities of the country. The beneficent provisions of " The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903," are a great aid to the national policy of settlement, and doubtless the occupation of a large area of bush country in this district is due to the immunity from rent and rates permitted by tho Act named. I have regarded it as the most important part of the duty intrusted to me to visit the newly settled districts and get behind the scenes, so as to ascertain at first hand the feelings and wants of the settlers, and I have found it the exception, rather than the rule, to hear of dissatisfaction. In instances where it dees exist it is usually traceable to some causes which can be nearly always easily remedied; and in this connection it may be noted that the active help and sympathy of the Commissioner and Land Office officials is a very important factor indeed in the encouragement and maintenance of a spirit of contentment amongst the settlers. I have so far been writing in previous paragraphs of settlement established in new districts. With regard to the prospect of settlement on the Crown lands which fringe the old-established settlements, it is difficult to write in precise terms. There is in the aggregate a large area of hilly pastoral country outside mining districts still available for selection for pastoral purposes throughout several districts in northern Nelson, but the land of fair quality is so limited and patchy that it offers little inducement for selection by others than those who are resident freeholders in the immediate vicinity of these lands. The frontages to roads and rivers, comprising generally rich flats, were " gridironed " many years ago, thus cutting off access to the back country, and rendering it useless for profitable

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occupation. Applications are made from time to time to the Land Board for fragments of these isolated lands, but the cost of purchasing and forming roads thereto runs into a sum of money out of all proportion to the value of the land, and only in a few instances are the applications for permanent tenures granted. It would, in my opinion, be wise to extend to these lands the provisions of the regulations for the occupation of pastoral lands within mining districts, so as to permit of the area being taken up free from restrictions as to residence conditions. Lands opened for Sale or Selection. An area of 48,000 acres was opened for sale or selection during the year ending the 31st March, 1907. Of this area 47,000 acres was subject to the provisions of " The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903." Of the 48,000 acres referred tc, 29,441 acres was offered for selection on lease in perpetuity, 18,359 acres was offered on the optional system, 190 acres was offered by public auction for cash, and 48 acres was offered on the village-homestead system. The localities of the optional lands are practically confined to that part of the land district outside of the boundaries of mining districts, and extend over the Gordon, Wai-iti, Motupiko, and Motueka Survey Districts, while the localities of the lands opened foi selection on lease in perpetuity extend over the Central Buller and Maruia districts. Land Transactions during the Yeae. The figures relating to the land transactions for the year ending the 31st March, 1907, are given in the following return : —

Summary of Land Transactions for Year ending the 31st March, 1907.

Obseevations on the Tenuees, Lands sold for Cash. —A total area of 8,033 acres 1 rood 7 perches was sold to thirty-six purchasers, the amount realised being £3,638 Is. 6d. Of the area [quoted, 530 acres 2 perches was purchased by adjoining owners under section 114 of " The Land Act, 1892." Lands sold for cash are situated for the most part outside of the boundaries of mining districts. Of the areas sold, 6,011 acres 1 rood 27 perches was opened on the optional system, 530 acres and 2 perches without option, and 950 acres 3 roods 13 perches comprised an occupation with right of purchase made freehold.

Transactions during the Year. Area under Lease at 31st March, 1907. Revenue received during . Tenure. Number. Area. Number. Area. ear. Ordinary Crown Lands. Cash Deferred payment... Deferred pavment made freehold Perpetual lease Occupation with right of purchase Occupation with right of purchase made freehold Lease in perpetuity Mining districts land occupation lease Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs Pastoral licenses within mining districts Miscellaneous leases and licenses, including coal and timber royalties Other sources 30 "32 "fi 6 47 5 A. R. P. 6,552 1 32 4,832" 2 36 1,664 2 0 950 3 13 12,496 3 3 128 0 8 "91 12 191 325 32 A. R. P. 6,970 2 8 2,017 3 14 37,851 1 30 90,450 2 16 1,526 3 35 £ s. d. 3,302 13 6 536 14 3 32 10 2 601 13 3 335 8 0 1,026 1 6 36 17 5 1 "io 4,167 0 0 1,175 0 0 7 2 22 12,723 0 0 165,829 0 0 3,615 0 0 73 17 6 330 0 0 90 14 7 125 21,584 0 30 626 168,906 1 29 3,218 5 9 253 12 9 Totals ... 261 53,551 2 2 1,308 489,890 3 12 9,838 8 8 Endowment Lands. Lease in perpetuity Village - homestead special settlements Mining districts land occupation lease Miscellaneous leases Boyalty on coal and timber... 11 1 4,799 20 2 38 0 0 11 20 80 4,799 100 1,517 2 38 3 7 2 11 11 4 19 14 94 19 0 3 3 14 2 1 33 326 5,483 0 19 907 16 15,065 16 8 5 Grand totals 287 58,373 2 33 1,745 501,792 0 7 25,937 18 10

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Lease in Perpetuity. —Practically all the land which has been selected for purposes of close settlement and mixed farming during the last three years is held on this tenure. This is owing to the fact that the best of the available lands is situated within mining districts. Mining interests being paramount, there is hostility shown on occasions to the opening of lands on lease in perpetuity unless the areas are trammelled by impediments in the nature of large mining reserves, and the cutting-off of water frontages. Fortunately, the judicial spirit shown by the Wardens in weighing objections to the opening of lands under permanent tenures obviates much irritation which would otherwise be felt by applicants for land. I have not heard complaints from selectors respecting the limiting of the tenure in mining districts to lease in perpetuity. They are apparently satisfied. Environment, it appears to me, is an important factor in choice of tenure, for I have observed in travelling through this district that lands opened on the optional system in proximity to lands held on freehold tenure are almost invariably selected either for cash or on the occupation-with-right-of- purchase tenure, while lands opened on the optional system in proximity to lands opened on lease-in-perpetuity tenure are selected on that tenure. An area of 17,296 acres was selected by fifty-eight persons during the year. Occupation with Right of Purchase. —An area of 1,664| acres was taken up by five selectors during the year, and during the same period six selectors acquired the freehold of 950 acres 3 roods 13 perches under the terms of their leases. There were no exchanges of tenure to lease in perpetuity. Deferred Payment. —Thirty-two selectors acquired the freehold of 4,832 acres 2 roods 36 perches during the year. There are still current ninety-one leases, covering an area of 6,970 acres 2 roods 8 perches. Mining Districts Land Occupation Act. —The natural localities for areas selected under this Act are where the industries of coal and gold production are carried on. This tenure is becoming unpopular with many selectors. Married men who are ambitious to hold on a more permanent tenure desire to convert their licenses into lease in perpetuity, and to that end are prepared to surrender ; others wish to rid themselves of residence conditions and sublet the land. Residence was compulsory up to the 30th October, 1905, when it was relaxed by section 29 of " The Mining Act Amendment Act, 1905." Experience in this district goes to prove that the areas granted under this tenure in the vicinity of coal-mines have been too large. On the Westport-Mokihinui Railway line, for instance, selectors hold from sto 100 acres, and use them solely as residential sites. The policy of the Land Board is to limit the areas in districts where there is evidence of congestion of population in the neighbourhood of mines. Five persons were granted occupation leases over 128 acres of ordinary Crown lands, and an area of 20 acres was granted in the Westport Harbour Board Endowment. There are 112 selectors on the books, and, although the average area held is only 27 acres, and the annual rental thereof about Is. per acre, yet the rents are not collected without difficulty. Perpetual Lease. —There were no transactions relating to this tenure during the year. Occupation of Pastoral Lands in Mining Districts. —No better tenure than that under the regulations for the occupation of pastoral lands in mining districts can be designed, for, while it confers on the selector the exclusive right of pasturage, it permits any person who holds a miner's right to exercise over the area all the mining privileges granted to him by the Warden. The land is not proclaimed as open for selection like ordinary lands : the selector may choose his locality, and apply to the Land Board for a lease thereof. The tenure is twenty-one years. Residence is not compulsory, and the license may be converted into lease in perpetuity at any time after improvements to the value of 4s. an acre have been effected. This right of conversion is one of serious import, and imposes on the Land Board the duty of insuring that licenses shall not be granted over areas which are suitable for close settlement, nor in such form of area as will block frontages to back country. A little irritation is caused sometimes by the Land Board refusing to grant licenses for the reasons just stated. In my opinion, the choice of the country should be limited to land specially classified as purely pastoral, and the terms of the lease should be somewhat similar to those of small grazing-runs as regards renewal and valuation for improvements. I venture to submit that, if amendments were made in the regulations in the direction indicated, they would prove effective, by preventing the acquisition of land fit for close settlement on lease-in-perpetuity tenure by an indirect process without public competition, and affording an incentive to the licensee to effect improvements. The area dealt with during the year comprised 1,175 acres, granted to ten selectors. Small Grazing-runs. —One run, containing 4,167 acres, was selected during the year. This tenure is not adapted to bush country. There are now seven leases current, covering an area of 12,723 acres, and these practically include all the open lands available. Pastoral Leases. —There are two leases current, comprising an area of 165,829 acres. There were no transactions under this heading during the year. Village-homestead Special Settlement. — There is only one village-homestead special settlement in this district, and that is situated at Seddonville. This settlement is in a very prosperous condition. Improvements to the value of £1,845 Bs. have been effected. There are twenty selectors, and out of that number only one has failed to make any improvements, and three have not complied with residential conditions. The selectors are principally miners who work in the Seddonville State Coal-mine. There are seventy-three people—men, women, and children —resident in the settlement. Miscellaneous Licenses. —l2s licenses of a miscellaneous nature were granted during the year over a total area of 21,584 acres. The licenses comprise seventy-four relating to sawmilling and timbercutting granted by the Warden, the rents and royalties derived therefrom being territorial revenue; thirty-eight temporary occupation licenses over 11,218 acres, issued for grazing purposes; and ten flax-cutting licenses, covering an area of 168 acres.

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Coal and Mineral Leases. —The output of the Westport Coal Company's mines at Coalbrookdale and Millerton amounted to 571,556 tons, being an increase of 71,325 tons over the output of last year. The royalties collected on coal by this office reached the sum of £14,671 19s. 7d. 627,109 tons of coal was shipped fro,m the Port of Westport during the year. The Westport Stockton Coal Company has started operations on their property, and in the near future the export of coal from Westport will be very considerably augmented. Under the power conferred on the Commissioner of Crown Lands by section 166 of " The Mining Act, 1905," I issued three mineral prospecting warrants, with the concurrence of the Hon. the Minister of Mines, over an area of 2,050 acres in Aniseed Valley, close to Nelson City. Endowment Lands. —The following leases over the Westport Harbour Board Endowment lands were issued during the year : Eleven lease-in-perpetuity holdings, covering an area of 4,792 acres ; fourteen leases|of'Westport town sections; fifteen timber-cutting licenses over 1,023 acres; and one license under ""The Mining Districts Land Occupation Act, 1894," over 20 acres. Lands to be opened during the Year 1907-8. It is proposed to open 52,485 acres of unsurveyed Crown lands and 4,451 acres of land acquired under the Land for Settlements Act. The Crown lands comprise the following blocks : viz., a compact area situated from about seventeen to twenty-two miles south of Murchison, and known as " MidMaruia," containing 21,750 acres ; " Warwick," containing 5,821 acres ; " Rappahannock," containing 7,109 acres; and " Glenroy," containing 13,127 acres. All of the blocks mentioned will be opened as unsurveyed bush lands on lease in perpetuity, excepting Glenroy, which will be offered under the regulations for the occupation of lands within mining districts. In addition to the blocks just named, the Maungatapu Block, [situated about 12| miles from Nelson, and containing 2,632 acres, will be opened on the optional system ; an area of 2,046 acres in the Inangahua Survey District will be opened for selection on lease in perpetuity. The total area of Crown lands to be opened is 52,485 acres. The area to be offered under the Land for Settlements Act is the property recently known as the Wangapeka Run, situated in the Sherry Valley, about two miles from the Tadmor Railway-station. All these lands are ready for immediate occupation. An effort will be made to throw open a splendid block of country containing about 1,500 acres situated thirteen miles from the Town of Murchison, and locally known as the Blackwater and Mangles country. Ranger's Report. The Ranger visited 144 properties held on the lease-in-perpetuity and occupation-with-right-of purchase tenures, covering an area of 72,607 acres. The value of the improvements required by law on these holdings is £10,977 ; the improvements actually effected by the tenants amounted to £28,253. The number of defaulters in respect to improvements is nineteen, and in respect to non-residence thirtyfour. There are a considerable number of holdings yet to be inspected, and an effort will be made to carry on the inspections continuously during the year. The Ranger reports as follows : — "In Sounds County the number of leasehold sections inspected was forty-seven, comprising an area of 24,938 acres. Value of improvements required by law, £4,471 ; improvements effected, £15,627, being £11,156 more than statutory requirements. Number of defaulters for improvements, 4, and for non-residence, 11. " In Colling wood, Takaka, and Waimea Counties the number of leasehold sections inspected was eighty-six, comprising an area of 41,297 acres. Value of improvements required,? £6,372; value effected, £12,261, being £5,889 more than statutory requirements. Number of defaulters for improvements, 9, and for non-residence, 18. " Buller and Inangahua Counties : Eleven ieasehold sections were inspected, comprising 6,372 acres. Value of improvements required, £134 ; improvements effected, £364, being £230 more than statutory requirements. The number of defaulters respecting improvements, 5, and for non-residence, 5. " With regard to pastoral licenses under the regulations for the occupation of lands in mining districts, very little has been done in improving the lands, the area cultivated being 120 acres. I expect, however, that considerable improvements will be made during the current year. " As the result of the visits which I have paid to Crown tenants in the course of my duty, I am able to say that the selectors are very well satisfied with their holdings, and that the land is being settled in a bona fide manner. Generally speaking, the district has progressed very satisfactorily. There has been a great demand for land, and very great improvements have been made by freeholders as well as by Crown tenants. All Crown lands opened for selection have been keenly competed for. The high prices obtaining for sheep, wool, and other classes of stock and products are offering inducements to people to clear and cultivate the land, and many are turning their attention seriously to pastoral pursuits. " Speaking of the newly settled country in Central Buller, during the last year over 3,000 acres of bush have been felled, and I am pleased to report that in nearly every case the Crown tenants have had very successful burns. So pleased are they with their selections—the cleared land having taken the grass so well—that by the end of the current year a very large area of bush will have been felled in this locality. Everything considered, the Crown tenants are very prosperous and content. The approximate number of stock depasturing on leasehold lands is as follows : 32,000 sheep, 1,500 cattle, 170 pigs, and 200 horses." Revenue. The total gross revenue received from all sources, including rents from the Westport Harbour Board endowments and royalties on coal and timber, amounted to £25,937 18s. lOd.

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Rebates of Rental. Rebate for the punctual payment of rent, amounting to £56 19s. 3d., was granted to 204 tenants under the provisions of " The Crown Tenants' Rent Rebate Act, 1900." Arrears of Rent. The arrears of rent, exclusive of the current half-yearly instalments, amount to a sum of £450, distributed amongst seventy-eight tenants. £48 is owing on deferred-payment license, £48 is owing on an occupation-with-right-of-purchase license, and £63 is owing on lease in perpetuity. Of the balance, £155 is owing on mineral leases, which are under the jurisdiction of the Warden, and £58 on the Westpert Harboui Board endowment lands. A number of the rentals which go to make up the arrears are comparatively small, and I have instructed the Receiver o* Land Revenue to have them paid immediately. Some of the arrears have been outstanding two and three years. There is no reason why they should not be paid, considering that the tenants have been participating in the general prosperity of the colony. Government Loans to Local Bodies Account. Tht moneys paid to the Government Loans to Local Bodies Account amounted to £250 2s. lOd. Forfeitures and Surrenders of Lands held on Permanent Tenure. There were no forfeitures during the year. One selector suirenderod his lease-in-perpetuity holding on the plea that he could not make a living out of it. Reservations. 1,699 acres 3 roods 9 perches was reserved for various purposes under section 235 of " The Land Act, 1892," during the year. Payment of' " Halves " to Local Authorities under " The Timber and Flax Royalties Act, 1905." The amounts paid during the year under the provisions of the above-named Act amounted to £262 os. lid., £126 6s. lid. of this sum having been paid to the Inangahua County Council and £135 14s. to the Buller County Council. Payment to Local Bodies from " Thirds " and " Fourths." A total sum of £1,114 16s. sd. was distributed amongst the Counties of Collingwood, Takaka, Waimea, Buller, and Inangahua, and the Road Boards of Stoke, Dovedale, Upper Moutere, and Riwaka. Transfers. Forty-nine transfers were approved by the Land Board during the year, thirty-two relating to lease-in-perpetuity lands, three to occupation-with-right-of-purchase lands, ten to lands leased under " The Mining District Land Occupation Act, 1894," one to perpetual-lease land, one to small grazingrun, one to a village-homestead special-settlement allotment, and one to a reserve. The business under this heading has declined since I took charge, and the refusal of the Land Board to approve of transfers as a matter of form has caused irritation in some quarters. In no single instance, however, has a transfer been refused when the conditions of lease have been complied with. The policy of the Board in this respect, as well as in others, is to interpret the provisions of the Land Act in a liberal and generous spirit —to take every case on its merits and deal with it equitably. Such a policy is as much in the interests of the bona fide settler as it is in that of the State. Sawmilling and Timber-cutting. There has been great activity in the timber industry in the southern part of this district during the year, and it will probably increase during the current year. There are seventy-one sawmills in this district, fifteen of them being in localities situated between Motueka and Cape Farewell, twenty-two scattered between Nelson City and Tadmor Saddle, twenty-three situated in Buller County, and eleven situated in Inangahua County. The output of the mills for the year increased by 1,895,800 superficial feet over the output of the previous year. With the exception of Messrs. Bowater and Bryan, who cut for export, all the timber milled in the Buller and Inangahua Counties is used for local purposes— house-building, bridges, railway and public-works requirements, and mining. The number of persons employed in connection with the industry is 403. A movement is being made on the part of the sawmillers to have the reserved areas increased beyond 600 acres, on the grounds that the capital involved in the extension of their milling plants justifies the concession. The argument sounds fair enough, but if it were put into operation it would tend to the extinction of the small sawmiller. In any case there is not, in my opinion, a sufficient amount of milling-timber left in the Nelson District to warrant an increase of reserved areas. A desirable reform, however, would be the abolition of the ss. sleepercutting license, for hundreds of acres of valuable forest have been destroyed by the exercise of the privilege. Dairy Industry. It is satisfactory to know that the dairy industry is extending in this district. In localities where it has been started everything points to the possibility of its expansion and development into a profitable industry, and no doubt its auxiliaries —pig-breeding, bacon-curing, and poultry-rearing—will keep pace with it.

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The natural facilities for dairying in Nelson are many —soil, climate, and rainfall favouring the industry. At Karamea—a typical dairying country, coast land—there is a butter-i'actory which uses the milk of four hundred cows, the output of butter during the year being 27 tons. There are also butter-factories established at Collingwood, Takaka, Richmond, Wakapuaka, and Motueka. Angora-goat Industry. It has frequently occurred to me during my visits to various parts of this district that a large area could be made profitable by establishing thereon Angora-goat farms. Angora goats should be well suited to the Nelson conditions of climate and locality, for there is much typical goat country. An attempt has been made by Mr. Cropp, of Wai-iti, to establish a flock, but he has not yet arrived at that stage in experiments which enables him to speak with authority on his prospects of success. In the United States, South Africa, and Australia purebred bucks arc allowed tp run amongst a flock of common goats, and the results are reported to be astonishing, for a flock may be produced which cannot be distinguished from purebred Angoras. As there is always a ready market for mohair, and the flesh of the Angora is equal to the best mutton, the importation of Angoras appears to be a matter which is worthy of the serious consideration of tho Government. Incidentally it may be noted that Mr. Cropp keeps his goats in enclosures overrun by blackberries and briars, and by this means rids the country of these weeds. He states that the goat lives almost entirely on the leaves and young shoots of the weeds mentioned. Classification of Lands in Nelson Land District. So much has been written and spoken respecting the areas of Crown lands available for mixed fanning and pastoral settlement that I have spent some time in making a careful estimate thereof, based on the best available topographical data, supplemented by my personal knowledge of the district. The Nelson Land District contains an area of about 4,686,000 acres. Up to the 31st March, 1907, there has been sold or otherwise disposed of an area of 1,618,000 acres, leaving an area of 3,068,000 acres, which may be classified as follows : Lands suitable for mixed farming, 421,000 acres ; lands suitable for pastoral purposes, 1,103,000 acres ; lands suitable for reservation for forest, climatic, and scenic purp'oses, 884,000 acres ; and barren mountain-tops, 660,000 acres. The area suitable for mixed farming may be described generally as light to heavily timbered country, with tracts of open terrace land (pakihi), the latter being stony and mossy in places. The timber consists of black-birch, brown-birch, red-birch, rimu (red-pine), kahikatea (white-pine), mountain totara, and kowhai, with undergrowth of puka (broadleaf), hoho (five-fingers), horopito (pepperwood), konini (fuchsia), makomako (wineberry), horoeka (lancewood), houhere (lacebark), and black scrub. The soil on the river-flats is exceedingly rich, and on the slopes and up to a good elevation there is a great deal of limestone, marls, sandstone, &c. That the open terrace land before referred to may be improved by drainage and cultivation is evidenced from the results obtained in the Inangahua County, but considerable capital is required to make it reproductive. The area suitable for pastoral purposes naturally comprises the hilly country, wooded similarly to the flat and low-lying country just described, excepting that the birches predominate and the undergrowth is not so dense. The formation is limestone, serpentine, granite, and conglomerate. Where the forest has been cleared, grassed and sown liberally, the'results from this country have been excellent. The area suitable for reservation for forest, climatic, and scenic purposes is an estate of great value, for although it possesses no value as land suitable for any kind of settlement, yet it is a great picturesque showground for tourists. The barren mountain-tops, although reaching a high elevation, have a value for grazing purposes in many localities during a portion of the summer season ; in fact, there is a considerable area for that purpose under lease at the present time. It is not too much to say that included in the lands thus briefly described there is land suitable for every kind of culture, stock-producing, dairying, orcharding, pig-breeding, &c. The general average quality of the lands, combined with an excellent climate, justify the opinion that there is a field here for the industrious settler. He can acquire cheap land on liberal terms in localities where there are the requisite natural conditions for his special pursuits. These facts have been long overlooked by residents of other districts in the colony, and cannot now be too widely known. Withdrawal of Lands from Goldfields. A question of importance in relation to the permanent settlement of Crown lands in parts of Nelson is frequently forced on the notice of the Land Board. I refer to the difficulty experienced by small settlers—particularly ex-miners—in acquiring a permanent tenure to the lands which they occupy under temporary license. As you are aware, nearly the whole of Nelson Land District is situated in mining districts, there being only about 1,000,000 acres over which the Warden exercises no jurisdiction. Hitherto there has been only one industry in Southern Nelson —that of mining—and no disposition was shown by the mining community to settle on the land. Recently, however, many miners have turned their attention to land, and, naturally enough, those who have done so desire to acquire a permanent tenure so as to protect their improvements. They are, however, frequently unsuccessful in obtaining a permanent tenure, owing to their applications being objected to on the plea that the land they occupy is auriferous, or that there is an impending development in gold or coal. Many applications have been granted by the Land Board after careful inquiry, but have been vetoed by the Warden. It is within my own personal knowledge that many of the objections are frivolous. The Land Board recognises the importance of the mining industry, but there is no reason why a large area of good land should

MAP TO ACCOMPANY SPECIAL REPORT UPON NELSON LAND DISTRICT, WHICH APPEARS IN THE APPENDIX TO THE LANDS REPORT, 1906-07.

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be locked up owing to the objection that possible mining interests are prejudiced. It cannot be denied that very large areas within mining districts might reasonably be exempted from mining, for the country has been prospected over and over again, and has not proved payably auriferous. I would recommend for the favourable consideration of the Government that a report be obtained as to the area which may reasonably be exempted from mining, and that it be released under section 19 of " The Mining Act, 1905." The probability is that if the lands in the Inangahua and Buller Counties be not made available there will be a large exodus of ex-miners and others from those localities. Meetings of the Land Board. Eleven meetings of the Land Board were held at Nelson, one at Westport, and one at Reefton during the year. The increase of business in the southern part of this district is very noticeable, and probably the Board will make two visits to Westport and Reefton during the current year. Departmental. I visited nearly all the localities in Nelson where there are Crown tenants. I have ascertained their requirements, and brought to a satisfactory completion many matters which have been the subject of complaint on the part of the tenants. Having made the acquaintance of the settlers, my correspondence with them has become nearly doubled; but that is, however, a matter of little importance if it tends to a good understanding between the settlers and the Department. My acknowledgments are due to the office staff for the valuable assistance which they have rendered to me in all departments of the work, and to Ranger Harris, whose intimate knowledge of the district was of great benefit in assisting me to acquire a personal knowledge of the tenants and of the localities where they are settled. The number of telegrams and letters received and despatched during the year was 14,222. The number of vouchers which passed through the Accountant's office was 649, representing a sum of £15,336 9s. 3d. A total of 3,925 land-sale posters, land guides, and miscellaneous maps were distributed throughout the land district. F. W. Flanagan, Commissioner of Crown Lands. MARLBOROUGH. The table below gives a summary of the land transactions within this land district for the year ended 31st March, 1907. The total area dealt with is 33,897 acres, and the amount of receipts was £32,985 15s. 7d., an increase of £2,003 9s. 9d. over last year's returns.

Table showing the Land Transactions and Revenue.

During the past year the settlement in this district has been small, because of the limited area of suitable Crown lands available. The demand has been very great, and it is much to be regretted that we have but little land to meet it. There have been, however, ninety-one new tenants added to our

Nature and Tenure of Lands selected. Number of Selectors. Area. Cash received on Past and Current Transactions. Town lands sold for cash Bural lands sold for cash Perpetual lease made freehold Occupation with right of purchase made freehold Perpetual leases Occupation with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Village settlementPerpetual lease ... Lease in perpetuity Village-homestead special settlement Occupation lease, Mining Districts Land Occupation Act Small grazing-runs ... Pastoral runs Miscellaneous leases and licenses Miscellaneous Land for Settlements Acts — Lease in perpetuity Small grazing-runs ... ... .... Miscellaneous Cash 1 4 A. R. P. 0 1 0 3,083 3 12 £ s. a. 275 0 0 1,033 15 5 82 10 0 63 0 0 30 10 8 496 4 5 2,904 9 1 3 35 2,646 0 0 3,945 2 0 12 6 15 17 4 17 12 6 27 19 1 • 2,749 16 5 3,947 1 8 2,410 8 7 193 5 3 2 20 13,880" 0 0 10,169 3 29 7 1 19 2 40 1 27 993 0 0 136 2 38 2 0 0 12,064 15 8 5,860 5 10 712 1 2 100 0 0 Totals 94 33,897 2 26 32,985 15 7

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list, chiefly on small isolated blocks and miscellaneous licenses. The total number of holdings within the district is, on Crown lands, 1,040, occupying an area of 1,302,709 acres. This shows an increase of fifty-nine holdings during the year, held under various tenures, exclusive of land for settlements, which are treated separately in another place. : jFor the purpose of this report Marlborough may be conveniently divided by the Wairau River into two distinct portions, where quite different conditions often obtain.^The north portion, including the whole of the Sounds and portion of the Marlborough County, may be called generally " small-holdings country " ; the general characteristic of this portion is rather broken bush-clad hills, with some fertile flat valleys running into them. Within this northern portion most of our settlement takes place, generally under special conditions, because all the front country has been taken up long ago, leaving only the poorer and less accessible parts available for expansion of holdings. It is also within this portion that most of the timber is obtained, and this, I think, temporarily retards the clearing of the bush, for many of the mills are working on private property. I estimate that about 1,500 acres only of bush has been felled and burnt during the past season, although, owing to the unusually dry season, much standing' bush, chiefly birch and inferior^timber, has been^ destroyed. The settlers in these parts appear to be doing fairly well, owing to price of stock, wool, and other produce, but they have very much to contend with in the way of This especially applies to the Upper Wairau, Wakamarina, and Pelorus Valleys. In the west portion of this division the settlers have a harder time, because the land is poor and the weeds they have to contend with are, if possible, more numerous and vigorous. There is some gold being got in this portion as well as in the Wakamarina Valley, but I fear it gives a rather poor return for the labour expended upon it. The flax industry appears to be in a good sound position in Marlborough, and many of our settlers are obtaining a very welcome additional return for what was, until lately, only a waste part of their holdings. In some cases this amounts to nearly the rent they have to pay. The southern portion of the district (south of the Wairau) contains nearly the whole of the land for settlement, which is reported upon in another part, and most of the pastoral land in the district. It is chiefly open land, and although a very large proportion is high mountainous country, some of the plains are both extensive and fertile. This southern portion as a whole, but especially the eastern portion, has suffered considerably from drought; the recorded rainfall for Grovetown, which is the nearest meteorological station to Blenheim, was about 22 in. for the year, and for the spring months—viz., October, November, and December —was only 2| in. The southern limit of the country over which the drought extended was about the Ure River. South of this the rain, although less than normal, was sufficient to keep the pasture growing and green. The effect of this drought was, of course, felt most on the land where a considerable amount of cropping was done, but the crops in spite of this were fairly good ; but the shortness of feed, both locally and in Canterbury, in conjunction with the slaughtermen's difficulty at the freezing-works, had a very prejudicial effect on the price of stock, especially fat sheep and lambs. The hardness and dryness of the ground also, where it did not actually prevent ploughing, retarded the growth of the root-crops, and many of the settlers were consequently unable to hold their surplus stock, and had in many instances to sell them for a considerably reduced price. These remarks also apply to the Kaikoura district, where the feed was generally abundant; many of the settlers were cut off from their principal markets in Canterbury, because there was a shortness of feed in that district and a consequential lack of demand for store sheep. The progress made by the settlers in the Kaikoura district has been very marked ; the country which a few years ago was covered by dense bush is now in good grass, and the Crown tenants appear to be doing good service for themselves and for the cause of settlement in general. Lease in Perpetuity. —There is no doubt that in Marlborough the most popular tenure is lease in perpetuity. Out of the 1,040 Crown tenants who hold permanent leases there are 619 who hold under this tenure 195,395 acres. Occupation with Right of Purchase. —Only forty tenants this tenure 13,061 acres. Small Grazing-runs. —The area held by 122 tenants is 260,14"l acres, with an annual rent of £10,302 10s. lOd. Pastoral Runs. —The area held under this tenure by fifty-five tenants was 898,627 acres, yielding an annual rental of £3,889 13s. Occupation Leases under " The Mining Districts Land Occupation Act, 1894."—There were no selections taken up under this heading during the year, but several have been applied for, some of which were refused because they were in a State forest, and the others are awaiting survey. There were nineteen selectors, holding 1,161 acres and paying rent £31 4s. 4d. current at the 31st March, 1907. These holdings are generally situated up the Wakamarina Valley. Some of the selectors have made good use of their holdings and have kept them clear of noxious weeds. Others have only done a little work beyond getting a house to live in and enough land cleared to run a cow or two. Revenue. The actual revenue collected amounted to £32,985 15s. 7d.; miscellaneous items, £30 3s. The gross receipts were £33,015 18s. 7d., an increase of £2,033 12s. 9d. on last year's receipts. Rebate of Rent. Rebates amounting to £2,136 19s. sd. were granted. This and the good prices obtained for stock and market produce accounts for the small amount of arrears. Arrears of Rent. This amounts to £516 16s. lid (out of a total annual rental of £31,838 10s. 5d.), and is distributed among forty-one tenants, out of a total of 1,040 tenants.

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Surrenders.

There were only six surrenders, comprising mostly small areas on which tenants could not make a living, and which were immediately taken up by adjoining owners. "Thirds" and "Fourths." The sum of £2,746 was paid to the local bodies, that amount being practically all moneys received during the year, so that no complaint can be made of the various Road Boards not taking prompt advantage of the revenue accrued under this heading. Forest-covered Crown Lands. Some comment has been made in the public Press and in letters from intending settlers as to the impropriety of holding back forest-covered land until the timber has been cleared off it by sawmilling; and, while agreeing that it is most necessary that settlement should not be retarded, it should, I think, be remembered that it is not wise to destroy the little remaining timber we have, even for so desirable an object as settlement. The present system of giving timber licenses to cut the timber on royalty before offering the land for settlement not only secures a very large proportion of the timber from being wasted, but obtains frequently as much as £4 an acre for the timber, and this not only does not impoverish the land, but to a certain extent helps the settler to make a better job of his bush-clearing, because it removes most of the large trees. Offioe-work. There were 5,275 letters received and despatched, and 2,000 rent-notices issued. This does not include a large number of sale-plans, Crown Lands Guides, &c. 369 vouchers were passed, amounting to £8,325 16s. In the office of the Receiver of Land Revenue, besides the gross receipts of the year, amounting to £33,015 18s. 7d. for which 1,820 receipts were issued, the sum of £851 Is. 7d. was paid into the Deposit Account, for which 167 receipts were issued and'271 cheques drawn. F. Stephenson Smith, Commissioner of Crown Lands. WESTLAND. Crown Lands opened for Selection. The following table exhibits the manner in which Crown lands were opened for sale or lease during the year : — Lease in Perpetuity ,., , , (ordinary). Acres. Acres. Offered for first time .. .. .. .. .. 8,259 " 8,259 Offered previously .. . . .. . . .. Nil Total .. .. .. .. .. .... 8,259 The above were offered under section 121 of " The Land Act, 1892," and section 2 of " The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Act, 1903," and comprised areas all over the district. Lands disposed of. The subjoined table sets forth the results of land administration in this district for the year : —

Transactio: is during the Year. Leasehold Areas held on 31st Maroh, 1907. Revenue received Class of Selection. Number. Number. during the Year. Area. Area. A. R. P. 580 18,590 R. P. 1 8 0 24 £ b. d. 27 12 0 668 1 3 Perpetual lease Occupation with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Lease in perpetuity, land for settlements Lease in perpetuity, village settlements Mining Districts Land Occupation Act Pastoral runs Miscellaneous leases Miscellaneous leases, land for settlements Endowments Timber licenses Flax licenses Other sources ... Transfer lease and license fees 87 2 1 2 58 34 14,327 215 0 90 34,726 5,895 0 33 1 36 1 0 1 3 3 36 0 9 7 106 471 27 11 6 193 243 1 59,732 4,990 198 136 561,059 82,233 8 2 9 1 4 1 27 1 3 0 35 0 13 2 0 1,637 0 10 574 18 1 12 11 7 3 11 9 1,186 18 1 492 7 10 10 0 6 1,631 2 5 1,750 17 0 8,607 14 2 91 4 1 100 5 1 169 7 0 Totals 184 55,255 0 37 1,071 729,160 1 8 15,323 8 9

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Revenue. The revenue for the year amounts, as shown above, to £15,323 Bs. 9d., which is £1,271 16s. above the estimate, and £2,056 16s. more than last year. Taking into consideration the low upset prices of our lands (consequent upon their moderate fertility, dense forest, and remoteness from markets), and also that most of the new selections have been made under the liberal provisions of the Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, the resulting revenue is fairly satisfactory. Review of the Current Systems of Tenure. Cash Lands. —No lands have been opened on this system during the year. Westland being wholly a mining district, it has been considered necessary to discourage this form of selection as much as possible ; consequently, no sales of any kind have taken place during the year. Occupation with Right of Purchase. —No selections were taken up on this tenure, and, for the reasons given under cash system, no areas were opened in Westland during the year. Lease in Perpetuity. —Under this tenure during the year 8,259 acres were subdivided into thirty-one allotments. These were all under the provisions of " The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903." Of these, sixteen holdings, comprising an area of 4,322 acres, were selected. The area opened during the year has been limited, owing to the fact that various areas have been subdivided and are ready for the market, but are included in pastoral runs, and the twelve months' notice of resumption had not expired. These will come into the market early in the coming year. The summary of land transactions during the year shows eighty-seven selectors, with an area of 14,327 acres ; of these, fifteen selections, for a total of 4 acres, were for lease in perpetuity in the Township of Runanga. Village-settlement Lands (on Lease in Perpetuity). —ln the Runanga Township Extension, one section of 1 rood was selected. Several applications for other sections have had to be held over in the meantime, as they were within the area reserved for State coal-mine purposes. Leases under " The Mining Districts Land Occupation Act, 1894."—As pointed out in last year's report, the minimum rental under this Act is found to be too high for the class of lands in this district. Several applications are awaiting survey. Two areas of 90 acres have been selected and titles issued during the year. Pastoral Runs. —Under this heading fifty-eight licensees have taken up 34,726 acres during the year. Nine of these, comprising 26,344 acres, are temporary grazing licenses under section 219 of "The Land Act, 1892." The balance, forty-nine, of 8,382 acres, are selected under the regulations for the occupation of pastoral lands within mining districts. Pastoral Lands within Mining Districts. —Under the regulations, selectors are enabled to take up farming lands on the goldfields on a more certain tenure than formerly, and many are availing themselves of the opportunity of securing a title to ground which before the issue of the regulations they had held only on sufferance. A large number of miners who had established homes on and adjoining the diggings are among the present tenants, and in every case are extending their clearings, as well as erecting better houses and fences. Some of the land leased is of fair quality, but a good deal is composed of old goldworkings and heavy-bush land which will take time to reclaim. Withal, these lessees, although anxious and hopeful for an exchange to a lease-in-perpetuity holding, yet are very contented with their present title, and that settlement under these regulations is a tenure which meets with the approval of the selector is shown thus : The present number of leaseholders is seventy-one, occupying 12,034 acres, as against forty-four, of 8,884 acres, last year. The area now in grass equals 1,200 acres, and the value of improvements, £3,000. Miscellaneous Leases. —The total area taken up on various tenures comprises 5,895 acres, held by thirty-four selectors. These are made up of one coal lease of 80 acres, two flax leases of 40 acres, and thirty-one miscellaneous leases of 5,775 acres, under section 116 of " The Land Act, 1892." Inspections and Rangers' Reports. Several inspection visits to different localities were made by the Land Board members and the Commissioner for the purpose of settling disputes on the ground, deciding values, and conferring with settlers and applicants concerning proposals for opening up new farming areas for selectior. The Crown Lands Rangers have m?de their usual periodical inspections of the various holdings in the district, and their reports evidence careful and thorough investigation of each case. The oversight of sawmilling and flax-milling, reports to the Land Board, and inspections on behalf of the Wardens, have been satisfactorily carried out. Position and Progress of Settlement. Northern Diwmow.—That portion of Westland lying between the Upper Grey Valley and the Mikonui River evidences stability and progress amongst the Crown tenantry who occupy the farming blocks, which alternate with the intervening ard surrounding gold-mining areas, coalfields, mineral leaseholds, and sawmill forests. This division is well provided with access by railways, dray and bridle roads, hence cultivation on small holdings pays well, and dairying is profitably carried on throughout the whole area. The present position is as follows : Number of tenants, 201 ; area held, 43,990 acres ; area brought into profitable use, 7,825 acres ; value of improvements effected by tenants, £34,530 (exclusive of Runanga Township, pastoral and miscellaneous tenantry, noted below). Southern Division. —This area occupies the southern portion of the district, extending from the Mikonui VafW to the Otago boundary, and comprises a narrow strip of littoral country between the foothills of the Southern Alps and the sea-coast. The whole of it is covered with forest, and the settled lands are scattered on the lower flats of the numerous alpine river valleys. A considerable acreage of farming lands has been taken up during the year, persistent reclamation of much waste forest has taken place, and distinct progress in every direction has been made. The want of road access precludes small holdings and compels the raising of fat stock and rearing of horses ; but as soon as the larger rivers are bridged much dairying will follow. A yearly increase of sheep is also worthy of note. The present position is as follows : Number of tenants, 255 ; area held, 57,969 acres; area brought into profitable use, 13,875 acres ; value of improvements effected by tenants, £37,535.

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Township of Runanga. —Tenantry, 196. This township is situated four miles from Greymouth, and is held under lease in perpetuity. Twenty-eight sections have been forfeited during the year, principally for non-compliance with, the regulations, one surrendered, and sixteen new sections have been taken up. The streets are now all cleared of forest, and formation and metalling are steadily proceeding, access having been given to every house. All the Government and municipal reserves have been felled, and the township presents a thriving and prosperous appearance. The class of house erected, is very superior to the ordinary miner's residence ; thirty-six have been built during the year, and there are now ninety-five houses on the township, of which ten are shcps. The residents are mostly employees of the adjacent State coal-mine, but a large number live in Greymouth, and others again are on the mining reserve adjoining the workings. On account of this, the population of the township is smaller than it otherwise would be. For details of the expenditure on streets, &c, see Mr. District Surveyor Wilson's report, appended to my survey report (published as part of C.-lA).|li Pastoral Leaseholds. —All the Westland runs, with the exception of a few mountain-top leaseholds, occupy the valleys and intervening spurs and terraced lands between the sea-coast and the main range. They are almost wholly covered with forest, and are chiefly occupied by herds of cattle, which feed on the undergrowth. On the intervening scrub and tussock patches fair numbers of sheep and hcrses are profitably reared. Several areas of mountain pastures are also grazed by sheep during the summer months. There are 193 lessees, many of whom only occupy small areas, and who use the bush feed chiefly for rearing the stock, which they fatten on turnips and grass. These holders are all thriving, their herds and flocks are increasing, and their outlook is very encouraging. Miscellaneous. —Tenantry, 243. These holders lease small reserves, &0., all over the district, under temporary titles, which preclude heavy improvements. Still, such leaseholds are very much appreciated by many men, who conjoin land-cultivation with lumbering, gold-miring, coal-mining, and other attendant pursuits. Of the 243 noted above, forty-six are lessees of coal, oil, and flax areas. General. The Commissioner's and Rangers' reports show that the Crown tenants, on the whole, have fairly well complied with the conditions of their several leases ; the arrears of rental are now very low, the value of improvements effected on each holding is considerably in excess of the amount required by the regulations, and altogether the position, in every respect, as between Crown and tenants is very satisfactory. The district as a whole is progressing satisfactorily, and despite a cold spring the crops are much better than last year. The countiy generally is looking well, owing to the fine season ; good " burns " were obtained, and fine root-crops ensued ; grass is abundant, and. plenty of sound hay has been stacked, consequently winter feed is secure. In the southern districts, which may be classed as purely grazinglands, dealing and grassing has been vigorously carried on, and the outturn of fat stock has been unprecedented in number and quality. A keen demand for land still holds, and it is confidently expected that the whole of the new blocks which are now being prepared for the market will be at once occupied. Rebates of Rental. Rebates amounting to £70 16s. 7d. were made during the year to 265 Crown tenants. Arrears of Rental. These amount to £215 lis. 4d. owing by fifty-seven tenants, being a considerable reduction on the figures of last year. There are no arrears on the lands-for-settlement estates at Poorua and Kokatahi, or on the Kokatahi Village Settlement lands. Forfeituees and Suerenders. There were thirty-nine forfeitures during the year. Thirty of these were small sections in the Runanga Township, the lessees of which had taken up the sections with the idea of settling there, but afterwards found the locality unsuitable. One pastoral run was forfsitec on account of non-payment o* rent. Eight miscellaneous leases weie cancelled, the land in nearly all cases being reselected on permanent tenures. Surrenders of fiiteen leases were accepted. Three of these were leases in perpetuity, on which the lessees were unable to comply with conditions. 0 f the eight miscellaneous leases, three were flax leases, covering areas on which there was not sufficient flax to warrant the erection of mills ; three were mineral leases, under the jurisdiction of the Warden ; the other two being surrendered for the purpose of acquiring the areas on mere permanent tenures. Four pastoral licenses we.ie stirrendered, two being on account of losses in stock, and the ethers on account of resumption of large areas for settlement. Scenic Reserves. The very important matter of setting apait certain lands as scenic and sanctuary reserves has been carefully attended to, and already seventeen areas, aggregating 19,808 aens, have been permanently gazetted for these purposes. It is proposed during the coming year that a large number of additional reseive3 be recommended for reservation, and thus complete, in the main, the conservation of all localities of scenic value in Westland. Foeests. The timber industry still progresses, and an increased output has to be recorded. The mills in north Westland have been fully engaged, and are rapidly extending their operations into the back countrv, where large areas of fine milling forest await their enterprise. Many firms now possess locomotives' log-haulers, and the latest appliances for handling and milling. Others are adopting these better methods, and. substituting iron rails for wooden tramways. The completion of the Ross Railway will enable an increased area of fine milling forest to be overtaken. Continuous inquiries are also, made regarding the forests in 7 South Westland, and ere long we hope to see sawmills established adjacent to the ports in Thesejfacts evidence a sound and profitable business, which, together with attendant industries, provides employment for fully a thousand hands, who

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with their families are ready-money customers of the neighbouring farmers. There are forty-nine sawmills erected on Crown lands and freeholds. The area occupied for timber-cutting purposes comprises about 29,000 acres. The output for the year amounts to 44,933,813 ft. of commercial timber, 95,000 railway-sleepers, 2,000 telegraph-poles, besides quantities of bridge, &c, piles, posts, firewood, and other lumber. The total royalty paid amounts to £8,607 14s. 2d. Flax-milling. There are twelve mills, employing about 150 hands, erected in the various flax-growing localities scattered throughout the district. Several of these firms are struggling under the great hindrances of difficult transport of supplies and fibre, as the mills are situated considerable distances from railway or ports. Nevertheless, new enterprises are being undertaken, older ventures re-established with better appliances, and the outlook is very promising. Several millers have applied to the Land Board for areas for the purpose of cultivating flax, and others already have drained and planted a fair acreage. Should these experiments succeed, then a considerable expansion of the industry will rapidly ensue, and much of our waste water-logged country be reclaimed. Crown Lands for Disposal during Year 1907-8. The Crown lands at present available and to be thrown open for selection, apart from pastoral runs, amount to 121,759 acres, and are classified thus : —

The town and suburban lands comprise sections in the Towns of Runanga and Rohutu, and the Villages of Kokatahi, Waitaha, and Runanga Extension. All the rural lands are or will be obtainable under " The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903," and areas contiguous to gold-workings are also open for selection under the regulations for occupation of pastoral lands within mining districts. The provisions of the above Act and regulations have proved most applicable to this densely timbered country, and have greatly induced the settlement of many areas during the year. Of the surveyed land, 4,420 acres, between Waiho and Okuru, are open for selection under all tenures of the optional system; the balance of 5,754 acres is available on lease in perpetuity only, and is located in blocks all over the northern district. The pastoral runs cover all the country fit for depasturing stock. The subdivisions having been almost finished, six blocks of rural lands in different localities will be offered at an early date, and other lots will follow as soon as they are surveyed. As there is a continuous inquiry for farming lands, all these areas will probably be taken up. The classification of 120 runs by the Westland Classification Commissioners (in accordance with section 189 of " The Land Act, 1892,") was duly gazetted, and those lands in Class 2 adapted for agricultural purposes will now be resumed and subdivided for settlement. Payments to Local Bodies. Proposals and plans for the expenditure of " thirds " and " halves " were duly investigated, and after careful inspection and check were recommended to the Land Board and approved. " Thirds " under " The Land Act, 1892," accrued and were paid as under : Westland County Council, £339 14s. 4d. ; Grey County Council, £202 lis. 4d. : total, £542 ss. Bd. " Halves " under " The Timber and Flax Royalties Act, 1905," as under : Westland County Council, £873 Is. 7d. ; Grey County Council, £2,196 4s. 6d. : total, £3,069 6s. Id. Gross total, £3,6il lis. 9d. Eradication of Noxious Weeds. In connection with the destruction of these weeds on Crown lands, £204 12s. 9d. was paid during the year on the certificate of the Inspector of Stock, who, together with the Rangers, reports that corresponding efforts are being made by the settlers to do their share of the work. Departmental. The Land Board has held fifteen ordinary and special meetings during the year, and, as remarked above, has also made several inspection-visits to various parts of the district. The number of applications and items dealt with was 1,107, or an average of seventy-four at each meeting. The following items represent approximately the amount of clerical work put through by the Department during the last twelve months : Sale-posters, Land Guides, and lithographs distributed aggregated 1,166 ; the number of vouchers passed through the Accountant's office was 907, representing £24,421 Is. 6d. ; cheques issued on Imprest Account numbered 1,388, representing £15,125 14s. 2d. ; number of letters received and despatched 11,753; 3,783 notices sent out; 184 Audit cards; 1,338 receipts ; 217 departmental returns furnished ; 700 leases and similar documents prepared ; 83 reports to Wardens and other reports to Advances Office, Old-age Pensions, and other Departments. I have much pleasure in acknowledging the loyal and able assistance accorded by the staff in overtaking the work of the year, G. J. Robeets, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

Suburban Lands. Surveyed. Unsurveyed. Town and Suburban Lands. I Rural Lands. Survejed. Unsurveyed. Pastoral Runs. 1.1111110. UUl VC1 OM. *J -l»"Jl*«. T i/J bui Lands now open for Selection. Acres. Acres. Acres. 112 ! 10,174 ! 85,503 Number. i Aores. 56 781,810 Lands to be thrown open for Selection. 160 22,120 3,690 Total lands available 272 32,294 89,193 during coming year \ 10 105,500 66 887,310 272 32,294 89,193 66 887,310 i

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CANTERBURY. Land Transactions. The following table shows in a concise form the transactions that have taken place during the year, the number and area of Crown holdings at the 31st March, 1907, and the total revenue received from all sources within the period :—

Land Transactions, 1906-7.

Transactions during Year. Area held at 31st March, 1907. Tenure. u co ' ca _Q QJ r-i B ° § te " u . 1 <D tfl \S1 r* 1 2 o 2 te tfl| Acea. Revenue received during the Year. Area. Cash lands— Town Suburban Bural Deferred payments— Bural and pastoral Village Made freehold ■Perpetual lease— Ordinary Village Made freehold Occupation with right of purchase— Ordinary Village Made freehold ... .... Lease in perpetuity— Ordinary, Crown Villa.ge, „ Lake Ellesmere Conversions to lease in perpetuity— Ordinary Village homestead Farm homestead Village - homestead special settlement — Perpetual lease Lease in perpetuity, Crown Lease in perpetuity, Lake Elles- > A. R. P. 4 0 0 A. R. P. £ s. d. 103 0 0 8 "7 131 0 28 441 8 7 5 5 7 9,214 0 10 64 3 3 , 580 18 4 13 9 5 163 5 0 2 130 "() 0 7 23 21 • 150 0 11 59 18 4 81 16 8 3 23 2,026 0 7 293 3 35 45" 1 13 . 21 I ••• : 26; 26| 8, 4,733 2 23 2 2 0 217 13 7 3 9 8 300 0 0 i 240 0 0 ! I ... 242J 18! aa\ 242J 181 681 i 75,570 0 21 8 2 0 13,937 0 0 i 3,810 19 1 7 14 5 1,271 2 6 68! i 7 215"'l 38 "i 16 2 0 69 191 69 191 57 1,439 2 36 7,126 2 4 1,419 1 3 204 13 5 610 15 11 252 18 4 I 57 mere Farm homestead— Perpetual lease ... Lease in perpetuity, Crown ... Small grazing-runs, Crown ... | Pastoral licenses, „ ... Miscellaneous occupation licenses-— Crown Lake Ellesmere Endowment ... State forests ... ... ... i Mineral licenses Timber licenses Other sources ... 5 5 56 12,268 0 0 16,717 0 0 8,578 3 9 ... 4,033'"0 0 805 "o 0 10 20 55 140 565 17 1 22 6 21 669 0 8 1,867 2 9 133,734 0 19 3,450,673 1 39 76,931 3 37 1,190 2 10 1,480 2 8 11,027 2 14 1,389 0 0 3,319 3 8 48 7 2 80 5 10 5,657 18 0 31,140 14 10 2,786 10 10 62 7 9 97 10 0 390 16 6 57 3 0 275 9 1 601 19 0 3 6 Cheviot Estate. Lease in perpetuity Village homestead Grazing farms Pastoral licenses Miscellaneous occupation licenses Cash sales 169 2 0 7 0 31 118 92 49 1 62 24,392 1 2 2,480 1 0 45,846 1 26 1,642 0 0 1,389 0 22 5,836 7 10 836 17 11 6,209 10 7 193 3 8 219 6 5 379 19 6 4 16 Land for Settlements. Lease in perpetuity Farm homestead Small grazing-runs Miscellaneous occupation licenses Other sources Cash sales ... ... ' ... Workers' dwellings 30 1 5 6,093 1 22 3,684"o 0 46 3 0 . ,1,138 11 44 37 175,702 3 2 2,114 1 9 81,161 0 26 967 3 31 58,016 14 5 147 1 1 9,513 9 8 222 19 3 281 19 5 163 7 5 21 4 7 2 9 4 0 19 2 0 20-2 "9 2 0 20'2 Totals 171 53,191 1 20-2 !3,153 ! 14,133,818 0 32-2 131,514 7 11

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A comparison of this table with the corresponding one for the preceding year shows a falling-off from 205 to 171 in the number of transactions for the year, although the area represented has risen from 41,447 acres to 53,191 acres, owing to the increased area of pastoral holdings included in thif year's transactions. The area held at the close of the year has increased by 3,889 acres 1 rood 15 perches, and the number of tenants by thirty-eight. The total revenue for the year shows a falling-off of £1,726 18s. 2d. as compared with the receipts of the previous year. Lands opened. Excluding lands offered under the Land for Settlements Acts and on the Cheviot Estate, which are dealt with separately, the lands opened for selection during the year may be summarised as follows : — (a.) Offered for sale for cash by public auction : Fifty-six sections, totalling 13 acres 2 roods 38 perches, in the Township of South Rakaia ; sixteen of these, comprising 3 acres 3 roods 19 perches, were sold for £103, the upset prices totalling £80. (6.) Offered under the small-grazing-run 3ystem : Five runs, comprising a total area of 12,268 acres, situated in the Malvern Hills. For these five runs 428 applications were received, the number balloting for individual runs varying from 151 to 363. The favourable seasons and prices of stock and wool recently experienced, together with the limited amount of this class of holding obtainable in Canterbury, and tho reasonable rents fixed, no doubt combined to create the keen demand experienced for these runs, although a scrutiny of the ballot-lists leads to the conclusion that the number of applicants would have been very much reduced if they had been required to undergo the examination prescribed for applicants under the Land for Settlements Acts. (c.) Offered under the pastoral-lease system : One run of 11,000 acres situated in the Hakataramea Valley, which was purchased at the upset rental. (d.) Offered by tender or auction for lease for varying terms : Six blocks, totalling 2,130 acres, situated at Hamner Springs, Port Lyttelton, and near Morven ; all these realised satisfactory rentals. The Diffeeent Systems of Tenure. The two disappearing systems of tenure —namely, deferred-payment licenses and perpetual leases —have only been slightly reduced during the year, the former by two holdings of 130 acres converted into freehold, and the latter by three allotments totalling 45 acres 1 rood 13 perches also converted into freehold. The number so treated shows a very marked diminution from the figures for the preceding year, when twelve holdings comprising 1,071 acres became freehold. Under the occupation-with-right-of-purchase system one holder of 240 acres exercised his right of acquiring the freehold, but otherwise the figures remain unchanged, and the ordinary leases in perpetuity are also unaltered. Under the village-homestead system there has been one new selection of 16J acres, and a small transfer of holdings from the perpetual-lease to the lease-in-perpetuity subdivision, but with these exceptions the tenure remains unaltered. The farm-homestead holdings also remain as before. The number of small grazing-runs has increased by the five runs, totalling 12,268 acres, already referred to under the heading of " Lands opened " ; but the pastoral runs, notwithstanding five fresh selections, comprising 16,717 acres, have decreased by about 18,757 acres, as the result of expiries of leases which have now been dealt with under other tenures, such as the small grazing-runs previously mentioned. No further expiries of any importance are likely to take place until 1910, when a considerable number of runs now held under leases for terms of twenty-one years from 1890 will be available for disposal a year before the expiration of the existing leases. Rangees' Inspections. , The total number of holdings inspected by the three Rangers during the year was 1,849, of an area of 562,278 acres and 1 perch ; the total value of improvements required was £253,741 6s. Bd., and the value effected £469,897 2s. 6d. There were thirteen defaulters on account of non-residence, and thirtyone on account of deficient improvements. The very large value of improvements placed upon the holdings, and the small proportion of defaulters, emphasize the success which has attended Crown settlement in the Canterbury District. In addition to the work represented by the above figures, a very large number of miscellaneous inspections and other duties have been performed by the Rangers. Of the Crown lands disposed of under lease in perpetuity, occupation with right of purchase, and other tenures under the Land Acts, the greater number have now been occupied for over ten years, and with the exception of the Lake Ellesmere leases, where the periodical inflow of water prevents full compliance with requirements as to value of improvements effected, and some of the hill holdings, ranging up to 2,000 acres in South Canterbury, upon which it is practically impossible to remuneratively expend the prescribed amount, the tenants have generally complied in a satisfactory manner with the requirements of their leases, and further annual supervision becomes unnecessary. In these cases there is not much change in the condition of the holdings, but, generally speaking, the improvements are well maintained, and the lands kept in a good state of cultivation. Some leases and licenses in the Oxford district selected in 1903, and a few scattered holdings in other localities, remain under supervision, and among these there are a few defaulters in respect of residence or improvements, but in most oases the law will probably be satisfied during the ensuing year. The leaseholders of land on the confines of Lake Ellesmere benefited by the continuance of the lake at a low level for a considerable period, so that during the dry weather excellent feed was obtainable when most needed. On the other hand, the lighter lands suffered considerably from the drought. A good deal of surface sowing has been done with much success on the hill holdings of South Canterbury.

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The remarks made with reference to the general condition of holdings will apply also to the village settlements throughout the district, which have helped many hardworking and deserving men to a position of comparative or actual independence, and on which have been reared a number of the younger men who are now going out to settle the unoccupied lands of the colony, though it is to be regretted that in many instances they are obliged to find holdings outside this district. The land-for-settlements holdings are dealt with at length in a separate report. (See Appendix II.) Payments of Rent, Rebates, and Aeeeaes. The total annual rental payable by the 3,153 holders, occupying 4,133,818 acres and 32 perches of Crown land in the district, is £143,196 2s. The amount of arrears of rent due at the 31st March, 1907, by the tenants of all classes was £1,676 19s. Id., owing by ninety-four holders, occupying 21,163 acres 3 roods 26 perches. This represents about 3 per cent, of the total number of holders, and, as regards amount, a little under 1J per cent, of the annual rent-roll of the district. The usual rebate of 10 per cent, has been allowed to all tenants within the classes specified in " The Crown Tenants' Rent Rebate Act, 1900," and " The Land for Settlements Consolidation Act, 1900," who paid their rents within the prescribed period of one month after due date. The total number of tenants who received this concession was 1,755, out of the 2,065 tenants in the specified classes, and the amount granted by way of rebate was £7,946 12s. sd. FOEPEITURES AND SURRENDERS. During the year eight holdings of all classes were forfeited for breach of conditions, the total area being 240 acres and 26 perches. Surrenders were accepted at the request of the lessees in respect of six holdings, comprising a total area of 901 acres and 22 perches, making a grand total of fourteen holdings, representing an area of 1,141 acres 1 rood 8 perches, and an annual rental of £365 17s. 2d. Of the eight forfeitures, four leases in perpetuity were terminated for non-fufilment of conditions of occupation and two for non-payment of rent, and two coal-mining leases for non-compliance with working-conditions. Transfers and Exchanges. A very large number of holdings occupied under settlement conditions changed hands by way of transfer during the year. This is probably due in part to a desire merely to take advantage of the present high values ; while in other cases tenants have, aided by recent favourable seasons, done sufficiently well to be enabled either to purchase freehold properties in the open market, or to take up larger areas of Crown leasehold. The total number of .settlement holdings that changed hands was 200, comprising 43,214 acres 2 roods 18 perches, made up as follows : — Number. Area. A. R. P. Leases in perpetuity, all classes .. .. .. 144 22,141 2 0 Village-homestead leases, all classes .. .. .. 34 1,209 3 2 Perpetual and farm-homestead leases .. .. .. 5 662 335 Occupation-with-right-of-purchase licenses .. .. 4 209 0 6 Small grazing-runs and grazing-farms .. .. .. 13 18,991 1 15 These figures represent an increase of forty-one holders and 17,790 acres upon the corresponding figures for the preceding year. The number of holdings exchanged from perpetual lease to lease in perpetuity was seven, comprising an area of 215 acres 1 rood 38 perches, a considerable decrease upon the sixteen holdings and 506 acres and 8 perches exchanged in the previous year. In the figures quoted in the three foregoing paragraphs, the land-for-settlement leases have been included for the purpose of showing the actual totals dealt with. Reserves. Twelve blocks of land, comprising a total area of 961 acres 2 roods 25 perches, were set apart as reserves during the year ; four were for plantation purposes, three for scenery preservation, two for recreation, and one each for school-site, bridge-protection, and sanctuary for wild fowl. Timber, Forests, etc. The number of sawmilling and splitting licenses in existence at the close of the year was twentyone, covering an area of 3,319 acres 3 roods 8 perches, from which a revenue of £275 9s. Id. had been collected. These were all situated in the Oxford Bush. I have to report with regret that in January last, when the whole country was in an exceedingly inflammable condition as the result of an unusually dry season, destructive fires occurred both in the bush around Mount Oxford and also at Otarama and Paterson's Creek, on the south side of the Waimakariri River, near the Midland Railway. Aided by prevailing strong winds, the fires destroyed several thousand acres of bush that this district can ill afford to lose. Careful inquiry was made into the origin of the fires, and although there are grounds for suspecting that in the case at least of the Oxford fire it was caused either intentionally or through almost criminal carelessness, yet there is not at present sufficient evidence to admit of any proceedings being taken. A reward has for evidence leading to the conviction of persons intentionally or carelessly causing such fires, and steps have been taken to make known the penalties attaching to such action. The question of dealing with the burnt

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lands at Oxford has been carefully considered, and it has been decided to reserve a portion of the remaining bush with a view, to the conservation of the Oxford district water-supply, and to allow the existing sawmill-areas to be cut out before dealing with the other available lands by offering them for settlement occupation. Planting operations are still being carried on by the Mackenzie County Council upon portions of the treeless plains of the Mackenzie County, by means of funds derived from the leasing of reserves set apart for that purpose. During the year an area of 52 acres 2 roods 39 perches, known as Kennedy's Bush, and situated on f the summit of the Port Hills, about ten miles from Christchurch, has been acquired and reserved under "The Scenery Preservation Act, J 903." One-third of the purchase-money was raised locally by public subscription, and the balance was provided by Government. The cost of fencing the block has also been jointly provided in the same manner. This acquisition comprises the best remaining piece of native bush within easy distance of Christchurch ; it is finely situated, commanding a beautiful view of Lyttelton Harbour, and has for many years been a favourite holiday resort. It is hoped that public opinion will protect the bush from damage or depredation. Two blocks of land, comprising a total area of 124 acres and 20 perches, were also set apart for scenery-preservation out of the acquired Morice Settlement, near Little River, Banks Peninsula ; these include two valuable and interesting areas of native bush. " The Workers' Dwellings Act, 1905." The 1 first twelve dwellings erected in this district under " The Workers' Dwellings Act, 1905," were opened for application on the 11th February, 1907. The buildings were all of five rooms, with conveniences, three' r built in brick, and the remainder of wood, and are situated at the southern end of Sydenham, adjacent to an electric-tram line, and about fifteen minutes' journey from the centre, of the city. The rentals averaged from 10s. to 12s. per week, plus insurance and local rates. Thirty applications were received, and the whole of the dwellings were allotted at the first ballot; one was subsequently surrendered by the successful applicant, but it has since been reallotted. The tenants are all in occupation, and*'appear to be of an excellent and deserving class. The announcement made at the ballot that further dwellings would be erected gave general satisfaction. Negotiations have since been concluded for the acquisition of a site for the erection of dwellings in the vicinity of the railway workshops at Addington. New Zealand International Exhibition. Considerable additional work has been thrown on the office during the year in connection with the New Zealand International Exhibition, a portion of the West Coast Court having been allotted to the Department, in which were exhibited the undermentioned plans, &c, furnished and mounted by the Head Office : Map of New Zealand with mountain features in pictorial relief ; large map of Dunedin and suburbs ; mounted lithographs of townships, county maps, triangulation and block sheets, and settlements ; maps of the North and South Islands, showing topography, county boundaries, &c. ; photographs of the Southern Alps, scenery in Christchurch and different parts of the district, stock, &c, on Crown settlements, &c. ; pamphlets, Crown Lands Guides, " Immigrants' Guide and Settlers' Handbook," reports on the Lands Department, State forests, and timber industry. An officer wag in attendance to give information to the public, and to distribute lithographs, pamphlets, &e. Great interest was taken by the public in the exhibits, and constant inquiries were made by visitors from all parts of the world concerning the New Zealand systems of land-tenure, and large numbers of lithographs and pamphlets were distributed. Considerable interest was manifested in the large relief map of the colony, which was exhibited in a glass case, and there was a great demand for lithographs of this map, no less than 150 being distributed on the afternoon of the closing-day. We have also supplied various Commissioners] from other colonies with information and maps, and generally the court has been a success and of considerable service to the public. Crown Lands foe Disposal. The following table summarises the Crown lands open for selection on the 31st March, 1907 : —

Tenure under which Land is open. Area. Counties in whioh situated. r illage-homestead allotments Iptional selection, under Part III of " The Land Act, 1892 "— First-class surveyed Second-class surveyed ... First-class unsurveyed ... 'astoral runs iand for Settlements Acts—Lease in perpetuity Total ... A. 86 R. P. 2 0 Ashburton. 6 144 421 45,000 16 1 10 0 9 0 0 0 0 3 13 Ashburton. Ashley, Ashburton, Geraldine, and Waimate Selwyn and Ashburton. Amuri. Amuri, Selwyn, Ashburton, Levels, and Waimate. 45,674 2 32

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There are practically no Crown lands to be offered for occupation during the ensuing year, except such as may from any causes revert to the Crown, and there are no estates at present in prospect for disposal under the Land for Settlements Acts. Depaetmental. Fifteen ordinary and special meetings of the Land Board have been held during the year; 509 statutory applications for land were received and dealt with, of which 45 were granted, and, in addition to these, very large numbers of applications for approval of transfers and mortgages, Crown Lands Rangers' reports, and other business were considered at each sitting of the Board. The inward and outward recorded correspondence, returns, notices, &c, amounted, in round figures, to about 20,250. and about 1,600 sale plans, posters, &c, were distributed. In the office of the Receiver of Land Revenue, besides the gross revenue for the year, amounting to £131,514 7s. 1 Id., for which 5,676 receipts were issued, a sum of £8,364 Bs. 9d. was paid into the Deposit Account, against which 476 receipts and cheques were issued. A sum of £1,842 17s. lOd. was paid into the Local Bodies' Deposit Account, out of which £1,165 9s. Id. was paid over to the local bodies in respect of proposals which had been approved by the Land Board. In the Accountant's office, 279 vouchers, representing a sum of £3,781 3s. 9d., were drawn against the Imprest Account, and 887 vouchers, representing £12,927 Is. 3d., were passed through for pre-audit and payment. Eeic C. Gold Smith, Commissioner of Crown Lands. OTAGO. I may preface my remarks by a passing allusion to the financial results of the year, which have been remarkably satisfactory, indicative of sound and solid progress and prosperity. The estimates of gross revenue for the year amounted to £88,074 17s. 4d., while the actual receipts were £89,633 14s. 9d., an excess of £1,558 17s. 5d., the principal items of excess being cash lands, perpetual leases made freehold, and land-for-settlements lease in perpetuity. It was at one time feared that owing to the unusually dry period in the early part of the season the settlers would have suffered severely in their returns for the year; and though they have done so to a certain extent, in some places more than others, the timely breaking-up of the drought saved many from what would otherwise have been a disastrous year to them. Settlement of ordinary Crown lands is the first matter claiming attention. The transactions under this head are still comparatively few, in consequence of the limited area of ordinary Crown lands now available for closer settlement. The area opened for sale and selection during the year under the various systems and tenures amounted in all to 114,483 acres. Of this, 49,847 acres was opened for the first time, and the balance, 64,636 acres, had been previously opened. Included in the land opened for the first time were the Steward, Plunket, and Totara Settlements under the Land for Settlements Act, comprising an aggregate area of 30,606 acres, of which 5,871 acres constituted five small grazing-runs in the Steward Settlement. Of the balance opened for the first time, 18,824 acres was ordinary Crown lands under the small-grazing-run system, 274 acres on lease in perpetuity only, 124 acres under the optional system, and 19 acres for cash by auction. The previously opened areas comprised 2,044 acres under the optional system, 156 acres for cash by auction, 60,485 acres pastoral runs, 1,185 acres as small grazing-runs, 145 acres lease in perpetuity only, and 621 acres land for-settlement lease in perpetuity. There is still a steady demand for land of good quality suitable for both agricultural and grazing purposes. Mixed farming seems to be the general desire on the part of intending settlers. As the pastoral licenses over suitable land for closer settlement fall in, it will be the aim and object of the Land Board and the Department to endeavour as far as possible to meet the legitimate demands for land for settlement purposes. For disposal during the year now entered upon the lands at present in view in respect of ordinary Crown lands are, besides certain misce ! laneous areas now open for application, the subdivisions of the Blackstone Hill, Lauder, Home Hills, and Lee Stream Runs, embracing a gross area of 153,000 acres approximately, which, as a matter of fact, have been disposed of before the writing of this report. Several runs expiring in 1909 will also be dealt with about the end of the year. Under the Land for Settlements Act there will be the small Kurow Settlement, Airedale Estate, Otekaike Estate, and Ashley Downs Estate, comprising altogether an aggregate area of, say, 24,000 acres, the survey of which (with the exception of the Kurow Settlement, already surveyed) will be completed as soon as possible. The summary of transactions shows that as compared with the previous year the volume of business has been greater in regard both to area and receipts. The total number of transactions, including leases made freehold, was fifty-three more than in 1905-6, and the acreage dealt with greater by 101,577 acres. The total number of holdings now on the books is, including land for settlements and endowments, 3,604, with an acreage of 5,471,677 acres, at an annual rental of £89,713 2s. 2d., an increase over the previous year of 124 holdings, and £8,624 13s. 9d. annual rental. The receipts of the past year were £7,476 Bs. lid. more than in 1905-6. As a matter of course, the receipts under land for settlements are increasing yearly as further estates are brought into the market. For the ensuing year the estimate of revenue has been fixed at £4,440 above last year's receipts, and there is every prospect that the estimated amount will be realised. Ordinary pastoral runs are, as pointed out last year, gradually diminishing both in area and annual rental, the latter in greater proportion than the former, as a consequence of the best runs being taken

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for settlement as they fall in. At present the number of licenses is about the same, but the area held is less by 160,730 acres, and the annual rental less by £1,315 14s. 6d. The following statement of the number, &c, of ordinary Crown lands held under pastoral license during the last six years shows the gradual shrinkage of revenue under this head : —

Inspections and Rangees' Reports. The Crown Lands Rangers' reports of their inspections continue to show a large excess of improvements effected over actual requirements, a fact that indicates satisfactory, steady, and substantial progress. The excess in value of improvements over statutory requirements in respect of holdings inspected the previous year amounted to £84,457. For the year just ended the amount stands at £66,625. The defaulters are mainly selectors whose land is of inferior quality, r and who cannot in consequence profitably expend what would be necessary to requirements. Peogress of Settlement. It has already been stated that throughout this district as a whole there are indications of the satisfactory progress of settlement. Some portions of the district are, of course, more prosperous than others, as the climatic and other conditions may affect the farmers' operations. The Rangers' general notes with regard to the three divisions into which, as suggested last year, the district has been nominally divided—viz., North, South, and Central —will furnish a fairly comprehensive view of the year's" progress and the present conditions and prospects of settlement in Otago. The information as to the number of lessees, area held, and value of improvements effected in the three divisions referred to is limited to lands held on settlement conditions, land held as pastoral runs and under miscellaneous leases and licenses not being]_included. In general outline the following is a resume of the Rangers' reports : — In the Northern division there are now 245 ordinary Crown tenants, holding an aggregate area of 230,855 acres, the improvements on which are valued at £44,132 ; also 468 land-for-settlement tenants, who hold 79,918 acres, with improvements valued at £100,231, making a total of 713 tenants, holding 310,773 acres, with improvements valued at £144,363. The Southern division now contains 627 tenants on ordinary Crown lands, with a total area of 118,613 acres, and improvements the value of which is estimated at £70,656; also 130 tenants under the Land for Settlements Act, holding 36,175 acres, with improvements valued at £31,847: making a total of 757 tenants, 154,788 acres, and improvements valued at £102 503. In the Central division, which comprises all Central Otago and the Lakes district, there are now 1,083 tenants on ordinary Crown lands, holding 500,596 acres, with improvements valued at £179,886, and. thirteen tenants under land for settlements, with 1,239 acres and improvements valued at £2,195 ; making a total for the Central division of 1,096 tenants, holding 501,835 acres, with improvements valued at £182,081. The grand totals for the three divisions are 2,566 tenants, 967,396 acres, and improvements valued at £428,947. The settlers in the Northern portion of the Otago Land District have not made great progress during the past year. Little or no rain fell between October and January, in consequence of which the grain-crops and the grass suffered rather severely. About the month of January the paddocks were very bare, and settlers were almost at their wits' end to provide feed for their stock. Many were, unfortunately, compelled to sell sheep and cattle, which, owing to the scarcity of feed, did not command anything like reasonable prices. The lambing generally was, however, above the average, and the price of wool very satisfactory. The root-crops are not by any means up to the average, and feed is still very scarce. In view of these facts it is to be sincerely hoped that a mild winter may follow, as if it should be a severe one the results might be serious. The Southern division which usually has a good average rainfall, has also suffered considerably through want of rain. Except in specially favoured localities, the crops have been very light and the grass backward. The root-crops, which, so to speak, hung in the balance for a long time, made fair progress after the middle of February. Some of the turnips will yet turn out fair, but they will not nearly approach, the average. The Central division, comprising all Central Otago, has been in much the same position as the Northern, the dry season preventing any material progress from being made. The sheep off the high country are in splendid condition, but the low-country stock are not in a fit condition to face a bad winter. The Central district suffers more or less every year from drought and prevalent high winds. Where irrigation has been possible the results have been magnificent, but as the quantity of available water is very limited the irrigated area is necessarily also limited. Speaking generally, the Crown tenants of Otago have made only moderate progress during the year. The comparative failure of grain and root crops has, however, been partly counterbalanced

Year. Number. Area. Annual Rental. 1901-2 1902-3 1903-4 1904-5 1905-6 1906-7 ... 237 237 226 213 216 216 Acres. 4,508,322 4,519,101 4,385,344 4,324,622 4,320,008 4,159,279 1 £ s. d. 29,313 8 8 28,832 4 2 27,876 15 10 27,427 14 6 26,919 14 4 25,603 19 10

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by the higher lambing percentages and the good prices for wool. The settlers are not by any means disheartened, and, having had a succession of seven or eight good years, they are in a favourable position as a rule to cope with one bad one. Settlement conditions have been very well observed, and the settlers' prospects are fairly bright and encouraging. Ranger Mackenzie, reporting for the Lakes district more particularly, shows that where there has been default in a few cases the settlers have either shown good and valid reasons for the default or have made good the deficiency. He states that notwithstanding the very dry season the district as a whole is in a fair state of prosperity. While a few places have suffered, in green crops especially, the graincrops in the Hawea district have seldom been better, there having been some very heavy yields. Sheep had come in from the high mountain country in good conditicn. The dry season had suited the Makarora Valley, where crops could scarcely be better. In that district, however, and also in West Wanaka, very little progress had been made in extending settlement. There was still a strong demand for land, and would-be settlers were looking forward to the falling-in of some of the large runs. The great question throughout the Wanaka, Hawea, Wakefield, and Cromwell districts was water. Settlers were willing to be taxed for this if obtainable. It was really wonderful what could he done in the Clutha Valley with irrigation over lard that was otherwise altogether barren. He had reported lately on the Cromwell Flat, and showed that water would be the main thing in the future for the general prosperity of that district. Mr. Mackenzie reports having visited all the holdings in his distiict, besides having furnished a large number of special reports on various matters, and had also undertaken a number of surveys, attended to office-work, &c. A fire had occurred in the Greenstone Valley, and although notices of warning had been posted up all round the district they seemed to have little or no effect in preventing fires. Rebates of Rent. Rebates of rent were granted to a total of 1,525 tenants during the year, to the extent of £2,924 4s. 3d., being more than the previous year by forty-four tenants and £460 17s. Bd. in amount granted. In ordinary Crown lands the number of tenants who participated was less by ten, but in land for settlements fifty-foir more, while the amount granted to ordinary Crown-land tenants was £16 17s. Bd. less and to land-for-settlement tenants £477 15s. 4d. more than in the previous year. The several tenures that participated in the rebate and the number and amount granted during the twelve months are as follows :— Tenure. Number of Amount granted. Ordir ary Crown lands— Tenants. £ s. d. Deferred payments .. .. .. .. 7 2 3 10 Perpetual leases .. .. .. 173 103 11 0 Lease in perpetuity (ordinary) .. .. 623 406 13 0 Lease in perpetuity (village homestead) 52 5 14 5 Lease in perpetuity (farm-homestead association) 14 12 1 8 Occupation with light of purchase .. .. 207 89 13 9 Total .. .. .. .. 1,076 619 17 8 Land for settlements .. .. .. 449 2,304 6 7 Grand total .. .. .. 1,525 £2,924 4 3 Aeeeaes of Rent. The amount of arrears in respect of ordinary Crown lands, exclusive of the current half-year, is approximately about the same as at the 31st March, 1906, while in land for settlements the number of tenants in arrear and the amount owing are a little more. Taking the gross arrears, inclusive of the current six months, into consideration, the number of holders in arrear is less by thirty-eight, notwithstanding tho increase in the number of tenants on the books, but the amount owing is £25 Is. 9d. more than in 1906. As stated in previous reports, small grazing-runs are conspicuous in these arrears, in consequence of there being no rebate under that tenure for prompt payment, there thus being no incentive for the lessees to pay until the half-yearly period has well advanced. A large proportion, however, of these are generally paid within the first three months of the period. Exclusive of the current halfyear, the percentage of tenants in arrear is 2 - 55 of the total number on the books, and the amount owing 2T2 of tha total annual rental. Including the current half-year, the percentages are : Number of tenants, 12'84 ; amount owing, 7 - 88. Under all the circumstances, therefore, these must be regarded as exceedingly small. Forfeitures and Surrenders. These are six more in number than for the pievious year, and embraced a much greater area and rental. The surrenders included the large areas comprised in the Blackstone Hill, Lauder, and Home Hills Runs, which were surrendered to be dealt with for closer settlement. Of thirteen forfeitures, nine were for non-payment of rent, and four for non-residence and abandonment. For the sixteen surrenders the reasons were various— subdivision, purchase of land, reduction of capital value, closer settlement, &c. Transfers. The transfers during the year have exceeded those of the previous year in number by thirty, and in area dealt with by 674,290 acres, the total being 229 transfers, and area dealt with 949,586 acres, In 1905-6 the total number was 199 transfers, covering an area of 275,296 acres,

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Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act. Up to the 31st March last nine selections have been made under this Act, the total area taken up being 1,388 acres and 4 perches. During the year there were but two selections, over an area of 202 acres 1 rood 18 perches. The operations under the Act in this district are therefore still too few and insignificant to enable an opinion of any value to be given as to the effect of the Act upon settlement. •■■ . Reserves, Forests, etc. Reserves for various public purposes have during the year been permanently gazetted over an aggregate area of 4,203 acres 2 roods 11 perches. Of these, 1,573 acres was proclaimed under " The Scenery Preservation Act, 1903," and 2,359 acres for the growth and preservation of timber. Steps are still being taken for the reservation of further areas of Crown lands for scenery purposes, and negotiations during the year have resulted in the acquisition of additional private lands recommended by the recent Commission, including lands at Mount Cargill, Signal Hill, and other localities. It is hoped that the public generally will support the Department in its efforts to conserve the native bush and scenery of these reserves by preventing as far as possible their spoliation and destruction by fire and otherwise. The timber transactions in relation to ordinary Crown lands have been more than usually limited in extent this year. General Review. •Reviewing the year's transactions, the prominent features appear to be realised anticipations, steady and solid advancement, increase in settlement under land for settlements, encouraging prospects. The very great demand for allotments in the Plunket (Corriedale) and Totara Settlements, and more recently for the subdivisions of the Blackstone Hill, Lauder, Home Hills, and Lee Stream Runs, has demonstrated beyond doubt the unsatisfied desire on the part of many to settle on the land. There is, however, one element in connection with the disposal of these new blocks of land that can scarcely be passed over without comment, and that is the apparent attempt on the part of some applicants to acquire land for speculative purposes. The remedy for this is not altogether an easy one, for so long as the required declarations are made, and the conditions of the leases are complied with, no further restriction in the way of transfer than those embodied in the Act can be imposed by the Land Board. Increased discretionary powers might tend to mitigate the evil complained of. But, notwithstanding this, the review of the year's operations as regards the fulfilment of settlement conditions, the buoyancy of the revenue, the small amount of outstanding rents, and the hopeful outlook for the future, affords strong grounds for congratulation and encouragement. Departmental The administrative work of the Department becomes increasingly arduous and onerous as the number of Crown tenants increases and further settlements are brought into the market, and other numerous and important interests are made to claim the attention of the Lands Department. Recently the staff at my disposal has had considerable strain put upon it in connection with land sales and ballots, the more so as these have happened at a time when the office-work is always heavy —viz., at the end of the financial year. lam pleased to be able to acknowledge the willing co-operation of all the members of the staff, who have performed their several duties in a manner alike creditable to themselves and the office. D. Barron, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

SOUTHLAND. Lands opened fob Sale oe Selection. During the past financial year the area of ordinary Crown lands offered for the first time was 7,968 acres, out of which 1,037 acres, comprising sections situated in the Taringatura, Waikawa, Invercargill, and Waiau districts, was opened on the optional system, and 5,965 acres, situated in Hokonui, Otara, Waiau, Alton, and Waikawa, on lease in perpetuity only. Of the area opened on the optional system, 590 acres was selected on cash and occupation with right of purchase ; and of the area on lease in perpetuity only, 3,938 acres was selected. Of a total of 143,415 acres that had been previously offered and was reopened during the year, 1,532 acres was opened on the optional system, of which 568 acres was selected on cash and occupation with right of purchase, and 2,035 acres was opened on lease in perpetuity only, of which 1,638 acres was selected. Six pastoral-run licenses, comprising an area of 136,134 acres, were reoffered, and all purchased at auction. Under the Land for Settlements Act, 9 acres of village land was opened for the first time, 3 acres of which has been selected, and 617 acres previously offered was reopened, of which 233 acres was selected.

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Lands disposed of. The following table gives particulars of the lands disposed of and otherwise dealt with during the financial year:—

The gross revenue for the year was £27,244 6s. lid., being an increase of £262 14s. Bd. on that of the preceding year. The total number of Crown tenants is now 2,036, the increase on last year being forty-six. The following is a summary of the transactions in connection with and the position as regards the principal tenures :— Cash. —The cash transactions of all classes numbered forty-one, the area disposed of being 1,728 acres, and the amount realised £1,061, showing an increase over last year of twelve purchasers and £252 in amount, the area sold being 62 acres less. Deferred Payment. —Nine deferred-payment licenses were converted into freehold, the area acquired being 906 acres. One license oyer 58 acres was exchanged to lease in perpetuity; only three ordinary deferred-payment licenses covering an area of 1,460 acres are now held, and also two pastoral deferredpayment licenses comprising an area of 5,456 acres. No arrears. Perpetual Lease (ordinary). —The number of perpetual leases held in this district has decreased by nine, by the operation of four made freehold, three exchanged to lease in perpetuity, one surrender,

Nature of Selections. Transactions during the Year. Number. Area. Area held under Lease at 31st March, 1907. Gross Revenue received during Number. Area. the Year ' Area. Number. Area. Cash by auction ... *.. Cash by application ... Deferred payments ... Deferred payment made freehold Perpetual leases Perpetual leases made freehold Occupation with right of purchase Occupation with right of purchase made freehold Lease in perpetuity ... Exchanges to lease in perpetuity Occupation leases (Mining Districts Land Occupation Act) Village settlements— Deferred payments Deferred payments made freehold Perpetual lease Perpetual lease made freehold Occupation with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Village - homestead special settlement Improved-farm settlement Small grazing-runs ... Pastoral runs Miscellaneous leases and licenses Timber-cutting Other miscellaneous revenue ... 17 19 A. It. P. 43 3 6 1,085 1 4 A. n. p. £ s. d. 156 16 2 475 13 9 492 13 2 9 5 5,953 0 10 905 2 31 4 27 598 0 30 5,543 1 13 64 11,972 3 14 407 12 4 425 9 3 1,410 14 1 324 72,028 3 8 5 1,075 3 28 810 6 11 32 16 2 8,685 0 33 2,914 2 34 197 2 32 337 97,995 0 29 1,919 10 9 "42 1,240 2 4 155 6 4 9" 3 37 2 60 2 37 28 17 11 1 7 130 1 39 80 1,088 1 13 150 14 1 313 13 9 1 11 8 4 3 0 24 15 201 2 24 292 51 4,499 553 2 2 1 24 333 1 7 140 6 10 7 57 I I ... 59,484 0 0 4,554 2 37 6,501,975sup.ft. 47 19 92 369 5,000 64,436 1,482,753 32,140 1 20 0 13 1 0 0 22 293 9 10 737 0 2 3,709 10 5 1,349 8 11 2,465 3 7 376 0 2 Totals ordinary Crown lands Land for settlements — Cash Lease in perpetuity Small grazing-runs... Miscellaneous 218, 1 12 85,430 10 0 1,322 2 31 2 28 1,728 1,779,725 1 20 16,153 3 0 9,384 9 90 18 648 13 1 8 0 7 8 9 "3 225 2 12 46,207 2,808 1,429 3 1 0 0 0 2 277 2 36 Totals land for settle16 1,601 1 27 239 50,445 0 2 10,127 2 0 ments Endowments 1,280 0 0 69 131,332 3 37 964 3 3 Gross totals 237 88,312 0 15 2,036 ;1,961,503 1 19 27,244 6 11

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and one forfeiture. The net area now held is 11,973 acres, the number of lessees being sixty-four. No arrears. Occupation, with Right of Purchase. —During the year twenty-seven selections were made under this tenure, the area selected being 5,543 acres. This is a considerable falling-off as compared with last year, when the selections numbered sixty-seven and the area selected 14,328 acres ; but the difference is explained by the limited area opened on the optional system this year. It is to be remarked that of the land opened on the optional system during the year no selection was made on lease in perpetuity. There are now 324 selectors under this tenure, holding 72,029 acres, being an increase of six lessees and 364 acres over last year. Nine lessees are in arrear, to the amount of £35 2s. Lease in Perpetuity (ordinary). —Thirty-two selections, covering an area of 8,685 acres, were made during the year, showing an increase of eleven selectors and 3,636 acres over last year. There were sixteen exchanges to lease in perpetuity from other tenures, comprising a total area of 2,915 acres. The total area now selected on this tenure is 97,995 acres, held by 337 lessees, giving an increase of 11,101 acres and forty-seven lessees over last year. Six lessees are in arrear for £34 16s. lOd. Small Grazing-runs. —There has been no movement in this tenure during the year. There are nineteen lessees of ordinary small grazing-runs, holding 64,436 acres; two land-for-settlement small grazing-runs, area 2,808 acres ; and three endowment runs, containing 10,450 acres. The Crown Lands Ranger reports that on the whole the lessees are complying well with the conditions of lease, are using the land chiefly for grazing, have made good and substantial improvements, and are in a prosperous condition. The improvements effected are £6,539 in excess of the required amount; but two lessees are in arrear to the amount of £18 Bs. 7d. !"i Pastoral Runs. —Under this tenure ninety-two licensees hold 1,482,753 acres, none of the licensees being in arrear with rent. The Classification Commissioners appointed to reclassify pastoral runs the licenses of which will expire on the 29th February, 1908, had to deal with ten licenses, which covered an area of 93,121 acres. Of these ten licenses, the Commissioners recommended that three be not reoffered as pastoral runstwo in the Nokomai Survey District (Runs 523 and 524, containing 1,991 acres), in order that they might be offered for selection on lease in perpetuity in four separate sections, as originally surveyed, upon the expiration of the licenses, there now being no objection from a mining point of view to this course ; the third run, No. 491, Rowallan Survey District, containing 12,600 acres, will not be reoffered at all, as portion of it has been surveyed for landless Natives and the balance is high bush-clad country. From another run in the Oteramika Hundred 400 acres was deducted in order that this area might be leased on settlement tenure. Two licenses over adjoining land in the Wairaki district were grouped so that they would be held under one license ; area, 12,300 acres. A somewhat extensive grouping of runs in the north-eastern portion of the district was recommended by the Classification Commissioners and given effect to, the circumstances being as follows : The licensees of two runs, Nos. 424 and 436, containing 56,200 acres, situated in the Otago Land District, and who also held two runs, in the Southland District, Nos. 328 and 436a, containing 37,780 acres, all of which adjoin, applied to the Otago Land Board to group the four runs under one license, on the ground that they should be in one run, as most of them are summer country, impossible to work as a sheep-station unless all owned by one person. The Otago Land Board referred the application to the Southland Land Board, expressing the opinion that it would be advantageous to' have the runs grouped as one run, but the Southland Board could not see its way to agree to the proposal. Subsequently, it being represented that it was considered doubtful that the two Otago runs would be taken up if not grouped, some of the land being very high country (from 4,000 ft. to 6,000 ft. above sea-level), as the Southland runs command the workable frontage and all the low winter country, and the Classification Commissioners for the Otago and Southland Land Districts having met at the homestead of the runs and discussed the subject, it was decided to group the four runs and include Block V, Wakaia, which was waste Crown land surrounded by the runs, the total area being 95,784 acres, the whole to be administered by the Southland Land Board. All the runs classified and reoffered were again taken up. The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act. During the year under review 5,300 acres were opened for selection under this Act, 3,432 acres being heavy-bush land, 1,283 acres light-bush land, and 585 acres scrub land. The selections made during the year were thirty-one, covering an area of 7,833 acres, comprising six heavy-bush land, 1,815 acres ; nineteen light-bush land, 4,278 acres ; four scrub land, 1,427 acres ; and two swamp land, 313 acres. The total selectors under this Act now number 104, the area held being 23,600 acres, showing an increase over last year of twenty selectors and 4,985 acres. The Crown Lands Ranger has inspected the holdings of seventy-seven selectors, who lease a total area of 18,155 acres, and have been in occupation for one or two complete years, and reported that twenty-two of those holding two years and sixteen of those holding one year are residing, although in most cases residence is not due, the land being bush-clad. The total value of the improvements effected is £2,861 95., being £1,907 10s. in excess of the required value. About twenty selectors have not effected the required improvements, and these shall have my attention shortly ; in some cases want of road access is the difficulty. Upon the whole, the operation of " The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903," in this district must be considered to be fairly successful. Remissions of Rent. The amount remitted on ordinary Crown lands was £32 lis. 9d., to two lessees ; and to one lessee under the Land for Settlements Act the sum of £61 3s. 2d. was remitted.

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Rebates of Rent. Under the operatiou of " The Crown Tenants' Rent Rebate Act, 1900," 630 lessees of ordinary Crown lands were granted rebates to the amount of £271 4s. 9d. for prompt payment of rents, and 155 land-for-settlement tenants received rebates amounting to £674 Is. 7d. under the provisions of " The Land for Settlements Consolidation Act, 1900 " Arrears of Rent. On ordinary Crown lands thirty-two lessees are in arrear, to the amount of £162 lis. 4d., which figures show a decrease of twenty lessees in arrear and of £40 14s. lid. in amount. Twenty-two lessees under the land-for-settlements tenures are in arrear to the amount of £915, being a decrease of seven lessees and £332 7s. i Forfeituees and Sueeenders. During the year the leases of twenty-three lessees of ordinary Crown lands were forfeited for noncompliance with the conditions of lease, the area involved being 11,556 acres ; four leases were surrendered, the area of which was 5,600, two pastoral runs containing 5,300 acres being included. Feeehold Titles issued. Under the provisions of the Land Acts, 1885 and 1892, sixty-four certificates of the completion of the purchase of lands have been issued by the Receiver of Land Revenue. These receipts are commonly called provisional titles, and are registered under the Land Transfer Act. The tenures under which the lands were acquired were as follows :— „ , , Area. Selectors. . Acres. Deferred payment .. .. .. .. ..11 1,031 Perpetual lease .. .. .. .. .. ..11 729 Occupation with right of purchase .. . . . . .. 5 1,076 Cash under " Land Act, 1892," Part 111 .. .. 4 544 Auction, &c. .. .. .. .. . . .. 32 585 Land for settlements .. .. . . . . .. 1 1 64 3,966 Exchanges to Lease in Peepetuity. Sixteen exchanges from other tenures to lease in perpetuity have been effected during the year, the area affected being 2,915 acres, comprising lands previously held under deferred payment, perpetual lease, Mining Districts Land Occupation Act, and miscellaneous licenses. Teansfers. No less than 111 transfers of leases and licenses under the various tenures were completed in the course of the year, the total area conveyed being 239,576 acres. The transfers included thirty-eight lease in perpetuity; area, 4,886 acres: eight land for settlements; area, 2,440 acres: twenty occupation with right of purchase ; area, 5,000 acres : eighteen perpetual lease ; area, 2,724 acres : ten pastoralrun licenses ; area, 211,264 acres : three small-grazing-run leases ; area, 10,747 acres : and several minor leases of small areas. Transmissions. Transmissions to executors or administrators in the estates of ten deceased lessees were approved by the Land Board, the area affected being 1,472 acres. Rangers' Inspections. On the mainland 808 inspections of selectors' holdings have been made, of an area of 96,426 acres, the improvements required being £36,112, while the value of those effected is £68,461. The Ranger reports that, with the exception of some roadwork during the summer, the selectors are chiefly] employed in the improvement and working of their own holdings. Besides these statutory inspections, the Ranger has made 400 inspections and reports to the office in connection with Land Board and departmental business. The Ranger at Stewart Island reports having inspected the holdings of the twenty-six lessees upon the island at various times during the year, the area inspected being 3,548 acres; the required improvements are £1,801 Is. 4d., and the value of improvements effected £3,097 10s. He adds that during the year the amount of improvements effected has been small, which is chiefly accounted for by the fact that nearly all of the tenants were obliged to take work at the local sawmills, the road contracts, or to engage in the fishing industry. The Crown tenants on the whole seem to be contented, and to consider their future prospects good. He has as far as possible kept watch over the fauna and flora on the island. No destruction of bush has taken place, and no killing of game occurred. The imported game animals seem to be now well established, but the native game birds become yearly more scarce. The Forest Ranger has made a number of inspections and valuations of sawmilling-timber upon Crown land being dealt with by the Land Board, and in connection with applications for the purchase of timber remaining upon former sawmill-workings.

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Reservations. The total area of lands permanently reserved during the year was 7,384 acres, comprising 6,704 acres in the Eglington, Te Anau, Mataura (Edendale Settlement), Oteramika, and Jacob's River districts, reserved for scenic purposes ; 319 acres for school-sites, scattered over the whole land district; 347 acres for primary education, in the Wakaia district; and 14J acres for miscellaneous purposes. Bush Fiees. In the month of January, following upon the long dry season experienced throughout*the][district during the past summer, several bush fires of greater or less magnitude occurred in various parts of the district over both private and Crown lands and State forests. The first fire brought under my notice, on the 11th January, was one that spread over about 210 acres of State forest at Spar Bush —old sawmillworkings—in the New River Hundred. With your approval, the sowing of this area was immediately put in hand, and completed for a total cost of £97 for grass-seed and labour. Later in January last very destructive bush fires swept over the large area known as Seaward Bush, in the Invercargill, Campbelltown, and Oteramika Hundreds. The total area which was affected by the fires is estimated at 11,400 acres, part State forest and part Crown land. Of this area a large portion was not considered suitable for sowing down with grass, owing to the quantity of timber still standing and lying upon the ground, but upon examination of the State forest and Crown land it was deemed advisable to sow down estimated areas of about 1,425 acres, and arrangements were made as soon as possible for so doing. The work of sowing was kept up as long as the weather-conditions were suitable, with the result that 897 acres in State forest has been sown at a cost of £469 165., and 735 acres of Crown lands sown at a cost of £313 3s. 9d.: total area sown, 1,632 acres ; total cost, £782 19s. 9d. The Seaward Bush fires in their ravages destroyed four sawmills and plants- —belonging to Messrs. Timpany Bros., McCallum and Co., Broad, Small and Co., and the Southland Sawmilling Company— a considerable quantity of standing and sawn timber, and some miles of tramways. Messrs. Broad, Small, and Co. have again erected a mill and resumed work ; Messrs. Timpany Bros, are about to erect a mill on another site, but the other two mills will not be re-erected, the areas having been nearly worked out at the time of the fire. Besides the destruction of sawmills and timber, the fires in Seaward Bush destroyed many cottages, fencing, and timber and grass owned by Crown tenants and others. A number of Crown tenants applied for assistance, and upon the Hon. the Minister of Lands approving of the supply of grass-seed for the purpose of sowing burnt areas, subject to repayment spread over a period of one, two, or three years, a circular letter was sent to over thirty applicants. However, but eighteen ultimately accepted assistance, and grass-seed to the value of £285 has been supplied to them, the area sown being 433 acres. Land proposed to be opened. During the ensuing financial year it is proposed to place in the market for the first time the following blocks of land, should the surveys be completed in time : viz., about 9,000 acres in Blocks VI and XI, Alton District; 6,000 to 8,000 acres in Blocks XXIII and XXIV, Invercargill Hundred ; and also some 5,000 acres in various blocks in Longwood District and Jacob's River Hundred. A considerable portion of the proposed area to be offered in Invercargill Hundred was surveyed some fourteen to sixteen years ago, but owing to the land carrying good sawmilling-timber it was never opened for selection, and has since been the scene for many years of active milling operations. Although surveyed some fourteen to sixteen years ago, the subdivisions were made too small, and owing to the milling operations and recent fires very few, if any, of the pegs could now be found, therefore the necessity of a resurvey, and into larger allotments more suitable for the requirements of a-successful bush settlement. : H Menzies's Ferry Domain, the reservation over which has been removed, has now been subdivided into five allotments of about 26 acres each, and will shortly be offered for selection on the village-home-stead system, and, I anticipate, will readily be taken up owing to their convenient situation, excellent quality of land, and suitability for working-men with small capital. Greenhills Township will also be placed in the market at an early date, having been recently surveyed, grouped, and valued. Fortysix acres have been subdivided into quarter-acre sections, some of which have been grouped, and the whole will be offered at auction as suburban lands; 221 acres have also been subdivided into ten allotments, classified as rural lands, and will also be disposed of by auction. Besides the above, there is a considerable area of surveyed land now open for selection which will remain available to applicants to select from during the ensuing financial year. Office-woek. Besides coping with the current work—which increases year by year, as stated in last year's report —a large amount of arrears of work has been done in the way of putting defective records in order as well as the information obtainable permits, and the bringing up to date and issuing of titles, some of which date back to the year 1858 ; but I am pleased to say this class of work will soon be a thing of the past, and much credit is due to the clerical staff for their assiduous attention to such obscure and complicated investigations, and the able manner in which these arrears have been brought near completion. I would also again place on record my thanks and appreciation of the willing assistance rendered at all times by the officers of this branch of the Department in carrying out the many and varied duties devolving on this local office during the financial year just ended. John Hay, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

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CHEVIOT ESTATE. (Canterbury District.) The land transactions on the Cheviot Estate during the year have been very small. Sixteen town and village sections at Domett, which is for the present the terminus of the Waipara-Cheviot Railway, were sold for cash at auction ; the total area was 7 acres and 31 perches, and the price realised, £379 19s. 6d. Four temporary occupation licenses wore granted over an area of 169 acres 2 roods. These included a fresh lease, for a term of three years from the Ist September last, of the Cheviot Woolshed Block, close to tho Town of Mackenzie. The rent obtained was less than for previous terms, owing to the fact that the establishment does not now possess the practical monopoly of the Cheviot business that it formerly enjoyed. A large number of sheep are still, however, shorn and dipped here, and the new lease has fallen into the hands of the capable manager who has held it for the preceding six years. The number and area of holdings occupied on the estate remain practically the same as during the previous year. The Crown Lands Ranger's report states that the tenants have experienced a good year, especially so considering the abnormal amount of dry weather during the late spring and summer. 8,147 acres was cropped, with fair results; of this amount, 822 acres was in wheat, 2,256 acres in oats, 259 acres in barley (grown principally for sheep-feed), 2,335 acres in turnips, 1,878 acres in rape, 115 acres in mangolds, and 78 in potatoes. The plantations on the leaseholds occupy 240 acres, the orchards 68 acres, and the gardens 48 acres. 87,800 sheep were shorn, and approximately 36,000 fat lambs sold off the estate. In addition to the sheep, there are 1,263 head of cattle, 819 horses, and 446 pigs. Except for occasional additions to dwellinghouses, wool-sheds, or stables, or the bringing of a few more acres into cultivation, the improvements have not increased in value to any extent, and are approximately estimated at £100,000. In the Town of Mackenzie four new places of business have been erected during the year. The area of land now in English grasses is 26,906 acres, and in tussock 32,513 awes, part of the latter having been surface-sown. The inhabitants of Mackenzie are taking steps to have their township formed into a town district. The permanent population does not vary much ; on the leaseholds there are 758 souls, and if the residents on freeholds and in the township were included the total population of the estate would be nearly nine hundred souls. Eeic C. Gold Smith, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

APPENDIX lI.—LAND FOR SETTLEMENTS (REPORTS OP COMMISSIONERS OP CROWN LANDS ON). AUCKLAND. A perusal of the tables relating to these settlements and the Ranger's reports will show that, generally speaking, the selectors are in a prosperous condition. Dairying and stock-raising are the principal industries. The outlook in the Okauia Settlement is still of an unpromising nature, but with, this exception all the settlements give evidence of industry on the part of the selectors, and indicate that there is a very promising future in view for the energetic farmer. It will be noticed that the Opouriao Settlement, in the Bay of Plenty, has been particularly successful. The Selwyn Settlement is the most recent, and shows signs of being a success. Workers' Hamlets. The hamlets as a whole are not such thriving settlements as we should like to see, and the remarks with regard to them made in our last report appear to be equally applicable to this year's efforts, although all but Hetana and Waari are making fair progress. In some cases the holdings are considered too small to be of use, considering the distance they are from the city. Township Sections in Estates. Hitherto it has been recognised as not necessary to insist on holders of township sections complying with the teims of their leases in regard to residence and improvements, although, as the land is selected under the lease-in-perpetuity conditions and there is no provision in the regulations to exempt the lessees of town sections, the holders are liable for compliance. In the case of some of these town sections, failing to either improve or reside is constituting a drawback to the progress of settlement, and the Land Board has taken action to insist on the fulfilment of the conditions of the leases.

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The Ranger whose duty it is to inspect these settlements has supplied the following details : — Okauia Settlement. —This settlement, in the Piako County, is situated about seven miles from Matamata Railway-station, and is connected by a good formed road, which runs through the settlement. I cannot report any improvements on this settlement, nor is the outlook any more satisfactory than it was last year. Two of the settlers are suppliers of milk to the creamery six miles away. The land is poor, and used almost solely for grazing purposes. Outlook not promising. Opouriao Settlement. —This settlement has now been eleven years in existence, is situated in the Bay of Plenty district, and about eight miles from Whakatane Township. A level metalled cart-road connects the settlement with Whakatane. All the roads through the settlement are well formed and metalled. The land is of an excellent quality, the greater part rich alluvial flats. The dwellings are of a permanent character, and homes and surroundings on every hand show the prosperity and plenty that has been the lot of the farmer for the last few years, making him happy and contented. The supplying of the two factories with milk is the chief means of livelihood to the settlers, who milk a greatnumber of cows. The cheese-factory, on the southern portion of the settlement, has a supply of 80,000 gallons of milk monthly, and the settlers' cheques for a month's supply of milk range from £20 to £120. The richness of the pasture is demonstrated by the high average of the cows. One settler milking eighteen cows averaged £1 13s. Bd. per cow per month, another £1 10s. Bd. Of course, the high price ruling for butter-fat —Hid. per pound —undoubtedly accounted in some degree for this high average. Maize has not been grown extensively this year, summer frosts making it too risky. Last year a frost in December and another in February made the crop an almost total loss. Small areas of oats and potatoes were looking remarkably well at the time of my visit, though the blight had made its appearance in some potatoes. The fences are bad in many cases ; the thorn hedges require clipping. A few drains will require attention soon, but in the main they are in good order. The Whakatane River is encroaching on some sections and carrying away portions. One section I estimate has lost 3or 4 acres, and the encroachment is still continuing. In many cases the settlers have planted willows. In some instances this has stopped its further encroachment, while in other cases willows and soil have all been carried away by the floods. I consider this river-encroachment will be serious unless some scheme of bankmaintenance is carried out. The Taneatua Village, almost in the centre of the settlement, is a goahead place, with stores, bakeries, hall, smithy, school, post and telephone office, and a good accommoda-tion-house. In conclusion, this is without doubt one of the best settlements it has been my lot to inspect. The settlers are progressive, thifty, and industrious, and, with the exception of two, who are sheep-farming, all milk for the factories. Rangiatea Settlement. —This settlement has been eight years in existence, is situated in the Te Aroha district, and the Auckland-Paeroa Railway fine runs through the centre of it. All the holdings in this settlement are satisfactorily occupied and conditions well fulfilled. There are two creameries within easy distance, and, like all the other settlements, dairying is carried on to a considerable extent, the land being very suitable for that purpose. These settlers had 285 acres of oats, and were fortunate during harvesting-time, being able to get their crops stacked and secure before the heavy January rains set in. An area of 291 acres of turnips on this settlement looks very well and has every prospect of turning out a good supply for winter feed. Roads through the settlement are in good order, drains well cleaned out, and the holders appear to be comfortable and financially prosperous. Karapiro Settlement is situated in the Cambridge Survey District, and within a mile of Cambridge Railway-station, which is distant from Auckland about 100 miles by train. The settlement is in a prosperous agricultural and pastoral district. There are not any creameries on the settlement, but one within a mile on the western side, and another within half a mile on the eastern side. The land is of good quality and suitable for almost anything in the farming line, and the settlement continues to make good progress. Like the other settlements, dairying is the principal source of revenue, and rearing young stock. Cropping is not carried on to any extent, except for about 114 acres of turnips for winter feed, the crop looking better than on any of the other settlements. Settlers are satisfied with their prospects, which are bright and encouraging. Fencourt Settlement. —This settlement has been seven years in existence, and is situated about three miles from Cambridge Township and 100 miles by rail from Auckland. It is in a prosperous pastoral and agricultural district. During the last twelve months the settlers have done very well, it having been a splendid season for grass. All the settlers go in for dairying, for which purpose the land is well suited. There is one creamery on the settlement and a butter-factory adjoining the estate, and it is satisfactory to learn that the milk-tests equal anything in the district. An area of 219 acres was under oats, and heavy crops were grown, but the continuous rains at time of harvesting practically ruined the greater portion ; turnip-crops also met with a similar fate, in many instances having to be sown a second and third time. Roads through the settlement are in very good order now that the Drainage Board has almost completed the main drain through the settlement. This will be a great advantage to the settlers, for they will be able to bring under the plough a considerable area which hitherto was under water for the greater part of the year. Speaking generally, this settlement is very productive, settlers hardworking and energetic, and on every hand are signs of prosperity and comfort. Whitehall Settlement. —This settlement is situated in the Waikato district, and within six miles of Cambridge Township, Cambridge being 100 miles from the City of Auckland, and train runs daily between the two places. The land on this settlement consists of rolling downs and flat land, more adapted to stock-raising and sheep.than dairying. There is a creamery within two miles, but only three of the settlers are suppliers. With the exception of 200 acres of turnips, very little other crops are grown. I cannot say much progress has been made during the last year; still, the settlers appear to be working with a will, and in time I see nothing to prevent this settlement being as prosperous and productive as the older-settled estates.

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Bickerstaffe Settlement. —This settlement has been two years in existence, and is situated in the Otamatea, Matakohe, Waipu, and Hukatere Survey Districts, about eighty-three miles north of Auckland. The area of level land is very small. The Bickerstaffe Settlement may be considered as dependent upon the dairying industry for its principal source of revenue. Most of the settlers have separators of their own, and each morning a van visits each supplier and carries the cream either to the Maungaturoto or Whakapirau Factory. At the same time stock-raising also receives attention. Roads through the settlement are in fair order. For a settlement in its infancy, substantial improvements have been effected, and houses erected. Taking everything into consideration, there is no doubt as to the ultimate success of the settlement. No crops are cultivated. Matamata Settlement is situated on the Auckland-Rotorua Railway, which passes through the settlement for about eight miles, and is 122 miles from Auckland. During the last twelve months good progress has been made, and many new houses erected of a very substantial nature. The old grass, in many cases just about run out, has been broken up, and oat-cropping has been carried on extensively; but, unfortunately, just at harvesting-time heavy floods set in, and the greater part was either spoilt by the continuous rains or discoloured. A large area of turnips also suffered, and in many instances had to be sown a second and a third time, and, being late, it is doubtful if they will get a crop. Dairying is the principal industry on the settlement, and the returns from the creameries are very satisfactory. There are four creameries on the settlement, and all in full swing. All the roads are formed and in good order. The township, in the centre of the settlement, has grown considerably since last report, comprising stores, bakery, smithies, accommodation-houses, school, post and telephone office, livery stables, and a number of private dwellings. A much-needed want has been filled by a doctor taking up his residence in the township, and he is working up a fairly good practice. Taking everything into consideration, the settlement is apparently in a sound and prosperous condition. Selwyn Settlement is situated on the Auckland-Rotorua Railway line, about 140 miles from Auckland. The quality of the soil varies from fair to good, and with suitable manuring should become adapted for mixed farming. For the time the settlers have had possession (a little over a year), fair improvements have been effected ; houses, in some instances, good. The majority of the settlers go in for stock-raising and grazing. During the last four months a creamery has been started on the settlement with about six or eight suppliers, which no doubt will be increased next year. Some 268 acres of turnips was sown, but was not looking well, the season not being favourable. The Canadian thistle is prevalent on several of the sections ; the only remedy is to keep it from seeding, which is being done. A considerable area of the native grass has been ploughed, and either cropped with turnips or English grass substituted. With all drawbacks, this settlement may be considered thriving, and in time will support a number of families. Kitchener Hamlet. —This hamlet is six miles from Auckland, on the Auckland-Helensville Railway line, and ten minutes' walk from the Avondale Railway-station. There is very little to add to last year's report; all the sections with the exception of one are taken up, and improvement conditions complied with in a satisfactory manner. The soil is of fair quality on clay subsoil. The settlement has been a great benefit in providing cheap homes for the lessees, many of whom are employed in Auckland in various occupations. They have good, comfortable homes, and appear satisfied with their holdings. Plumer Hamlet is situated at Henderson, fourteen miles from Auckland, on the Auckland-Helens-ville Railway line. All the sections with the exception of four are taken up ; comfortable homes have been erected, and the holdings ring-fenced. Three of the settlers have vegetable and strawberrv gardens, finding a ready market for all they produce, while others have to seek work wherever it offers. The settlers complain that the holdings are too small for a person to reside and make a living upon, therefore the breadwinner has to go away from home for some time to make money to keep things g° in gWaari Hamlet. —This hamlet is situated at Henderson, fourteen miles from Auckland, and close to the Henderson Railway-station. A good metalled road also connects with the City of Auckland. The soil is of a poor, clayey nature, and the sections are not being taken up readily. Those residing upon their sections have built comfortable dwellings, and have complied with improvement conditions. Methuen Hamlet is situated at Avondale, six miles from the City of Auckland. Workmen's trains run regularly between Auckland and Avondale ; there is also a regular coach service. Soil fairly good, on clay subsoil. Very few sections not taken up. Those occupied have good, substantial houses erected, and conditions carried out satisfactorily. A number of the lessees are tradesmen who follow their callings in Auckland. Their homes have a cheery look, and all the occupants appear to be contented. Hetana Hamlet is within a mile and three-quarters of the New Lynn Railway-station, and eight miles from the City of Auckland by train. Trains run at intervals during the day convenient for men going to and coming from work. There is very little extra to report since last year. The improvements are principally in the buildings, and very little cultivation is carried on. The holdings are too small for a man to get a living from, and too far out of town for tradesmen. Cradock Hamlet, is situated at Avondale, six miles from Auckland, and about half a mile from the Avondale Railway-station. The land is generally- good, with clay subsoil. The buildings are of a substantial nature, and the improvement conditions are carried out satisfactorily. Good progress has been made, and holders appear to be satisfied. In conclusion, I have to acknowledge, with thanks, the assistance that has been given me by the officers in this division of my administration in the great district that I have the honour to control; particularly is this acknowledgement due to the heads of the different branches with which I come more in contact, and it is largely their tact when dealing with numerous settlers, applicants, and interviewers that has resulted in real grievances being kept down to a reasonable minimum. J. Mackenzie, Commissioner of Crown Lands

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HAWKE'S BAY. Raureka Settlement. —This settlement, which was part of the Frimley Estate, was placed in the market in May, 1896. The area purchased was 427 acres 2 roods. The number of selectors is 18 ; total population, 95 ; number of sheep, 400 ; horses, 57 ;*f cattle, 100 ; pigs, 32 ; area in orchards, 10 acres ; area in white and green crops, 82 acres ; area ploughed and sown down in permanent pasture, 310 acres. The total area held is 416 acres and 38 perches, and annual rental received £543 2s. There are eighteen dwellinghouses, of a total value of £2,065. This season an area of 112 acres has been shut up for hay and grass-seed. The value of the improvements [effected by the selectors amounts to £4,228 155., as against £1,209 3s. required by law. Dairying and fruit-growing are the principal industries, and the growing crops —principally barley and potatoes —promise an excellent harvest. Elsthorpe Settlement. —Tho Elsthorpe Settlement is situated about thirty miles south of Napier, and the main load from Kaikora Railway-station to the sea-coast at Kairakau runs through the property. It is distant from the railway about fourteen miles, with a good gravelled road the whole distance. The settlement was opened for selection on the 24th June, 1896. The area purchased was 9,740 acres. The present number of selectors is 38 ; total population, 102 ; number of sheep, 25,398 ; horses, 148 ; cattle, 835 ; pigs, 9. Area in grass, 9,000 acres ; area in white and green crops, 50 acres 1 rood 20 peiches; balance bush and scrub. There are twenty-six dwellinghouses in the settlement, of a total value of £4,380. The improvements effected by the settlers, and exclusive of those originally on the land, are valued at £13,950 10s., as against £8,226 ss. 6d. required by law. The settlers are mostly engaged in pastoial pursuits. The markets for mutton and wool have already boomed the settlement as one of the most prosperous in Hawke's Bay. In several instances settlers are driving their own motor-cars, and the success of the settlement has long since been assured. Waimarie Settlement. —This settlement contains 425 acres 3 roods 14 perches, and is situated about ten miles from Gisborne, on the main Ormond-Opotiki Road. This settlement was divided into eighteen allotments, all of which have been selected. Sixteen of the selectors reside on their holdings and two on adjoining sections. There are seventy persons living on this settlement, which is at present canying 34 horses, 77 cattle, 15 pigs, and 438 sheep. Area in grass 297 acres, and in white and green crops 112 acres, the balance being scrub and bush. The improvements effected are valued at £3,468, as against £1,085 13s. 3d. required by the Act. Only a few of the sections are large enough for the selectors to make a living on, the majority being used as homes while the selectors find work in the locality. This settlement is higher than Pouparae, and only three sections were affected by the flcod last winter, but have now completely recovered. Altogether the selectors have had a most successful year. Pouparae Settlement. —This settlement, containing 336 acres 1 rood 12 perches, 'was opened for selection in April, 1897, in nine holdings, the whole of which have been selected. Nine dwellinghouses have been erected, and nine selectors are residing. There are fifty-three persons living on this settlement, which is carrying 50 horses, 99 cattle, 53 pigs, and 50 sheep. The improvements required by the Act amount to £859 6s. 3d., and effected £4,062 Is. Aiea in grass is 228 acres, and in white and green crops 76 acres, the balance being scrub and bush. Dairying is carried on by some of the selectors, but owing to the smallness of their selections the settlers find it necessary to obtain outside work. Last winter this settlement was badly flooded. The silt deposited made the land in places useless for a time, but with one or two exceptions the sections have well recovered from their involuntary top-dressing, and are now in many cases better than they were befoie. Tomoana Settlement. —This settlement, which was part of the Frimley Estate, and is situated near Hastings, was placed in the market on the 2nd March, 1898. The area purchased was 111 acres 3 roods 38 perches. Number of occupied sections, 13 ; total population, 64; number of sheep, 50; horses, 17 ; cattle, 41; pigs, 7. Area in grass, 80 acres, oat of which 30 acres has been ploughed, cropped, and again laid down in permanent pasture by the settlers ; area in white and green crops, 6 acres ; and orchards and gardens, 18 acrss. The area held is 110 acres and 3 perches, and is occupied by thirteen selectors, who pay an annual rental of £135 2s. There are twelve dwellinghouses in the settlement of a total value of £2,280. Eleven selectois are residing on their holdings. The improvements required by the Act amount to £310 Bs., and the value of improvements effected to £3,453, which, compared with last year's returns, shows that further improvements to the value of £512 15s. have been effected in the settlement during the year. Dairying and the fruit-growing industry are still the principal sources of revenue. An area of 43| acres has been shut up for grass-seed and hay this season. Willows^Settlernent. —This settlement is situated about four miles from Gisborne, on the road to Matawhero, and contains 775 acres 1 rood 36 perches. It was opened for selection in March, 1899, in twenty-one allotments, all of which have been selected. All the settlers are residing either on their sections or on adjoining land. There are eighty-seven persons residing on the settlement, which is at present canying 54 horses, 227 cattle, 57 pigs, and 1,398 sheep. The improvements effected are valued at £6,056 155., as against £1,913 12s. 7d. required by the Act. in grass is 686 acres, and in white and green crops 66 acres, the balance being scrub and bush. The principal industry of this settlement's dairying,*:and owing to the prevailing high prices the settlers have had a most successful year. This settlement was flooded last year, but the settlers have now all recovered from the effects. Mahora Settlement. —This settlement, which was originally part of the Frimley Estate, is situated near Hastings, and was opened for selection on the 22nd March, 1899. The area purchased was 1,133 acres 3 roods. The number of selectors is 31 ; total population, 140 ; number of sheep, 1,323 ; horses, 92 ; cattle, 360 ; pigs, 180. The population and stock show a considerable increase since last year. Area in grass is 870 acres, out of which 307i acres has been shut up for hay and grass-seed; area in white and green crops, 188 acres; and in orchards, 29 acres. An area of 17 acres 2 roods 18 perches

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is still unselected, and is occupied under a temporary lease. Selectors hold an area of 1,112 acres 1 rood 13 perches, and pay an annual rental of £1,605 Is. 2d. There are thirty-one dwellinghouses, valued at £5,110. The improvements effected by selectors are valued at £9,527, as against £3,453 15s. 6d. required by the Act. Dairying and fruit-growing are still the main sources of revenue in this settlement. The Mahora North School is now well established, and the settlers are applying for another school near the southern portion of the settlement, which will probably be granted, and is much needed. Hatuma Settlement. —This settlement is situated fifty-nine miles from Napier, on the Main Trunk Railway between Wellington and Napier, and lies near Waipukurau, and between Orouawharo and Arlington Estates. It was placed on the market on the 25th April, 1901. The area purchased was 26,522 acres 3 roods 20 perches. The number of occupied sections is total population, 280 ; number of sheep, 47,638; horses, 250 ; cattle, 1,760 ; pigs, 58. Area in grass, 22,800 acres, out of which 2,150 acres has been ploughed, cropped, and laid down again in permanent English grasses; white and green crops, 1,250 acres ; balance scrub. There are fifty-nine dwellinghouses in the settlement, valued at £10,868. The improvements effected are £38,729, as against £37,133 required by the Act. A new school has been erected during the year at the far end of the settlement for the convenience of settlers' children residing at too great a distance to attend the main school. Manga-a-toro Settlement. —This settlement is situated in the southern portion of the Hawke's Bay Land District, about eleven miles from Dannevirke Township and Railway-station, and was acquired from the Assets Realisation Board by the Government under the Land for Settlements Act. The area purchased was 19,581 acres 3 roods 12 perches. The number of occupied sections is 26 ; the total population is 121 ; number of sheep, 31,116 ; horses, 185 ; cattle, 1,701; pigs, 23. The area in grass is 15,100 acres, of which 1,426 acres have been regrassed, and 538 acres of bush felled and sown; area in white and green crops, 725 acres 2 roods ; balance scrub and bush. All the sections are now occupied, 19,422 acres being held by twenty-six selectors. There are twenty-five dwellinghouses in the settlement, valued £7,305, the buildings ranging in value from £60 to £800 each. The total value of improvements effected is £23,167 17s. 9d., as against £6,200 Bs. lOd. required by the Act. The prices now obtaining for wool and mutton has placed this settlement in very prosperous circumstances. Kumeroa Settlement. —This settlement was acquired from Mr. Thomas Crosse under the Land for Settlements Act, and was opened for application on the 12th May, 1902. The area purchased was 3,744 acres 2 roods 38 perches. The number of occupied sections is 15 ; total population, 75 ; number of stock, 6,481, comprising sheep 5,682, horses 62, cattle 578, pigs 159. The area in grass is 3,595 acres area in white and green crops, 43 acres 2 roods ; the balance bush and scrub. The area offered for selection was 3,745 acres, and is now all occupied by fifteen selectors. The settlement is distant about six miles from Woodville by good metalled dray-road, the roads through the settlement being also metalled. There are fourteen dwellinghouses, of a total value of £2,655. Thirteen selectors are residing on their holdings, and one (a married woman) on land adjoining her section. -' The improvements effected are valued at £5,863 75., as against £1,655 6s. Bd. required by the Act. l' The Hawke's Bay Dairy Company and Farmers' Union creameries are established near the settlement, and dairying is carried on with profitable results. Some of the settlers are now forming themselves into a Drainage Board for the purpose of reclaiming the areas of swamp land within their holdings, and there is every prospect of their meeting with success in the undertaking. Forest Gate Settlement. —This settlement is situated in the western portion of the Hawke's Bay Land District, distant about fifty miles from Napier by rail and road, and ten miles from Waipawa Township and Railway-station. The area purchased was 8,822 acres and 13 perches. Number of occupied sections is 28, and number of selectors 26, one of the holdings having been recently forfeited by the Land Board. Total population is 108. Number of sheep, 16,912; horses, 139; cattle, 580; pigs, 28. Area in grass, 7,600 acres ; area in white and green crops, 823 acres 2 roods ; balance light bush and scrub. The settlement was thrown open on the 19th May, 1902. The value of the improvements effected is put down at £12,218 Is. 7d., as against £2,489 15s. required by law. There are twentyfive dwellinghouses, valued at £3,917, and nineteen settlers residing on their holdings. The settlement is in a thriving condition. With the present prices ruling there is a the settlers to relinquish the dairying industry and return to sheep-farming. Argyll Settlement. —This settlement, which was opened for selection on the 26th June, 1903, is situated in the Waipawa County, and is distant six miles from Waipawa Township, three miles from Kaikora North, and nine miles and a half from Pukehou Railway-station. The area purchased was 33,705 acres 1 rood 30 perches. The number of occupied sections is 62 ; total population, 251 ; number of sheep, 44,060 ; horses, 301 ; cattle, 2,538 ; pigs, 90. Area in grass, 3,000 acres, out of which 1,000 acres have been ploughed, cropped, and again sown down in permanent pasture; area in white and green crops, 2,890 acres ; balance scrub. There are sixty dwellinghouses in the settlement, valued at £10,560. The improvements required by law amount to £8,979 17s. 3d., and the improvements effected are valued at £36,900 10s. 6d., including £4,071 2s. estimated value of original improvements. It is estimated that Messrs. Manson and Tuck's timber-mill, erected on the settlement, will cut out the Guavas Bush in about three years' time. A scheme for a water-race has been adopted, and, although only the main race at the present time has been laid out, many of the settlers are already greatly benefited during the summer months. Wigan Settlement. —This settlement is situated about eight miles from the Town of Buckley (Tolaga Bay), and about forty-three miles from Gisborne. It contains 10,046 acres 2 roods 6 perches, and was offered for selection in December, 1903, divided into seventeen allotments, all of which were selected. Thirteen of the selectors are residing, three are spinsters residing with their parents in the district, and one married woman resides on adjoining land with her husband. There are forty-two persons living on the settlement, which is carrying 74 horses, 1,079 cattle, 12 t pigs, and 20,100 sheep. Area in grass is 10,033 acres, and in white and green crops 2 acres, the balance being bush and scrub. The

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selectors have effected improvements to the value of £6,655, which, with value of the original improvements, makes a total of £8,782 Is. lid., as against £3,424 Os. 4d. required by the Act. This settlement is purely pastoral country, and all the settlers have had a most successful year, quite eclipsing all previous records. All the settlers appear very prosperous, and many fine houses and wool-sheds have been erected. Lindsay Settlement. —This settlement, situated in the Waipawa County, was formerly known as the Mount Vernon Estate, and was acquired by the Government under the Land for Settlements Act. It is distant about forty miles from Napier, and adjoins Townships of Waipawa, Waipukurau, and Ongaonga, and was opened for settlement on the 11th April, 1905. The area purchased was 13,574 acres. The number of occupied sections are 65; total population, 211 ; number of sheep, 17,100; horses, 200 ; cattle, 1,506 ; pigs, 75. Area in grass, 2,480 acres ; area in white and green crops, 1,193 acres ; balance, scrub. There are fifty-five dwellinghouses in the settlement, valued at £6,288. The improvements required by law are £5,270, whilst those effected are valued at £14,673, which shows a satisfactory increase on last year's figures. Henry Trent, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

TARANAKI. Tokaora Settlement. —Situated four miles from Hawera, comprising 1,505 acres 2 roods 8 perches, divided into sixteen sections, occupied by thirteen persons, and almost wholly devoted to dairying. There are seventy-four people resident, and live-stock consists of 770 cows, 20 sheep, 57 horses, and 475 pigs. The improvements effected by the tenants comprise thirteen residences, valued at £2,020 ; outbuildings, fencing, &c, £2,160 ; total, £4,180. The area in new grass is 50 acres, in white crops 120 acres, in green crops 66 acres. The whole settlement is making very steady progress. Spotswood Settlement. —Situated about two miles and a quarter from New Plymouth, comprising 310 acres 3 roods 23 perches, divided into sixty-one sections for workmen's homes and eight small farms. There are seven persons occupying under the former tenure, and two under the latter. One holding was abandoned and one forfeited, the person occupying the latter being allowed to remain as a weekly tenant for the present. Two other houses are let to weekly tenants. There are thirty-eight persons resident, and the live-stock consists of 36 cows, 4 horses, and 11 pigs. The improvements effected by the tenants in possession comprise seven residences, valued at £1,670 ; fencing, &c, £165 : total, £1,835. The settlement is very little used for dairying, except for the settlers' own needs. Clandon Settlement. —Situated about two miles from the Toko Railway-station, comprising 881 acres and 13 perches, subdivided into six dairy farms, all occupied, and wholly devoted to dairying. The live-stock consists of 266 cows, 14 horses, and 185 pigs. There are twenty-five persons on the land, and the improvements effected are two residences, valued at £400 ; fencing, outbuildings, &c, £315 : total, £715. The area in green crops is 25 acres. The settlement is making fair progress. Huinga Settlement. —Situated about three miles from Toko, and opened for application in October last. It comprises 1,853 acres 3 roods 20 perches of good grazing-country, formerly covered with heavy forest, some dead timber still standing. There are ten farms, all more or less suitable for dairying, six of them having residences and outbuildings when purchased by the Crown. Seven of the sections have been selected, and twenty-three persons are resident. The improvements effected by the tenants arc additions to residences, £55 ; outbuildings and stumping, £44 : total, £99. There are 8 acres in green crop. The live-stock consists of 233 cows, 11 horses, and 10 pigs. The settlement has made a good beginning, and the prospects are promising. Frans. Simpson, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

WELLINGTON. West Coast. Paparangi. —The area purchased by the Crown was 322 acres 3 roods 32 perches. Thirty-seven sections are now under occupation, and the total population is 144 souls. The majority of the settlers use their holdings for residential purposes, and go in for market-gardening, pigs, and poultry-keeping, while a few on the larger areas are dairying. 300 acres are in new grass, and 22 acres are in native grass, orchards, &c. The settlers appear to be all prosperous, and the success of the settlement is assured. Ohakea. —An area of 1,745 acres 1 rood 30 perches was acquired, and fifteen sections are now occupied, there being 65 souls on the land altogether. The stock on the land comprises 2,490 sheep, 483 cattle, 79 horses, and 238 pigs,' 1,282 acres are in new grass, 309 acres in white crops, and 67 acres in green crops. The improvements are valued at £6,777. The settlers have had a very good year, and, with excellent prospects before them, the success of the settlement is assured.

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Te Matua. —Comprises an area of 702 acres and 19 perches. Thirteen sections are occupied, and the number of souls on the land is 55. The stock consists of 390 sheep, 301 cattle, 34 horses, and 198 pigs. 11 acres were laid down in white crops, 24 acres in green crops, and 491J acres in new grass. The total value of the improvements on the land is £3,945. The settlers have had another very good year, and their future prospects are excellent, while the settlement as a whole is a decided success. Aorangi. —The area acquired by the Crown was 1,785 acres. Thirty-seven sections are now occupied, and the total population of the settlement is 162 souls. The stock numbers 1,706 sheep, 721 cattle, 117 horses, 373 pigs. 51 acres are in grain-crops, 47£ acres in green crops, and 1,502 acres are laid down in new grass. The settlers have done exceedingly well during the year,, and have excellent prospects before them. Mangawhata. —The area purchased was 1,240 acres 2 roods 36 perches, and the seven sections into which it was subdivided are all occupied, the total number of souls on the land being 43. The improvements on the land are valued at £4,137. The stock consists of 620 sheep, 673 cattle, 72 horses, and 192 pigs. 10 acres are in white crops, \\ acres in green crop, and 1,158 acres are laid down in new grasses. The settlers have had a good year, and have excellent prospects before them. Epuni Hamlet. —The total area acquired was 100 acres 3 roods 14 perches. Forty-two sections are occupied, and the population of the settlement is 182 souls. 40 acres are in new grass, the remainder being used for gardens, orchards, &c. The total improvements are valued at £9,747. For the most part the selectors use their holdings for residential purposes, while some on the larger areas go in for market-gardening, fruit-growing, poultry-keeping, &c. There are 19 horses and 20 cattle on the land. The settlers all seem prosperous, and the settlement is well established. Maungaraki. —This settlement comprises 472 acres 1 rood 20 perches. Twenty sections are now occupied, and the total population is 81 souls. 145 acres are now in grass, and 122 acres are in native grass, gardens, orchards, &c. There are 38 cattle, 25 horses, and 15 pigs on the land. The total improvements effected are valued at £2,656. The holdings are for the most part used for residential purposes, the selectors growing vegetables and keeping poultry and cows for their own use. The settlers are making good progress, appear satisfied, and have good prospects before them. Linton. —The area purchased was 551 acres 1 rood 36 perches. The number of sections now in occupation is five, and the number of residents on the land is 32. 58 acres was in white crops, 4 acres in green crops, and 441 acres laid down in new grass. The stock consists of 71 sheep, 227 cattle, 13 horses, and 56 pigs. The improvements on the land are valued at £2,075. The settlers have done well during the year, and the settlement is fairly prosperous. Normandale. —The area acquired was 1,623 acres and 9 perches. The number of sections occupied is thirty, and the total population is 97 souls. The holdings are wholly used for residential purposes by men who are absent during the day at their various callings. All have gardens under cultivation, and grow vegetables, &c, for home consumption. The stock consists of 33 cattle, 13 horses, and 14 pigs ; and the improvements on the land are valued at £5,027 13s. 4& The settlers appear to be making satisfactory progress, and have fair prospects before them. East Coast. Langdale. —The area purchased was 9,405 acres, the number of sections under occupation being 29, the total population 77 souls. The stock comprises 13,639 sheep, 988 cattle, and 109 horses. 157 acres was in white crops, 257 acres in green crops, and 8,481 acres laid down in new grass. The total improvements effected on the land are valued at £10,415 2s. 7d. The settlers are making steady progress, and they all seem prosperous and well satisfied with their future prospects. Longbush. —The area purchased by the Crown was 3,021 acres 3 rood 26 perches. Eight sections are occupied, the population on the land being 26. The stock comprises 3,720 sheep, 405 cattle, 31 horses, and 20 pigs. 2,233 acres is laid down in grass, and 15 acres in green crops. The total improvements on the land are valued at £2,201. The settlers have had a good year on account of the high prices ruling for stock, &c, and their prospects for the future are very promising. This settlement has proved a successful one. Tablelands. —An area of 5,496 acres 3 roods 30 perches was acquired by the Government. Ten sections are now under occupation, and the number of souls on the land is 24. The stock consists of 7,070 sheep, 490 cattle, and 50 horses. 4,389 acres is laid down in grass, and 97 acres in green crops. The total improvements on the settlement are worth £3,468. Owing to the high prices ruling for stock, &c, the settlers have had a prosperous year, and they are well satisfied with their future prospects. This settlement has proved a most successful one. Tawaha, Hikawera, Mahupuku, and Dyer. —As most of the selections in these settlements were made during the year, it is too early yet to report upon them. John Strauchon, , i Commissioner of Crown Lands. MARLBOROUGH. Blind River Settlement. —Situated on the Blind River, near the point at which it flows into Cook Strait, and half-way between Lake Grassmere and the Awatere River. The area purchased was 5,507 acres. It was opened for selection in 1895, cut up into twenty-nine sections varying in area from a few acres to 320 acres, held by nineteen selectors, who by a system of grouping are now reduced to

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eleven tenants residing fully, one residing, and two residing on adjoining land with near relations ; total, 14. The number of persons residing is now forty-six. The number of sheep is 5,040 ; cattle, 11 ; horses, 49 ; and about 15 to 20 pigs. There were 510 acres of white crops and 315 acres of green and root crops grown during the last season. The yield was generally less than former years, owing to the drought, which was felt very much on this settlement, especially on the sea-coast and near Lake Grassmere. Notwithstanding this, and the trouble of keeping down rabbits, the settlement appears to have done fairly well. Omaha Settlement. —Situated on the east bank of the River Omaka, about eight miles south-west from Blenheim. Area purchased in 1896 was 3,898 acres, now held by thirteen selectors, nine of whom are residing upon the land and four upon adjoining lands. The land is mostly good pastoral land. One new house has been erected during the year. Forty-four persons are residing. The settlers appear to have fair prospects for the coming year, and seem generally contented with their land. The number of sheep is 3,160 ; cattle, 42 ; horses, 51. 592 acres of white crops and 66 acres of green crops have been planted during the past year, with a slightly diminished yield from the standard of former years. Puhipuhi Settlement. —Situated on the upper Puhipuhi River, Kaikoura. Purchased in 1897. Area, 320 acres, held by by two selectors. This can scarcely be designated a settlement. It was two small blocks of freehold in the midst of a large block of Crown land, and was purchased so as to work in with the block and form homesteads for two larger holdings. The residence in these cases has not been strictly continuous, but otherwise they have complied with the Act. Improvements effected, £243. Stock held cannot be determined, owing to the holdings being merged into the other part of the sections to which they are attached. Starborough Settlement. —Area, 35,906 acres. Opened forjselect]on in 1899. This settlement is situated on the right bank of the Awatere River and along portion of the coast of Cook Strait. The general character is good agricultural and pastoral country. Including the Township of Seddon, there are 191 selectors on this estate, although there are only 183 holders, 126 of whom are in the township, leaving fifty-seven as holding on the rest of the settlement. Out of these only one is non-resident. There are fifty dwellings in the township and forty-seven on the outer lands ; total number of persons residing on the estate, 398. The total improvements effected are valued at over £48,000. The sheep number 34,785 ; cattle, 123 ; horses, 289 ; and about 100 pigs. Area in white crop, 2,555 acres ; root and green crop, 1,677 acres ; cultivated grass, 8,723 acres. The yield from these cropping-areas was below the average, but fairly good, considering the dryness of the spring and summer. The average return of grain is probably, for wheat, about 27 to 30 bushels ; barley, 20 to 27 bushels ; oats, 25 to 35 bushels ; chaff, probably 1 J tons per acre. The pastoral part of the estate has done well to fairly well; for, although the drought caused a forced sale of sheep at a time when the freezing-works were stopped by labour troubles, the good price of wool went a long way towards compensating for this loss. If the lesson taught by the late dry spell is properly learnt, and it induces the settlers to conserve all the water possible and thus mitigate the evil of droughts in future, this dry spell may be a blessing in disguise. The autumnal rain has done a lot of good, and feed now appears plentiful for the winter. Richmond Brook Settlement. —Area, 5,854 acres, situated on the right bank of the Awatere River, about six miles above the railway-crossing. This block was settled in 1899. It is chiefly good pastoral land, but there was 735 acres in corn, 398 acres in root and green crops, and 3,353 acres has been laid down in grass. There are 7,630 sheep, 29 cattle, and 77 horses on the estate. Twelve good-sized holdings. Only one selector, who resides on adjoining land, is not complying with the residential clauses. This is a prosperous little settlement, and I think the settlers have many reasons to be satisfied with the conditions and prospects. Waipapa Settlement. —Situated on the right bank of the Clarence River, a few miles above the sea. The area acquired is 3,755 acres. Opened in 1901. Selected by five settlers, four of whom are residing on their holdings, and the other resides with his neighbour for the present. Five houses are built, one of which is men's quarters, near the wool-shed, at some distance from the homestead to which it belongs. About 25 acres of oats for home consumption and 35 to 40 acres of green crops has been the extent of cropping. As this land has been worked in conjunction with a large area of rough, high country behind it, it is not possible to give the exact stock carried. The prospects are good for this settlement while wool remains high, for it is essentially a wool-growing country. The settlers have much to contend with in the rabbit pest, but appear to be doing well. North Bank Estate. —Situate on the left bank of the Wairau River, about twenty-five miles above Blenheim. Area, 12,895 acres. Settled in 1903. Held by seven settlers ; these settlers have much to contend with in the shape of noxious weeds and poor, mostly broken land. One settler is not fully complying with the residential conditions. The settlement supports thirty-seven persons. The sheep carried is only 3,100 ; cattle, 62 ; horses, 30. During the year 100 acres of land have been under crop. This is the poorest settlement we have, and were it not for the fact that the settlers obtain a good deal from the flax growing on the estate and in the vicinity they would, I fear, find it a hard struggle to obtain a living. The improvements effected have been valued at £1,642. Rainford Settlement. —Situated within four or five miles of Kaikoura Township. This is all flat, first-class soil, suitable for dairy-farming, and as a cheese-factory is situated within a mile of the settlement it should do well. The area is only 246 acres, held by eleven selectors, eight of whom permanently reside in nine houses, which contain thirty-four persons. The estimated value of the improvements besides the original value is £1,332. There was last season 20 acres in white crop and 14 acres in green crop, the remainder being in good permanent pasture. The prospects of this settlement are good, and, though the holdings are small, they form good homes for industrious settlers. Flaxboume Settlement. —Area, 46,598 acres. Opened for selection in 1905. This estate is situated on the east coast, between the Ure River and Lake Grassmere. The general characteristics of this block are grass- and fern-covered downs and hills bearing from good to fair soil. The land is now

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occupied in 133 holdings, included in which are eighty-one lease-in-perpetuity leases of rural land, eighteen small grazing-runs, seven leases in the Township of Ward, and twenty-seven occupation licenses (year to year); some lessees of the latter have erected houses on their temporary holdings. But little progress can be expected in the Township of Ward until the railway reaches it; at present only two or three houses have been built. There are seventy-seven houses on the estate, occupied by 252 persons. The value of the new improvements on the estate is £10,105, and one holder has failed to make the statutory improvements. There are fourteen tenants (out of 133 holdings) not complying with the residential conditions ; these are chiefly small holders of 5-acre lots whose owners have to go away to earn a living. This state of affairs will probably improve as the railway-works progress. Eight of the non-residents are living on other parts of the settlement. The stock on the estate is made up of 39,437 sheep, 656 cattle, 214 horses, and perhaps 60 or 70 pigs. The crops last season have been 1,062 acres of white crops and 1,027 acres of green and root crops. The estimated area of cultivated grass is 2,354 acres. These crops were considerably damaged by the dry season, but were better than one could expect after the somewhat dismal prognostications made by people who said that even a slight drought would mean nearly total ruin to all crops on the estate. So far as I can learn, the late dry season was the most severe for a great many years ; and when greater attention is paid to the conservation of the generally abundant winter rainfall there is no reason why the settlement should not continue its present prosperity. Over 1,000 tons of flax was sent to the flax-mills, chiefly in Blenheim and the neighbourhood. This has been a material help. F. Stephenson Smith, Commission of Crown Lands. WESTLAND. Poerua Settlement. —This settlement is in a very satisfactory position, and is fully occupied. At the beginning of the season the prospects were not very bright, as grass was backward, owing to the late spring ; but the after-weather fully compensated, as evidenced by the abundance of feed of all kinds; in fact, this year is judged to have been the best known for quantity and. quality of fodder, &c, the oaten and meadow hay being remarkably good, while the root-crops gave handsome returns. All the original swamp land is rapidly drying up, this being due to the draining, which is persistently made. Not much bushfelling has been done during the year, the settlers being busy cleaning up their clearings, fencing, and building. Two new houses have been erected on the estate, and some good haysheds also built. The breed of cattle has improved very much, and the young horses bred on the settlement look well. Most of the settlers supply milk to the local creamery —one has a separator and a churn, and finds a ready market for his butter. The flood-waters of a creek have scoured some land away, and thus caused some loss and annoyance ; but, apart from this, the present position of the tenants is excellent, and their future appears assured. The following figures indicate the present aspect of the settlement: Area, 3,230 acres ; number of occupied sections, 19 ; total population, 71 ; numbers of stock—sheep 680, horses 68, cattle 800, pigs 90 ; area in grass, 1,600 acres ; area in white and green crops, 34 acres ; requirements of Act, £1,887 ; how far complied with, £7,644 ; arrears of rental, nil. Kokatahi Settlement. —This estate has had a very successful year, and although, as elsewhere, the spring feed was very backward, yet the subsequent good weather made amends, for the crops turned out well, some fields of turnips being especially good. Hay, both oaten and meadow, were well saved, and all the barns are full for winter feed. There are seven tenants on the estate ; four of these supply milk to the factory, and the other three breed and fatten cattle and sheep. One new house has been erected this year, and a new barn is also in course of construction ; this will complete the requisite number of barns and sheds. Many of the tenants are doing good work in ploughing, and all are improving their holdings ; their homesteads are all well and faithfully built, the fences are in thorough good order, and the coming year is awaited with hopefulness. The following statement exhibits the present position : Area of the estate, 1,895 acres ; number of occupied sections, 7 ; total population, 40 ; numbers of stock —sheep 1,949, horses 33, cattle 305, pigs 53 ; area in grass, 1,653 acres ; area in white and green crops, 47 acres ; requirements of Act, £268 ; how' far complied with, £3,940 ; arrears of rental, nil. G. J. Roberts, Commissioner of Crown Lands. CANTERBURY. Lands opened dueing the Yeae. No new estates have been acquired or offered during the year, and the only lands offered under this system in addition to those available at the beginning of the year were seven allotments, totalling 630 acres 3 roods, situated in the Annan, Kinloch, Highbank, and Waikakahi Settlements, and Puhuka Hamlet, these allotments having reverted to the Crown by forfeiture or surrender. All but one allotment of 1 acre have been reselected. The lands available for selection at the close of the year consisted of thirty-five small town and village allotments, totalling 16 acres 3 roods 13 perches, situated in the Annan, Highbank, Rosewill, and Waikakahi Settlements, and the Kapuatohe Hamlet. No fresh estates are at present in view for acquisition or disposal during the ensuing year.

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Land Teansactions. The new selections during the year have consisted of thirty allotments, totalling 6,093 acres 1 rood 22 perches, under the lease-in-perpetuity system ; one small grazing-run of 3,684 acres ; and five temporary occupation licenses of 46 acres 3 roods ; the total annual rental realised being £3,626 Bs. 2d. Two allotments of 4 acres and 19 perches were sold for. cash for the purposes sanctioned by the Land for Settlements Act. The total number of lessees on the 31st March, 1907, was 1,230, the area occupied being 259,946 acres and 28 perches, at an annual rental of £77,241 15s. lOd. Payment of Rent. The total amount of rents and other payments collected during the year on all land-for-settlement estates was £68,345 lis. 3d., and the total receipts for the district since the commencement of the system now amount to £427,591 18s. lOd. The arrears of rent due on the 31st March, 1907, exclusive of current payments, amounted to £780 4s. Bd., owing by thirty-six tenants holding an area of 5,973 acres 3 roods 26 perches. These represent barely 3 per cent, of the total number of tenants, and the amount owing is just over 1 per cent, of the total annual rent-roll. Teansfees, Foefeitures, and Sueeendees. Transfers have been effected during the year of ninety-seven lease-in-perpetuity holdings, comprising an area of 11,865 acres and 24 perches; three farm-homestead leases, comprising 515 acres 3 roods 35 perches ; and three small grazing-runs, with an area of 4,630 acres 2 roods 30 perches : making a total of 103 holdings, representing 17,011 acres 3 roods 9 perches. Six leases, comprising an area of 32 acres 1 rood 38 perches, were forfeited for non-fulfilment of conditions, and a surrender of one allotment of 594 acres 3 roods was accepted at the request of the lessee. Condition of Established Settlements. The reports which have been received from the Crown Lands Rangers at the close of the year show that the satisfactory results recorded in previous years have not only been fully maintained, but that in nearly all cases excellent progress has been achieved both in the increase of permanent improvements effected and also in the general.condition of the holdings, the cleanness and working of the land, and the prosperity of the tenants. The exceedingly dry season experienced caused the general yields of grain-crops to fall considerably below the average, and also in some cases seriously affected the rootcrops, besides subjecting the tenants to the prevailing shortness of feed ; the pastures, however, recovered rapidly after a welcome rainfall at the end of the season. In the northern settlements, where tenants depend more on grazing than on cropping, there was a good average lambing percentage, and throughout the district the tenants are doing well, and are in a prosperous and contented condition. There are a few cases where the requirements of the leases have not been completely fulfilled, these being principally where the lessees have not yet been able to bring their improvements up to the value required for the sixth year of occupation ; but they are taking the necessary steps to remedy such deficiencies, and will no doubt effect full compliance before long. In the more recently established settlements, especially Kinloch and Mills, dwellinghouses have not been erected by some of the lessees, but in the former settlement this is due to difficulties of access which have not yet been obviated, and in nearly all cases the tenants are camped on or adjacent to their holdings. Taken all round, the year's reports disclose a splendid achievement in the settlement upon the land of bona fide, hardworking, and capable farmers, and amply vindicate the operations of the Land for Settlements Acts within the district. I may mention that during the year Mr. H. L. Anderson, the New South Wales Commissioner to the New Zealand International Exhibition, visited some of the settlements in South Canterbury, and expressed surprise at the number of good homesteads, buildings, and planting, &c, to be seen, and considered that the colony was to be congratulated on the class of its tenants and the good methods of farming displayed. There is a steady inquiry for farms under the Land for Settlements Act, but at present we have no lands available to satisfy the demand. The Ranger for South Canterbury also reports inquiries for 5-acre lots close to Timaru. Appended are detail notes respecting the separate settlements, the following being a summary of the results : Number of settlements, 48 ; homestead-sites, &c, 10 : total 58. Area leased in settlements, 259,946 acres and 28 perches ; adjoining Crown land leased with purchased land, 17,792 acres : total, 277,738 acres 28 perches. Number of settlers, 1,193 ; total population, 4,600. Total value of improvements required, £194,961 6s. 7d. ; total value effected, £401,666 6s. 7d. The area sown in white crops last season was 33,540 acres ; area in green or root crops, 17,540 acres ; area sown in cultivated grasses, 134,188 acres ; area in native pasture, plantations, orchards, &c, 92,470 acres. Number of stock on the settlements : 255,521 sheep, 8,730 head of cattle, 4,585 horses, and 1,722 pigs. Pareora N0.% 1 Settlement, (near St. Andrew's, Waimate County). —Established January, 1894. Area purchased, 620 acres 2 roods 13 perches. Number of sections occupied, 28 ; number of souls, 104, residing in twenty-five houses. The settlement carries 190 head of cattle, 41 horses, and 60 pigs ; and last season there were 201 acres in grain-crops, 71 acres in green and root crops, and 316 acres in cultivated grasses. The total value of imbrovements required is £1,144 ss. 2d., and the value effected £2,933 os. 6d. The crops have been light, but many of the tenants supply milk to the local creamery, and employment is readily obtainable at the adjacent freezing-works and on farms in the district. The holdings are small and are kept in good order, and the tenants appear to be comfortable and contented.

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Studholme Junction Settlement (near Studholme Junction, Waimate County). —Established January, 1894. Area purchased, 109 acres and 7 perches. Number of sections occupied, 4 ; number of souls, 10, residing in two houses. The stock consists of 32 head of cattle, 17 horses, and 10 pigs ; and the area cultivated last season included 30 acres in grain-crops, 13 acres in root and green crops, and 59 acres in cultivated grasses. The value of improvements required is £214 7s. 10d., and the value effected £579 Bs. The settlement is in a satisfactory condition. Kapua Settlement (near Waimate, Waimate County). —Established March, 1894. Area purchased, 574 acres 1 rood 22 perches. Number of sections occupied, 12 ; and the population consists of thirtynine souls, residing in twelve houses. The area under cultivation last season comprised 219 acres in grain-crops, 52 acres in green and root crops, and 269 acres in cultivated grasses. The stock on the settlement numbered 151 head of cattle* 25 horses, and 36 pigs. The total value of improvements required is £977 Bs. 9d., and the value effected is £1,893 ss. The holdings are in good order, and the conditions satisfactorily fulfilled Rosebrook Settlement (near Timaru, Levels County). —Established June, 1895. Area purchased, 600 acres 1 rood 8 perches. Number of sections occupied, 14 ; number of dwellinghouses, 13 ; population, 65. The area under cultivation last season included 220 acres in grain-crop, and 32 acres in green or root crops, while 325 acres had been laid down in cultivated grasses. The stock consisted of 44 sheep, 123 head of cattle, 77 horses, and 40 pigs. The total value of improvements required is £1,061 16s. 4d., and the value effected £2,396 3s. 6d., the conditions of the leases being satisfactorily fulfilled in all cases. The crops have been generally light, owing to the dry season, but the settlement appears to be in a prosperous and satisfactory condition. Otaio Settlement (near St. Andrew's, Waimate County).—Established June, 1895. Area purchased, 373 acres 3 roods 14 perches. Number of holders, 9 ; dwellinghouses, 8 ; population, 41. The stock include 68 head of cattle, 22 horses, and 30 pigs ; and last season 160 acres were in grain-crops, 32 acres in green and root crops, and 1.65 acres in cultivated grasses. The total value of improvements required is £692 6s. Id., and the value effected £1,949 ss. 6d. The settlement is making fair progress, and the conditions of the leases are satisfactorily fulfilled. Most of the tenants supply milk to the local creamery, and the crops have been fairly good. Patoa Settlement (between Waitohi and Hurunui Rivers, Ashley County).—Established November, 1895. Area purchased, 4,535 acres 3 roods 14 perches. There are four selectors, two of whom have erected dwellinghouses and reside upon their sections, and two reside on other holdings in the vicinity. The population numbers twelve souls, and the stock consists of 1,693 sheep, 20 cattle, 8 horses, and 10 pigs. The.area of crop last season was 85 acres, of which 78 acres was in grain-crop; 490 acres is in cultivated grasses, and the balance in native pasture and manuka scrub, the bulk of the land being very ston}' and dry. The total value of improvements required is £978 4s. 4d., and the value effected is £1,662.' The Peaks Settlement (between Waitohi and Hurunui Rivers, Ashley County).—Established August, 1895. Area purchased, 2,811 acres and 9 perches. The number of holders is twelve, all but one of whom reside on previously selected village-settlement leaseholds in the vicinity; there is therefore only one dwellinghouse on the settlement, in which two persons reside. In three cases the improvements effected are short of actual statutory requirements; the total value required is £2,357 165., and the value effected £2,239. There are 1,795 sheep, 1 cow, and 20 horses on the settlement. 409 acres was in grain-crop last season; 287 acres in root or green crops; 711 acres in fallow, native grass, gardens, and plantations; and the balance in cultivated grasses. Owing to the dry season and the light quality of the land the harvest was poor, but the lambing average was good. Roimata Settlement (at Woolston, a Suburb of Christchurch). —Established August, 1895. Area purchased, 48 acres 3 roods 27 perches, which is divided into twenty-six holdings varying in area from 1 to 3£ acres, which are occupied for residential and gardening purposes, and are kept in good order. A few of the larger holdings are in pasture, and 13 cows are kept. Number of dwellinghouses, 25 ; the population is 118 souls ; and the value of improvements effected £6,016, against £866 12s. Bd. required. The levelling and channelling of the intersecting street during the past year has had the long-desired effect of effectually draining the settlement, besides improving its general appearance. Kereta Settlement (near Timaru, Levels County).—Established December, 1895.'WArea purchased, 105 acres 2 roods 29 perches, on which there are four holders, and three dwellinghouses, with a population of twenty-seven souls. The settlement is used almost exclusively for dairying, the only areas cropped last season being 10 acres in grain, and 6 acres in green and root crops. The stock consists of 93 head of cattle, 12 horses, and 30 pigs. The total value of improvements required in £230 os. Bd., and the value effected £909 17s. 6d. The conditions are satisfactorily fulfilled in all cases, the holdings are in good order, and the tenants doing well. Braco Settlement (at Fendalton, a Suburb of Christchurch). —Established November, 1895. Area purchased, 27 acres 2 roods 4 perches, divided into fourteen holdings from Ito 3 acres in size. There are fourteen dwellinghouses, and a population of fifty-six. All but one of the tenants are residing and complying, and most of them have brought their small holdings to a high state of cultivation. The total value of improvements required is £451 18s., and the value effected £2,391. Epworth Settlement (close to Temuka, Geraldine County).—Established November, 1895. Area purchased, 21 acres and 3 perches, divided into two sections. There is one dwellinghouse, in which seven souls reside. The value of improvements required is £41 7s. 2d., and the value effected £158 16s. The block forms a convenient smallholding, in good order, and the conditions are satisfactorily fulfilled. Ashley Gorge Settlement (near East Oxford, Selwyn County).—Established December, 1895. Area purchased, 1,165 acres 3 roods 6 perches, on which there are established ten leaseholders in perpetuity, and two blocks form homestead-sites for the holders of small-grazing-run leases of 2,812 acres of adjoining pastoral country. Including the latter, there are twelve dwellinghouses, with a population of fifty-

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one souls. The stock carried on the whole area includes 2,680 sheep; 250 head of cattle, principally dairy-cows; and 35 horses. The settlers use their holdings chiefly for dairying purposes, and very little cropping is done. The area in crop last season included 83 acres of grain, and 51 acres of root and green crops ; 630 acres was in cultivated grasses, and the balance in native pasture. The total value of improvements required is £1,893 7s. 4d., and the value effected £4,707. All the lessees are complying satisfactorily, and are doing fairly well, though some of them find the areas small for the maintenance of themselves and their families. Orakipaoa Settlement (near Temuka, Geraldine County).—Established June, 1896. Area purchased, 584 acres and 31 perches. There are twenty-seven holders in the settlement, twenty dwellinghouses have been erected, and the resident population is ninety-five. The stock includes 143 cattle, 37 horses, and 52 pigs ; 127 acres was in grain-crop last season, 53 acres in green and root crops, and 190 acres in cultivated grasses. The total value of improvements required is £1,492 7s. 4d., and the value effected £2,338 19s. There are a few cases of deficiency in value of improvements effected, due to the fact that some of the lessees reside by permission on original selections in the neighbouring Arowhenua Village Settlement, and therefore have no buildings on their holdings at Orakipaoa. The crops have been light, and feed has suffered from the dry season, but the tenants appear contented, as the settlement is well situated in a farming district where employment is generally obtainable. Highbank Settlement (near Methven, Ashburton County). —Established June, 1896. Area purchased, 9,121 acres 3 roods 8 perches. The number of sections occupied is seventy-five, and the number of dwellinghouses fifty-seven; the population is 235; and the stock comprises 10,19.1 sheep, 201 cattle, 288 horses, and 150 pigs. Last season there was 2,857 acres under white crop, and 756 acres under root and green crops ; 235 acres was occupied b}' plantations, gardens, &c. ; and the balance is in cultivated grasses. The value of improvements required is £13,902 145., and the value effected £19,352 14s. Id. With two minor exceptions, the conditions of the leases are being satisfactorily fulfilled. The Ranger reports that the settlement is in a very prosperous condition, most of the tenants have comfortable homesteads, the buildings and other improvements are kept in good order, and the holdings well cultivated ; crops generally have yielded good results, and recent rains have brought on winter feed. A number of leases in the settlement have changed hands lately at prices that should be satisfactory to the outgoing tenants Otarakaro Settlement (at Fendalton, a Suburb of Christchurch).—Established March, 1897. Area purchased, 39 acres 3 roods 9 perches, which is occupied by seven tenants in areas varying from 5 to 7 acres. There are seven dwellinghouses, inhabited by twenty-five souls ; the total value of improvements required is £202, and the value effected £1,650. 28 acres of the land is in pasture, on which thirteen cows are kept; 8 acres is in orchards, and 4 acres in gardens. Wharenui Hamlet (at Riccarton, a Suburb of Christchurch). —Established March, 1897, being the first workmen's homes settlement in the district. Area purchased, 73 acres 1 rood 10 perches, divided into twenty-six holdings. There are twenty-six dwellinghouses, and the population is 121 souls. The total value of improvements required is £810 Is., and the value effected £5,859. All the lessees are residing and complying. About 20 acres is in orchards and gardens, most of which is in capital order; 6J acres was in crops of potatoes, peas, &c, and the remainder in pasture, on which 15 cows and 8 horses graze. Rakitairi Settlement (between Temuka and Hilton, Geraldine County).—Established, March, 1897. Area purchased, 3,526 acres 1 rood 26 perches. Number of sections occupied, 22 ; dwellinghouses, 18 ; and souls resident, 81. The stock on the settlement consists of 3,885 sheep, 102 cattle, and 129 horses. Grain-crops were sown last season on 964 acres, and green and root crops on 401 acres ; 1,935 acres is in cultivated grasses, and 221 acres in tussock, &c. The grain-harvest was light, owing to the dry season, though the quality of the grain was good ; the turnip and rape crops are also badly blighted, so that a shortage of winter feed is probable. The settlement, however, is a successful and prosperous one. The value of improvements required is £4,915 2s. 3d., and the value of those effected is £6,773 19s. 6d. Waiapi Settlement (near Temuka, Geraldine County). —Established March, 1897. Area purchased, 1,124 acres 2 roods 36 perches. Number of sections occupied, 15; dwellinghouses, 14; population of the settlement, 66. The stock includes 898 sheep, 154 head of cattle, and 67 horses. The area cultivated last season comprised 359 acres in grain-crop, and 130 acres in green and root crops ; 589 acres are in cultivated grasses, and 46 acres in gardens, plantations, &c. All of the lessees are residing and complying satisfactorily, and the value of improvements effected is £4,015 3s. Id., against £1,821 6s. 9d. required. The tenants practice dairying and mixed farming ; crops have been light on account of the dry season, but feed is now plentiful, and the holders appear comfortable and contented. More attention might with advantage be paid by the occupiers of small sections to the planting of orchards. Horsley Down Settlement (near Hawarden, Ashley County).—Established June, 1897. Area purchased, 3,982 acres 3 roods 35 perches. The number of selectors is twenty-six, and the total population ninety-eight, residing in twenty-four dwellinghouses. The number of sheep held by the settlers is 4,826, from which a good lambing, averaging over 100 per cent., was obtained ; there are also 134 head of cattle, 119 horses, and 42 pigs. The crops last season included 650 acres in grain, and 300 acres in root or green crops ; 335 acres was in fallow, native pasture, plantations, &c, and the balance of the settlement was in cultivated grasses. Owing to the dry season, the crops did not turn out well. The value of improvements required is £4,770 3s. 10d., and value effected £12,633 3s. 3d. All the settlers have complied satisfactorily with the conditions of their leases, and appear to be doing well. Albury Settlement (at Albury, Mackenzie County). —Established, April, 1897. The area purchased was 19,539 acres I rood 24 perches, to which was added a block of 5,457 acres of adjoining pastoral Crown land, the total number of holdings being seventy-five. Sixty dwellinghouses have been erected, and the resident population is 327 souls. The whole area carries 23,820 sheep, 605 head of cattle, 455

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horses, and 200 pigs, besides the area under cultivation, which last season included 2,501 acres of graincrop, and 1,526 acres of root or green crops ; 8,791 acres is laid down in cultivated grasses, and 12,037 acres in native pasture, &c. The total value of improvements required is £18,793, and the value effected is £26,770 7s. 10d. There are three cases in which the improvements are not yet up to the required amount, but this will be remedied before long. The settlement as a whole is making steady progress, improvements are increasing, and the tenants appear to be doing well. Crops generally have been light, but stock have done well. Many of the settlers supply milk to the local creamery. Marawiti Settlement (between Rakaia and Methven, Ashburton County). —Established May, 1897. Area purchased, 2,028 acres 2 roods 33 perches. Thirteen sections are occupied, on which seventy-one souls reside in twelve dwellinghouses. The stock on the settlement consists of 1,465 sheep, 67 cattle, 56 horses, and 25 pigs. Grain-crops were sown last season in 606 acres, and green or root crops in 178 acres ; plantations, gardens, &c, occupied 180 acres, and the remainder is in cultivated grasses. The value of improvements required is £3,089 ss. 7d., and value effected £4,585 Bs. 6d. The settlement has suffered somewhat from the dry season, and some damage was done by a fire which traversed part of the area, but on the whole crops have been fair, and the tenants are doing well. In one case there is a lack of satisfactory compliance, but generally the conditions of the leases are well fulfilled. Hekmo Settlement (near Mount Somers, Ashburton County). —Established March, 1898. Area purchased, 2,254 acres 2 roods 11 perches. The number of sections occupied is fifteen, thirteen of which have dwellinghouses erected on them, the other two being occupied as extended areas by adjoining tenants. The population numbers thirty-three, and there are 2,335 sheep, 32 cattle, 50 horses, and 20 pigs. The value of improvements required is" £3,113 13s. 7d., and the value effected £5,311 13s. 6d. There is a slight deficiency in value of improvements in one case, but otherwise all the conditions of the leases are being satisfactorily fulfilled, and the holdings are maintained in good order. The area cultivated last season comprised 421 acres of grain-crop, and 399 acres of green or root crops ; 133 acres is occupied by plantations, gardens, &c, and the remainder is in cultivated grasses. Crops and pasture have generally done well, and the settlement appears to be in a prosperous condition. Pawaho Hamlet (Workmen's Homes, at Heathcote Valley, between Christchurch and Lyttelton).— Established April, Area purchased, 52 acres and 18 perches. There are twenty-five allotments, a similar number of dwellinghouses, and the population is ninety souls. The total value of improvements required is £797 6s. 9d., and the value effected £3,944. The land is for the most part well cultivated, and seemingly suitable for fruit-growing, but there is difficulty in draining some of the allotments. Waikakahi Settlement (between the Waihao and Waitakv Rivers, Waimate County). —Established March, 1899. Area purchased, 48,262 acres 2 roods 34 perches. Number of holders, 139 rural lease in. perpetuity ; fourteen small grazing-runs ; and thirty-three lease in perpetuity in the Township of Morven. The number of dwellinghouses erected on these 186 holdings is 160, and the resident population is 781 souls. The area in crop last season included 8,327 acres in grain-crops and 3,967 acres in green and root crops ; 32,733 acres is laid down in cultivated grasses, and 3,069 acres in native pasture, plantations, gardens, &c. The estate carries 54,119 sheep, 1,929 head of cattle, 1,049 horses, and 250 pigs. The total value of improvements required is £59,338 10s. 9d., and the value effected £86,047 4s. The Ranger's report shows that the settlement is making great progress : the homesteads are nearly all good, and the tenants are adding considerably to their improvements, the increase for the year being estimated at nearly £8,500. Morven Township is quite a busy centre, and the value of the stores and other buildings in "the township alone exceeds £5,000. Owing to the dry season, the crops were light, and feed was very scarce ; but the pastures have made a good recovery, and at present are looking well. The tenants are all in good circumstances, and, as a whole, are a fine body of farmers, and proud of the success of the settlement. Tamai Hamlet (Workmen's Homes, at Woolston, a Suburb of Christchurch). —Established June, 1899. Area purchased, 41 acres and 28 perches. The number of sections occupied is forty, and there are forty dwellings, with a population of 155 souls. The total value of improvements required is £1,200, and the value effected £6,631. Some of the allotments require more drainage, and there is difficulty in finding fall for the water. The fences are in many cases not up to legal requirements. About half of the tenants have gardens, and more land would be cultivated but for the difficulty of drainage. Takitu Settlement (between Glenavy and Hakataramea, Waimate County). —Established March, 1900. Area purchased, 9,713 acres and 37 perches. This settlement consists of five small grazing-runs, and the resident population is twenty-four souls in five dwellinghouses. Practically no cropping is done, the areas last season being 132 "acres in grain-crop, and 145 acres in green or root crops ; 8,655 acres is laid down in cultivated grasses, and the balance—about 742 acres—is in native pasture. The stock depasturing on the settlement consists of 7,450 sheep, 102 head of cattle, and 30 horses. The total value of improvements required is £4,288 4s. 4d., and the value of improvements effected £6,962 16s. 3d. The conditions of the leases are well fulfilled and very substantial improvements have been effected, and the tenants appear to be in a very prosperous condition. Pareora No. 2 Settlement (near St. Andrew's, Waimate County).—Established March, 1900. Area purchased, 8,132 acres and 31 perches. The number of sections occupied is thirty-two, all of which have dwellinghouses erected on them. The number of souls in residence on the settlement is 188; and the stock comprises 9,672 sheep, 318 cattle, 253 horses, and 140 pigs. The value of improvements required is £13,328 18s. 9d., and the value effected is £17,879 7s. 6d., additional improvements to a value of about £2,000 having been effected during the year. The conditions of the leases as to residence and improvements are satisfactorily fulfilled in all cases. Grain-crops were sown last season in 2,145 acres, and root or green crops in 824 acres ; '363 acres was occupied by plantations, gardens, &c, and the remainder of the settlement was in cultivated grasses. This settlement has not suffered much from the dry season, and the crop-yields have in most cases been good, although in some cases new grass has failed and will have to be resown. About twenty of the tenants supply milk to the local creamery.

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Rautawiri Settlement (between Temuka and Winchester, Geraldine County).—Established April. 1900. Area purchased, 113 acres and 7 perches. There are six holders, each of whom has built, and is residing and complying, the number of souls being twenty. The area in crop last season was 45 acres in grain-crop, and 28 acres in. root or green crops, and 36 aeres has been laid down in cultivated grasses. The stock included 21 head of cattle, 13 horses, and 30 pigs. The total value of improvements required is £312 7s. 6d., and the value effected £1,171 17s. 6d. The crops have suffered this year with the dry season, as in previous years from foulness of the land; but the holdings have been put into good.order, and the lessees appear, comfortable, the sections, though small, being very conveniently situated. Papaka Settlement (between Timaru and Pleasant Point, Levels County). —Established April, 1900. Area purchased, 1,561 acres 2 roods 25 perches. Number of sections occupied, 9 ; number of dwellinghouses, 9: resident population, 42. The stock carried on the settlement consists of 1,778 sheep, 55 head of cattle, 50 horses, and. 50 pigs. The area cultivated last season included 595 acres in graincrop, and 65 acres in green, and root-crops ; 744 acres have been laid down in cultivated grasses, and the balance —150 acres—in in native pasture, &c. The total value of improvements required in £2,904 18s. 5d., and the value effected £3,925. The settlement is making good progress, and is in a very satisfactory condition. Crops have been only fair, but? pastures have recovered since the late rains, and all the holdings are in good order. Punaroa Settlement (near Fairlie, Mackenzie County).—Established April, 1900. Area purchased, 7,029 acres 3 roods 5 perches. There are sixteen leaseholders in perpetuity, and one small-grazing-run holder, all of whom have erected dwellinghouses, and are residing and complying satisfactorily. The nopulation is sixty-four, and the settlement carries 7,653 sheep, 194 head of cattle, 99 horses, and 70 pigs. Not very much cropping is done, the area of grain-crop last season being only 277 acres, from which fair yields were obtained ; 622 acres was in green or root crops, 3,734 acres in cultivated grasses, and 2,388 acres in native pasture, gardens, &c. The total value of improvements required is £6,342 13s. 9d., and value effected £8,890 lis. lOd. The Ranger's report states that the settlement /s making good and substantia] progress, and the tenants are all doing well ; the smaller holders supply milk to the local creamery, and generally the settlement is a very useful and prosperous one. Lyndon No. 1 Settlement (near Waiau, Amuri County).—Established March, 1901. Area purchased, 4,243 acres 3 roods 28 perches. The number of selectors is eight, all of whom have erected dwellinghouses, and are residing, the only case of incomplete compliance being one of deficiency in value of improvements effected. The population is 51, and the stock on the settlement consists of 4,320 sheep, 33 head of cattle, and 58 horses. The lambing percentage was good, but the oat-crops, owing to the dry spring, were poor. The area under crop included 317 acres in oats, and 322 acres in green and root crops ; 2,150 acres is laid down in cultivated grasses, and the balance is in native grasses, fallow, and a small area in plantations. The total value of improvements required is £4,803 ss. 3d., and the value effected £7,709 19s. 4d. The tenants generally are doing well, but experience some difficulty from the long distance that their fat lambs have to be driven to a market. Kohika Settlement (near Otaio, Waimate County).—Established May, 1901. Area purchased, 3,864 acres 1 rood 10 perches. Number of sections occupied, 15. There are fifteen dwellinghouses, and the population of the settlement numbers fifty-seven. The stock carried includes 4,573 sheep, 154 cattle, and 116 horses. All the tenants are at present residing and complying satisfactorily, although additional improvements to a considerable extent will be needed in some cases to satisfy the requirements for the sixth year, which will terminate shortly ; the value now required is £1,446 18s. 6d., and value effected £5,746 4s. 3d. Grain-crops have been sown in 968 acres, and green or root crops in 300 acres ; plantations, gardens, &c, occupy 67 acres, and the balance of the area is in cultivated grasses. The harvest-yields have been fairly good, and the tenants are doing good work in cleaning their lands. The majority of them supply milk to local creameries, and the settlement appears to be in a prosperous condition* Tarawahi Hamlet (Workmen's Homes, at Sydenham, a Suburb of Christchurch). —Established .June, 1901. Area purchased, 31 acres 3 roods. There are twenty-four holdings, on each of which a dwellinghouse has been built, and ninety-four souls are residing in the hamlet. The total value of improvements required is £720, and the value effected £5,193 ; nearly all the holdings have gardens in good cultivation, and there are eight large greenhouses for tomato-growing. A few of the tenants keep a cow each, and all are making the most of their holdings. The general condition of the hamlet is satisfactory, and some of the houses give evidence of artistic taste and industry. Raincliff Settlement (near Fairlie, Geraldine County).—Established June, 1901. Area purchased, 745 acres 2 roods, of which 206 acres 3 roods was in plantation, now constituted a State forest. The balance is occupied as one holding, on which three souls reside. There are 600 sheep, 18 cattle, and 9 horses ; 20 acres has been in grain-crops, 10 acres in root and green crops, and 450 acres in cultivated grasses. The value of improvements required is £85 3s. Jod., and value effected £521 Is. Id. The holding is in good order, and the conditions satisfactorily fulfilled.. Puhuka Hamlet (at Washdyke, Levels County, close to Timaru). —Workmen's homes hamlet, established July, 1901. Area purchased, 39 acres 2 roods 7 perches. There are ten holders, all of whom have erected dwellinghouses, and are residing and complying satisfactorily. The population numbers thirty-four souls. The total value of improvements required is £270, and the value effected is £1,740 ss. lid. This is a very useful settlement, and is making good progress, and the Ranger notes that there is a demand in the locality for suitable holdings of not less than 5 acres each. Kaimahi Settlement (at Papanui, a Suburb of Christchurch). —Established October, 1901. Area purchased, 100 acres 2 roods 1 perch, divided into allotments of from 5 to 10 acres in extent, suitable for market-gardens or fowl-farms. There are eleven resident holders, and a total population of forty ■souls. The Riccarton Road Board has 4 acres for a gravel-pit, and the Agricultural Department has possession of 10 acres for the purpose of eradicating the growth of Californian thistle. This land was

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in barley in the spring, and the crop Was subsequently ploughed in, the area being now in clover. Of the 86 acres occupied by resident tenants, 56 acres has been in pasture, 5 acres in oats, 13 acres in potatoes, and the rest in gardens. Most of the holdings are in a high state of cultivation, but twitch is very troublesome, and Californian thistle comes up repeatedly on some of the land. The number of stock on the settlement is 24 head of cattle and 7 horses. The total value of improvements required is £252 9s. 2d., and the value effected £2,579. Kapuatohe Hamlet (Workmen's Homes at Belfast, near Christchurch). —Established October, 1901. Area purchased, 49 acres 3 roods 37 perches. One section is held by the Road Board for a gravelpit ; ten other allotments are occupied, and three small sections of half an acre each remain unselected. There are ten dwellings, nine of which are inhabited by twenty souls, and one tenant does not reside. The total value of improvements required is £271, and the value effected is £1,188 10s. The lessees own 11 head of cattle, 4 horses, 10 pigs ; 4 acres of the land is in gardens, 8 acres is cultivated for oats and potatoes, and the rest is in pasture. Some of the tenants complain that the land they occupy is not good, and is unfitted for gardens. Certainly some of the sections are unsuited for market-gardens, but they afford sites for good homes for those engaged in the industries in the neighbourhood of Belfast. Rapuwai Settlement (near Pleasant Point, Geraldine County). —Established December, 1901. Area purchased, 2,247 acres 2 roods 11 perches. Number of sections occupied, 5 ; number of dwellinghouses, 5 ; population, 21. The area in crop last season consisted of 200 acres of grain-crops, and 256 acres of green and root crops ; 1,616 acres was in cultivated grasses, and the balance in native pasture, &c. The stock numbered 2,468 sheep, 32 head of cattle, and 47 horses. The value of improvements required is £472 55., and effected £2,311 13s. 7d. The tenants are all residing and complying satisfactorily, and keeping their holdings in good order, while making excellent work of the eradication of gorse, which had spread badly in parts prior to their occupation. . . Lyndon No. 2 Settlement (near Waiau, Amuri County). —Established April, 1902. Area purchased, 15,887 acres, which is divided into three small grazing-runs and six leaseholds in perpetuity. Eight out of the nine selectors have erected dwellinghouses, and are residing and complying satisfactorily ; the other one has only held about six months. The population is twenty-nine souls. The stock numbers 7,990 sheep, 16 head of cattle, 48 horses, and 3 pigs. The area cropped last season consisted of 353 acres in oats, and 378 acres in root and green crops ; 2,873 acres has been sown with cultivated grasses, and the balance is in native pasture. The value of improvements required is £2,976 9s. 6d., and value effected £7,973 9s. 3d. The lambing percentage was fairly high, and the tenants are making good progress, though hampered somewhat by the distance from a market for their fat stock. Maytown Settlement (close to Waimate, Waimate County). —Established April, 1902. Area purchased, 391 acres 3 roods 32 perches. The number of holders is eleven, and the population sixty-one souls, residing in eleven houses. The area cultivated last season comprised 123 acres in grain-crop, 30 acres in root and green crops, and 206 acres in cultivated grasses. The stock included 121 head of cattle, 27 horses, and 40 pigs. The total value of improvements required is £282 lis., and the value effected £1,689 13s. lid. The Ranger's report shows the tenants to be in a comfortable position. Crops have been light on account of the dry season, but the settlers supply milk to the creamery, and keep their holdings in good order. Eccleston Settlement (near Otaio, Waimate County). —Established May, 1902. Area purchased, 1,246 acres 1 rood 5 perches. The number of sections occupied is four, on which fifteen souls reside in four houses. The stock comprise 1,370 sheep, 31 cattle, and 24 horses. 401 acres was in grain-crop last season, and 56 acres in green or root crops* all of which yielded fairly good results. The value of improvements required is £496 4s. 10d., and Value effected £2,874 7s. Bd. All the tenants are complying satisfactorily, and appear to be doing well. ... Mead Settlement (on the North Side of the Rakaia River, near the Railway, Selwyn County). — The area purchased was-5,914 acres 3 roods 17 perches, and the settlement was established in January, 1903. The number of sections occupied is twenty-one, on nineteen of which dwellinghouses are erected, the tenants of the other two residing upon former adjacent selections. The population is fifty-six, and the stock carried includes 4,640 sheep, 40 cattle, 72 horses, and 15 pigs. Grain-crops were sown last season in 580 acres, and green or root crops in 715 acres ; 232 acres was in plantations, gardens, &c, and the balance in cultivated grasses. The value of improvements required is £933 15s. Bd., and the value effected £5,919 lis. Notwithstanding the dry season, the crops have turned out fairly satisfactorily, and the tenants appear to be doing well. Chamberlain Settlement (near Albury, Mackenzie County). —Established March, 1903. Area acquired, 10,500 acres 1 rood 9 perches, to which has been added a block of 9,523 acres of adjoining pastoral Crown land. Including this, the number of permanent tenants is twenty, and there is one resident holder of a twenty-one years' lease of a section which covers the coal-mine on the property. Twenty-one dwellinghouses have been erected, and 104 souls reside on the settlement. The stock consists of 15,394 sheep, 182 cattle, 143 horses, and 60 pigs. The area in grain-crops last season was 1,056 acres, the harvest from which was generally light; 992 acres was in root or green crops ; 6,453 acres is sown in cultivated grasses ; and the balance —about 11,510 acres —is in native pasture, &c. The value of improvements required is £3,064 4s. 2d., and value effected £11,140 16s. 10d., a substantial addition having been made during the past year. All the tenants are complying satisfactorily, and appear to be doing well. There is room for improvement in the matter of planting fruit and shelter trees. Annan Settlement (near Waiau, Amuri County).—Established June, 1903.' Area purchased, 32,858 acres 2 roods 33 perches. Number of holders, 39 ; dwellinghouses, 37 ; and the total population of the estate is 165 souls. The stock carried consists of 27,135 sheep, 349 head of cattle, 185 horses, and 33 pigs. 725 acres was in grain-crop last season ; 980 acres in root and green crops ; 8,027 acres is in cultivated grasses; and the balance is native pasture, a portion of which has also been surface-sown

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with English grasses. The value of improvements required is £8,217 4s. 2d., and the total value effected is £23,692 10s. Id. Two township allotments have only recently been selected, and all the other holders, with one minor exception, are residing and complying satisfactorily. This settlement has not suffered from the dry season so much as other portions of the district, and the tenants, with the help of a good lambing, appear to be prospering. Rosewill Settlement (between Timaru and Albury ; Levels and Mackenzie Counties). —Established March, 1904. Area purchased, 38,683 acres 2 roods 15 perches. The number of holders is 154, including two small grazing-runs, the balance being rural and village leases in perpetuity. The number of dwellinghouses erected is 145, and the resident population numbers 569 souls. The stock carried on the estate includes 34,827 sheep, 878 head of cattle, 730 horses, and 300 pigs. The area cropped last season comprised 7,138 acres in white crops, and 3,450 acres in green and root crops ; 21,406 acres was laid down in cultivated grasses; and the balance —6,310 acres —was in native pasture, plantations, &c. The total value of improvements required is £13,957 75., and the value of those effected £52,391 16s. lid. Excellent progress has been made during the year on this settlement, the increase in value of permanent improvements totalling nearly £7,000, in addition to the improvement effected by working and cleaning the land The holdings are all in good order, and the conditions of the leases well fulfilled. The tenants are a hardworking, practical body of men, and appear to be doing well. Morice Settlement (near Little River, Akaroa County).—Established December, 1905. Area purchased, 2,253 acres 2 roods 26 perches. The number of sections occupied is twenty-nine, on twentyfive of which houses are erected, nineteen of these having been newly built since the settlement was established. The population numbers eighty-three, and the stock consists of 580 sheep, 656 cattle (nearly half of which are dairy-cows), and 34 horses. There is practically no cropping done, the sections being used principally for dairying ; cocksfoot-grass seed was cut off about 777 acres, and yielded an average of about 1\ sacks per acre, the seed being of excellent quality. The value of improvements required is £1,050 ss. 9d., and value effected £5,367 Is. 3d., including fourteen miles and threequarters of new substantial fences. All but four of the tenants (who have not yet erected permanent dwellinghouses) have fulfilled the requirements of their leases satisfactorily. Kinloch Settlement (near Little River, Akaroa County). —Established March, 1906. Area purchased, 13,033 acres 1 rood 5 perches. The number of selectors is thirty, and the total population seventy-one. The stock carried includes 17,130 sheep, 916 head of cattle, and 70 horses, and in most cases a very good percentage of lambs was obtained. No cropping has been done, but cocksfootgrass seed was harvested off about 150 acres. There are eighteen dwellinghouses on the settlement, nine of these having been erected since selection. Most of the other tenants are camped on the ground, and some are waiting for the completion of the roads to enable them to get building-material on to the sites selected for their homesteads. About thirty-five miles and a half of substantial fencing has been erected at considerable cost, a seven-wire fence w'.th hardwood posts and iron standards costing from 18s. to £1 per chain. In six cases the lessees have not yet been in possession for twelve months, and, taking into consideration the difficulties of access, excellent progress has been made in improvements. The total value of improvements required is £2,547 ss. 10d., and the value effected £6,535 lis. 2d. Mills Settlement (near Waimate, Waimate County). —Established March, 1906. Area purchased 882 acres 2 roods 30 perches. The number of selectors is twenty-one, the population is seventy, and the stock consist of 190 sheep, 235 cattle, and 51 horses. Fifteen dwellinghouses are erected, and one tenant is residing in a tent t pending the erection of his house. In the other five cases the residence conditions are not being fulfilled, and four of these are also in default as to value of improvements. The necessary action is being taken in all these cases. The total value of improvements required is £414 3s. 9d., and the value of these effected is £2,713 Is. 6d. The area cropped last season included 224 acres in grain and 77 acres in root or green crops, the harvest from all being light; 36 acres is in plantations, gardens, &c, and the balance in pasture. Thirteen tenants are using their sections for dairying purposes, and supplying milk to the local creameries. On the whole, good progress has been made, and the settlement will prove a useful one, supplying a necessary class of small holding for the district. Homestead-sites and Low-lying Lands for Adjacent Pastoral Lands, &c. — There are ten of these blocks, with a total area of 1,224 acres and 21 perches. Four of them are residentially occupied, and carry a population of nine souls. The value of improvements required is £368 Bs. 3d., and the value effected is £1,801 lis. 1 Eric C. Gold Smith, Commissioner of Crown Lands. OTAGO. The main feature of land-for-settlement transactions during the year has been the disposal of the allotments in the new Settlements of Steward, Plunket (Corriedale), and Totara, which were opened on the 9th April 1906, sth February 1907, and 25th March 1907, respectively. The details in respect of these will appear in their chronological order. There was one forfeiture in the Greenfield Settlement, for non-residence, &c, the allotment being at once taken up again when reopened for selection. The lease of the lime-works at Makareao has been forfeited for non-compliance with conditions, and tenders for a fresh lease are about to be called for. The receipts for the year exceeded the estimate by £565

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Is. Id. A new settlement, named " Kurow Settlement," formerly known as " Logan's Farm," with selection area of 220 acres 3 roods 22 perches in twelve small dairy farms, at a total annual rental of £235 10s., is to be opened on the 21st May, and there are other estates anticipated during the year, as, for instance, the Otekaike Estate, of about 17,800 acres; the Airedale Estate, of about 2,670 acres : and Ashley Downs, of about 3,700 acres. Pomahaka Downs. —Established February, 1894. Area, 7,478 acres 2 roods 2 perches. Occupied holdings, 24, with an area of 6,340 acres 1 rood 35 perches ; annual rental, £913 16s. 2d., inclusive of four temporary licenses over 1,333 acres 2 roods 24 perches at £32 19s. per annum. There is an unlet area of 925 acres and 8 perches, of a yearly value of £146 os. 4d. Receipts for the year, £499 15s. 5d., making the total to date £9,539 14s. lid. ; rebates, £15 3s. 7d., to five selectors ; arrears, £817 ss. 7d., owing by twelve selectors, holding 2,815 acres. Total population, 39 ; houses, 16 ; sheep, 3,355 ; cattle, 152 ; horses, 71 ; pigs, nil. Area in new grass, 955 acres ; in white crops, 831 acres ; in green crops, 848 acres ; native grasses, &c, 430 acres. Value of improvements, £6,567. The settlers on this settlement are still hopeful of some concession being made in regard to the capital value of the land. The Ranger reports, " The past year has proved a fairly good one for the settlers on Pomahaka. They all adopt mixed farming, and each keeps a flock of sheep. Good percentages of lambs have been obtained and a good price for wool. The grain-crops have been light, but there will be some very fair root-crops. The settlers have made more than ordinary progress during the year, and they have complied well with the conditions of their leases." Teaneraki. —Established February, 1894. Area, 351 acres and 39 perches. There are twentythree holdings over an aggregate area of 344 acres 1 rood 30 perches, at an annual rental of £281 9s. 6d. Receipts, £258 17s. 7d., making total to date £3,352 12s. 4d. ; rebates, £22 7s. lid., to twenty lessees ; arrears, £13 35., by three selectors, holding 45 acres. Total population, 81 ; houses, 17 ; sheep, nil; cattle, 168 ; horses, 39 ; pigs, 41. Area in new grass, 40 acres ; in white crop, 57 acres ;in green crop, 53 acres; native grass, &c, nil. Value of improvements, £2,064. The Ranger reports, " This small settlement continues to hold its own, although the dry season affected it somewhat seriously. The greater number of the settlers find employment outside while their families work the land for dairying purposes. The stock went off very much in condition, and a number were sold at low prices ; but, since the weather broke, the root-crops as well as the grass have improved, and stock will now pull through the winter." Tahawai. —Established August, 1895. Area, 70 acres 1 rood 35 perches, there being eight holdings over an area of 68 acres 2 roods 14 perches, at £35 14s. 4d. yearly. Year's receipts, £33 16s. 6d. ; total to date, £396 13s. 4d. ; rebates, £1 10s. Bd., to seven tenants ; arrears, nil. Population, 38 ; houses, 8 ; sheep, nil; cattle, 48 ; horses, 12 ; pigs, 23. Area in new grass, 5 acres ; in white crop, 8 acres ; in green crop, 15 acres ; in native grass, &c, nil. Value of improvements effected, £1,468. The Ranger states, " This little settlement is still in the same prosperous condition as in former years. The settlers are all doing well, owing principally to the water-supply from the race running through the settlement, which enables the settlers to irrigate their holdings. I would again suggest that the Government should acquire the right to this water for the benefit of the settlement." Maerewhenua. —Established September, 1895. Area, 11,163 acres 3 roods 31 perches. There are seventy-three holdings over an aggregate area of 10,922 acres 2 roods 29 perches, at an annual rental of £3,552 2s. 2d., including 12 acres 1 rood 1 perch under three miscellaneous licenses at £1 18s. per annum. There is also an unlet area of 3 acres, of the annual value of 15s. Receipts, £3,249 4s. 9d., making the total to date £39,220 12s. 4d. ; rebates, £345 lis. 3d., to sixty-six tenants ; arrears, 195., by one tenant, holding 8 acres 1 rood 35 perches. Total population, 241; houses, 55 ; sheep, 6,906 ; cattle, 611 ; horses, 251 ; pigs, 132. Area in new grass, 668 acres ;in white crop, 2,350 acres ;in green crop, 859 acres ; in native grass, &c, nil. Value of improvements, £21,828. The following is the Ranger's report: " This settlement is in a very prosperous condition, the settlers nearly all doing well, although in common with all the farmers in north Otago they have suffered from the continued drought through the summer months. The grain-crops were almost a total failure. Many of them were eaten off, and what were harvested barely paid expenses. The grass disappeared, and the land was so bare that it was difficult to say whether it was pasture or ploughed land. Dairying suffered in consequence, the milk-supply being so much reduced that the closing of the creameries was seriously contemplated. Matters were made worse from the fact that settlers could not get the lambs away to the freezer, and consequently had to be held with the ewes on the already short supply of food or sacrificed in a falling market. Since the break in the weather, however, things have a much brighter appearance, and the root-crops have come away well, and in most cases will furnish food-supply for the winter." Puketapu. —Established March, 1896. Area, 509 acres and 6 perches, there being eleven holdings over an area of 496 acres and 36 perches, at an annual rental of £189 os. lOd. Receipts, £170 3s. 2d., making the total to date £1,955 9s. lid. ; rebates, £18 17s. Bd., to eleven lessees; arrears, nil. Total population, 37 ; houses, 7 ; sheep, nil; cattle, 104 ; horses, 24 ; pigs, 24. Area in new grass, nil; in white crops, 67 acres ; in green crop, 46 acres ; in native grass, &c, nil. Value of improvements, £1,552. The Ranger reports, " The settlers on this estate are doing fairly well, considering the very dry season experienced. They work the land for dairying, very little grain being grown except for home consumption. The cows had a very hard time, and many had to be sacrificed to prevent them from dying of starvation, and all calves were destroyed, as there was no milk for them." Ardgowan. —Established May, 1896. Area, 4,267 acres 3 roods 28 perches, there being sixty-six holdings over an aggregate area of 4,170 acres 1 rood 33 perches, at an annual rental of £1,897 ss. 4d., including two miscellaneous licenses over 11 acres and 29 perches at £5 lis. 6d. yearly. Receipts, £1,864 os. 10d., making the total to date £20,382 Is. 9d. ; rebates, £84 Bs., to fifty-five lessees ; arrears, £50 4s. Bd., owing by five selectors, holding 176 acres. Total population, 232 ; houses, 48 ; sheep, 1,210 ;

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cattle, 997 ; horses, 186 ; pigs, 1.44. Area in new grass, 344 acres ;in white crop, 786 acres ;in green crop, 256 acres; in native grass, &c, 220 acres. Value of improvements, £12,837. The Ranger reports with regard to this settlement as follows : " The settlers are in much the same condition as those in other settlements. Crops were almost a total failure as a consequence of the drought, and the grass was burnt up. The settlers are chiefly dependent on the creamery, and the failure of the milksupply was a great loss to them. All the cows became very poor and had to be sold off for what they would bring to prevent them from starving. The root-crops, although receiving a great set-back, recovered a good deal after the rain, and the stock will now winter much better than was anticipated." Makareao and Makareao Extension. —Established, the former in June, 1896, the latter in April, 1897. Total area acquired, 4,972 acres 2 roods 16 perches, there being in all thirty-three holdings over an aggregate area of 4,714 acres 1 rood 21 perches, at an annual rental of £669 35., including three miscellaneous licenses over 60 acres and 33 perches at £9 ss. 6d. yearly. Receipts £640 95., from inception £9,250 lis. lOd. ; rebates, £70 2s. 5d., to thirty selectors ; arrears, nil. Total population, 86 ; houses, 19 ; sheep, 2,760 ; cattle, 619 ; horses, 75 ; pigs, 54. Area in new grass, 55 acres ; in white crop, 326 acres ; in green crop, 206 acres ; in native grass, &c, 2,962 acres. Value of improvements, £6,079. The Ranger reports, " This estate is in much the same position as it was last year. . The drought experienced had its effect on the grass and stock; so much so that stock had to be considerably reduced. The dairy industry also suffered, the shortage of milk having materially reduced the monthly cheques from the factory. There were, however, some good crops, several returns being from 30 to 40 bushels per acre. Very few fat lambs were got away, on account of the drought, the consequence being that farmers had to sacrifice either their lambs or their ewes." Momona. —Established May, 1897. Area, 224 acres 1 rood 16 perches. Holdings, 14, with an area of 219 acres 1 rood 16 perches, at- £185 Is. 2d. per annum. Receipts, £170 Os. 5d., making total to date £1,970 12s. 2d. ; rebates, £5 18s. 5d., to ten selectors; arrears, £37 Bs. lid., owing by four lessees, holding 85 acres. Total population, 54; houses, 14; cattle, 190; horses, 23; pigs, 51. Area in new grass, 8 acres ; in white crop, 22 acres ; in green crop, 39 acres ; in native grass, &c, nil. Value of improvements, £2,248 12s. 6d. The settlers on this settlement are still suffering somewhat from the trouble that arose in the matter of the drainage, which has not even yet been finally settled. The Ranger reports as follows : " Good progress has been made on Momona this year. After the continued wet of last year, followed by very dry weather during the spring, the ground became very hard and difficult to work. Cultivation was therefore much more backward than usual. The early parts of the spring and summer were exceedingly dry. but the grass did fairly well. The growth was checked somewhat about January and February by the continued drought, but a few showers late in February helped things very much, and, the frost keeping off so far, the grass is still growing. Momona is purely a dairying settlement, and the ali-round results of the year have been very fair. Given normal years, the prospects Of this settlement are excellent. The settlers have no present grievance, except that relating to drainage matters, which may possibly be successfully settled by the proposal to constitute the whole of the Taieri as one drainage-area." Tokarahi. —Established May, 1897. Area acquired, 11,259 acres 2 rood 36 p.rches, there being seventy-nine holdings, with an aggregate area of 10,978 acres and 35 perches, at- an annual rental of £4,11.0 18s., inclusive of twenty-seven miscellaneous licenses over an area of 193 acres 3 roods 31 perches at £16 14s. lOd. yearly. Receipts for the year, £4,050>. Bd., making the total to date £39,277 ss. ; rebates, £356 175., to forty-five selectors ; arrears, £114 13s. 6d., owing by one lessee with an area of 400 acres. Total population, 195; houses, 41 ; sheep, 5,042 ; cattle, 648 ; horses, 286 ; pigs, 148. Area in new grass, 615 acres ; in white crop, 2,381 acres ; in green crop, 781 acres ; in native grass, &c, 2,185 acres. Value of improvements, £20,684. The Ranger's report is as follows : " The settlers are doing well in spite of the protracted drought experienced during the summer. The grain-crops were almost a failure, and those that were not fed off by stock barely paid harvesting. The weather broke about the middle of February, too late to save the grain-crops, but it very materially helped the turnips, so that stock will not suffer so much as they would, otherwise have done. Dairying received a set back here as well as elsewhere, but the good seasons of the past will enable settlers to tide over the effects of the late bad one." Janefield. —Established September, 1899. Area acquired, 147 acres and 2 perches, there being twenty settlement holdings and one occupied by the Agricultural Department, over a total area of 143 acres 2 roods 37 perches, at an annual rental of £258 6s. 2d. Receipts, £221 9s. lid., total to date £1,692 9s. Id.; rebates, £15 19s. lid., to seventeen tenants; arrears, £18 lis. 4d., owing by three selectors, holding 24 acres. Total population, 89; houses, 19 ; sheep, nil; cattle, 78 ; horses, 33 ; pigs, nil. Area in new grass, nil; in white crop, 15 acres ; in green crop, 22 acres ; in native grass, &c, 7J acres. Value of improvements, £3,551. Ranger's report : " This settlement has made solid progress during the past season, which, though dry and unfavourable in many respects, gave the tenants an opportunity of clearing much of the foulness that resulted from the bad farming of the former owner. Much remains yet to be done in the clearing of weeds, but the land is good, the settlers hardworking, and no doubt they will soon bring the land back to a healthy state of cultivation. Janefield has proved of great advantage to the class of tenants who occupy it. They were working-men living in and about Mosgiel, paying rent for cottages on quarter and one-eighth acre sections ; now they have their own houses, they can keep their cows and horses, and when out of outside employment they can occupy themselves profitably on their holdings. Doubtless if another such opportunity offered to get small holdings many of the working-people about the Taieri would gladly avail themselves of it." Elderslie. —Established March, 1900. Area, 11,618 acres 2 roods 4 perches, there being thirtyfour holdings over an area of 11,506 acres 3 roods 18 perches, at an annual rental of £4,126 19s. 4d., including eight miscellaneous licenses over 245 acres 2 roods 35 perches at £18 Bs. lOd. yearly. Receipts, £3,716 Bs. 10d., making the total to date £27,050 2s. 6d.; rebates, £410 16s. 10d., to twenty-six selectors ;

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arrears, nil. Total population, 79; houses, 24; sheep, 9,137; cattle, 182; horses, 186 ; pigs, 55. Area in new grass, 705 acres ; in white crop, 1,904 acres ; in green crop, 559 acres ; in native grass, &c, 752 acres. Value of improvements, £13,709. The Ranger reports as follows : " This settlement is in a very healthy condition, and the settlers are doing well, although the effects of the drought are as marked here as anywhere in the district. The land was very bare of feed, and stock were so low in condition that they were on the point of starvation, and the settlers were quite helpless in the matter, being unable to profitably dispose of the stock. The drought was unprecedented in the history of north Otago, and all farmers were alike affected. In former dry seasons it was the practice to send stock south, where feed was generally plentiful; but the southern district was in the same fix as the north, consequently there was no outlet and absolutely no demand. Things were so bad that to save themselves to some extent, as well as to save the sheep from dying of starvation, thousands of the older sheep, and in many cases young sheep and even lambs, were sent to the boiling-down works. Sheep which in January, 1906, would have brought £1 4s. per head were sold in January, 1907, at as low as 2s. 6d. per head, and lambs which in the previous year would have realised 14s. or 15s. were sold at from 3s. to 4s. per head. The grain-crops were largely eaten off, but since the rain came both turnips and grass have revived wonderfully, and will now provide feed enough to carry stock through the winter." Barnego.— Established May, 1900. Area, 7,078 acres 2 roods 1 perch, there being twenty-three holdings over an area of 7,054 acres and 10 perches, at an annual rental of £1,408 175., including 19 acres 1 rood 5 perches under miscellaneous license at £1 per annum. Receipts, £1,264 95., making total to date £8,285 19s. 2d. ; rebates, £90 7s. lid., to seventeen tenants ; arrears, £262 Is. Bd., owing by five lessees, holding 2,249 acres. Total population, 65 ; houses, 18 ; sheep, 4,065 ; cattle, 277 ; horses, 80. Area in new grass, 990 acres ; in white crop, 757 acres ; in green crop, 646 acres; native grass, &c, 1,145 acres. Value of improvements, £8,891 15s. The Ranger's report is as follows : " The settlers on the lower or flat portion of this settlement are all milk-suppliers, a factory being within easy distance. They have had a very good year, as a dry season suits them much better than a very wet one. In quality and quantity the milk-supply has come up to the best average, and good prices have been maintained. The root-crops, which did not promise well during the early part of the season, came away very well after the middle of February, and from all appearances now the turnips are likely to be a very good crop. The settlers- on the hill portion of the settlement have also had a very fair year. They are all more or less sheep-farmers, and the mild early season was very favourable to lambing. High percentages have been obtained, and good prices received for wool. The oat-crops have not yielded well, but the roots, though very backward during the earlier part of the season, promise to do well for the remainder. Generally speaking, Barnego has made satisfactory progress during the year. The settlers have complied very well with the settlement conditions." Earnscleugh. —Established December, 1901. Area, 1,269 acres 3 roods 5 perches, there being thirteen holdings over 1,239 acres and 4 perches, at an annual rental of £173 10s. Bd., including three miscellaneous licenses over 17 acres 1 rood 4 perches at £3 7s. 2d. yearly. Receipts, £168 145., total to date £965 3s. Bd. ; rebates, £4 16s. Bd., to eight tenants; arrears, nil. Total population, 50; houses, 8; sheep, nil; cattle, 65; horses, 15; pigs, 12. Area in new grass, nil; in white crop, 2 acres; in native grass, &c, 103 acres. Value of improvements, £2,195 10s. The Ranger reports as follows : " Very steady progress has been made on this settlement during the year. The fruit-trees are doing very well so far, and each year sees an additional area under trees. Progress in fruitgrowing settlements does not appear so marked as in ordinary farming settlements, and it is only on very close inspection and comparison with the results of previous years that the actual advance made can be seen. Each selector erected his buildings during the first year or two, so that the number of buildings will not increase to any extent in the future. Any marked improvement, therefore, must be looked for in the increased number of trees planted and their favourable development. So far as they have gone, these settlers have done very well in the direction of planting. They are all work-ing-men, chiefly engaged in the dredging industry, at which they work for eight hours every day, devoting their spare time to their holdings. The grass on the various sections is looking very well, owing no doubt to irrigation, and generally speaking the present position is satisfactory and the prospects decidedly encouraging." Windsor Park. —Established May, 1902. Area, 3,821 acres 2 rood 16 perches ; holdings, 37, with a total area of 3,803 acres 3 roods 25 perches ; annual rental, £1,647 16s. lOd. Receipts, £1,587 65., total to date £7,882 Bs. lOd. ; rebates, £135 lis. 7d., to thirty-three tenants ; arrears, £22 ss. Bd., owing by two selectors with 175 acres. Total population, 83 ; houses, 23 ; sheep, 2,073 ; cattle, 331; horses, 113; pigs, 59. Area in new grass, 746 acres ; in white crop, 989 acres ; in green crop, 224 acres ; in native grass, jut., 199 acres. Value of improvements, £5,318. (See Ranger's remarks under Windsor Park No. 2.) Windsor Park No. 2.—Established October, 1902. Area, 2,179 acres 2 roods 17 perches ; holdings, 10, with an area of 2,177 acres 2 roods 11 perches ; annual rental, £875 16s. Bd. Receipts, £898 13s. 6d., total to date £3,608 12s. Bd. ; rebates, £80, to nine selectors ; arrears, £7 lis. 1 Id., owing by one tenant holding 30 acres. Total population, 40 ; houses, 7 ; sheep, 526 ; cattle, 166 ; horses, 38 ; pigs. 21. Area in new grass, 101 acres ; in white crop, 397 acres ; in green crop, 180 acres ; in native grass, &c, 307 acres. Value of improvements, £2,580. The Ranger reports, " The settlers on these adjoining settlements are doing fairly well, but for some reason they are not in as good a position as some on other settlements ; probably this is in a measure owing to the short period they have been in occupation. A number of them adopt dairying as their pursuit, which industry, as in the case of other settlements, has received a set back in consequence of the drought, from which it will take some time to recover. The necessity of having to sacrifice their herds, and the reduction of their monthly income from the creamer}' through shortage of milk-supply, have temporarily crippled the settlers' finances, and caused

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them considerable hardship and inconvenience; but they appear hopeful that the next season will be a better one, and thus enable them to retrieve their position. The grain-crop was all but a failure, and the root-crops have not come away since the rain as well as in other places." Duncan. —Established December, 1902. Area, 633 acres 2 roods 3 perches ; holdings, 7, over an area of 631 acres 3 roods 30 perches ; annual rental, £238 Is. 2d., including one miscel'aneous lease (coal) at £10 per annum and royalty. Receipts, £177 65., total to date £673 os. 7d. ; rebates, £6 16s. 6d., to five selectors : arrears, £9 155., owing by one lessee with 166 acres. Total population, 14 ; houses, 4; sheen, nil; cattle. 46; horses. 12. Area in new grass, 20 acres; in white crop, 70 acres; in green crop, 13 acres ;in native grass, &c, 205 acres. Value of improvements, £1,061 10s. The Ranger states as follows : " Duncan Settlement was in rather a bad state, the effect of careless farming before it was taken over. The artificial pastures had run out, and weeds of various kinds had taken possession. To bring the land back to a healthy state will necessitate a hard struggle for a few years. Although this year has been decidedly against high yields, it has proved of great advantage in assisting to kill, weeds. There is a dairy factory on the settlement, and the settlers are supplying milk to it. When they can get their holdings into good grass they will probably be able to do fairly well, but in the meantime they have a battle to fight in which patience and determination will enable them to succeed. The crops this season were somewhat light. Settlement conditions have been well complied with." St. Helen's. —Established June, 1903. Holdings, 3 over the whole area, at £224 Us. per annum. Receipts, £203 10s. 6d., total to date £914 14s. 6d. ; rebates, £20 18s. 5d., to three selectors ; arrears, nil. Population, 7 ; houses, 3 ; sheep, 300 ; cattle, 42 ; horses, 15 ; pigs, 9. Area in white crop, 58 acres ;in green crop, 25 acres. Value of improvements, £732. With regard to this settlement the Ranger reports, " The three settlers on this estate are going on quietly and well. They have suffered in common with others from the drought, but are hopeful that the coming season will have brighter prospects in store for them. The land is good and the rent reasonable, and with ordinary seasons they must succeed." Greenfield. —Established April, 1905. Acquired area, 22,071 acres 1 rood 30 perches, there being in occupation 39 farm allotments, one small grazing-run, and one miscellaneous license over an aggregate area of 21,785 acres 1 rood 3 perches, at an annual rental of £4,244 lis. Bd. Receipts, £3,682 os. lid., total to date £7,996 2s. 4d. ; rebates, £377 19s. 10d., to thirty-seven selectors; arrears, £72 Bs. 6d., owing by one selector holding 818 acres. Total population, 115; houses, 39; sheep, 14,015; cattle, 189 ; horses, 180. Area in new grass, 654 acres; in white crop, 1,936 acres :in green crop, 1,400 acres ; in native grass, &c, 3,885 acres. Value of improvements, £9,527 Bs. 6d. The Ranger reports as follows : " The Greenfield settlers did not get a very favourable start as far as weather-con-ditions are concerned. The first year was very wet and cold, and the past year warm and unusually dry. Dry seasons in their locality are exceptional, and it is not likely there will be an early recurrence of so dry a season as the past. Excellent progress has been made throughout the whole settlement. Many new houses have been erected, and a number of the selectors who were single at the time of selection have since married. The grain-crops gene:al!y were inferior, but the root-crops in many cases will be good. A large amount of subdivisional fencing has been put up, and a large area placed under cultivation. Extra high lambing percentages have been the rule, and many of the tenants have realised over 100 per cent. Wool sold well, and this added to the exceptional increase in lambs has more than made up for the shortage in grain-crops. The settlement has made excellent progress during the year. The settlers are all very hopeful, and their prospects are very bright. They have good roads and a regular steam service on the Clutha River to Balclutha Railway-station." Steward. —Established April, 1906. Acquired area, 21,935 acres 2 roods 7 perches, there being 21,729 acres 1 rood 28 perches in occupation by forty-eight selectors, at an annual rental of £5,021 12s. 6d. This includes five small grazing-run le:-: r ees, with 5,871 acres 1 rood 6 perches, at an annual rental of £983 2s. 4d. Receipts for the year, £4,773 os. 3d. ; rebates, £240 2s. Id., to forty-four selectors ; arrears, nil. Total population, 131 ; nouses, 39 ; sheep, 12,155 ; cattle, 283 ; horses, 140 : pigs, 59. Area in new grass, nil; in white crop, 1,651 acres ; in green crop, 937 acres ;in native grass, &c, 10,600 acres. Value of improvements, £11,378. Ranger's report is as follows : " This settlement has made very good progress since its establishment twelve months ago, notwithstanding the fact that it has had to encounter one of the most severe droughts ever recorded in the history of north Otago. Any crop that was put in did not come to much, as might have been expected under the circumstances; but the grass held its own wonderfully well, most of the holdings being understocked. The turnips in some cases are fairly good. There are already about 130 souls residing on the land, and the number will be increased when some of the settlers take up their permanent residence and bring all their families on to the land. Some very substantial buildings have been erected, costing in some cases upwards of £700." Plunket (late Corriedale) .—Established February, 1907. Acquired area, 6,136 acres ; area in occupation, 6,126 acres and 9 perches, by eighteen selectors, at £2,075 ss. 4d. yearly. Receipts, £1,082 9s. 6d. Totara. —Established March, 1907. Acquired area, 3,168 acres 2 roods 6 perches; area taken up at 31st March, 3,031 acres and 23 perches, by twenty-five selectors, at annual rental of £2,513 15s. The remaining allotment, of 94 acres 2 roods 4 perches, has since been occupied at £89 16s. yearly. Receipts, £1,257 12s. Bd. The last two settlements having been disposed of so recently, it is too early yet to supply further details. The general condition and prospects of the several settlements in this district under the Land for Settlements Act are, as may be gathered from the reports and returns, satisfactory and encouraging, while the operations of the past year may be said to have been upon the whole fairly successful. The following is a summary of the details given in the foregoing report : Number of settlements, 22 ; total area acquired, 120,898 acres ; total number of holdings, 611 ; area occupied, 118,032 acres ; annual

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rental of occupied area, £34,733 15s. ; unlet area, 1,027 acres ; annual value of unlet area, £237 15s. Id. ; receipts for the year, £29,969 18s. sd. ; total receipts from inception, £191,467 9s. 4d. ; rebates granted during year to 449 tenants, £2,304 6s. 7d. ; arrears owing by thirty-nine tenants, holding 6,992 acres, £1,426 Bs. 9d. ; total population, 1,676 ; number of houses, 409 ; number of sheep, 61,544 ; number of cattle, 5,196 ; number of horses, 1,779 ; number of pigs, 8,322 ; area in new grass, 5,906 acres ; area in white crops, 12,507 ; area in green crops, 7,109 ; area in native grass, &c, 21,855 ; total value of improvements now on the ground, £134,274. D. Barron, Commissioner of Crown Lands. SOUTHLAND. During the year twelve selections were made, covering an area of 1,322 acres ; but as two leases, of an area of 616 acres, were forfeited the result is an increase of ten lessees, and of an area of 706 acres, as compared with last year. On the six settlements in this land district there are 239 lessees, holding 50,445 acres ; the amount in value of the required improvements is £25,375, while the value of the improvements effected is £55,625, being £30,250 in excess of requirements. Upon these settlements there are now 194 houses and 834 persons residing in them, the population on the settlements having increased by forty-four. The total number of stock upon the settlements is 20,889, which shows an increase of 632 over last year. The following summary indicates the position of the several settlements : — Merrivale Settlement. —Forty-nine lessees occupy 9,813 acres. The number of houses upon the settlement is fifty, the number of inhabitants being 148, a decrease of twenty persons as compared with last year ; but this is owing to the younger members of families migrating to other localities, and to other causes. The stock upon the settlement comprises 189 horses, 1,049 cattle, 5,021 sheep, and 120 pigs ; total, 6,379 —an increase of 344 over last year. The total area in green and white crops is 1,158 acres ; area in grass, 6,299 acres. The total value of improvements effected is £15,809. The settlers principally use their holdings for dairying and stock-raising, and are now in a fairly prosperous condition. Otahu Settlement. —Upon this settlement there are six selectors, holding 5,954 acres. Five houses are occupied by eleven individuals. The stock comprises 15 horses, 60 cattle, and 1,600 sheep ; total, 1,675. The total value of improvements effected is £2,375, which is somewhat under the amount required. The area in white and green crops is 461 acres ; area in grass, 5,242 acres. The lessees live by. farming and grazing, and their prospects appear to have improved. Beaumont Settlement. —Two new selections were made on this settlement during the year, of an area of 547 acres, the total number of lessees now being thirteen, and area held 4,468 acres. There are five houses, in which twenty-six persons reside. The total value of improvements effected is £2,964, which is in excess of requirements. The stock consists of 36 horses, 139 cattle, 960 sheep, and 11 pigs ; total, 1,146. The area in grass is 1,900 acres, and 585 acres are in white and green crops. The settlers are engaged in farming and grazing, and are progressing well. Ringway Settlement. —On this settlement one new selection of 5 acres was made. The lessees number eight and hold 2,236 acres. There are six houses, occupied by ten persons. The total value of improvements effected is £2,306, which is slightly under the required amount, but is £1,422 in excess of the improvements effected last year. The area in grass is 1,953 acres, that in white and green crops 275 acres. The total number of stock is 2,237, comprising 45 horses, 186 cattle, 2,005 sheep, and 1 solitary pig. The lessees carry on mixed farming and grazing, and have made good progress during the year. The present position of the settlement is satisfactory. £31 was obtained for grazing on an unselected section in the early part of the year. Glenham Settlement. —No new selections were made on this settlement during the year, four sections containing 2,517 acres being still unlet, but a sum of £205 17s. 4d. has been obtained for grazing upon them. Several inquiries have recently been made regarding them, and I anticipate that most of them will be selected ere long. There are twenty-nine lessees upon the settlement, holding 8,808 acres. The number of houses is twenty-six, and the inhabitants thereof number 157, an increase of twelve persons over the preceding year. The total value of improvements is £6,244, which is £4,939 in excess of required value. The area laid down in white crops is 551 acres, and in green and root crops 760 acres; the area in grass is 5,161 acres. The stock consists of 138 horses, 888 cattle, 1,848 sheep, and ten pigs ; total, 2,884, being an increase of 449 on last year. The foregoing figures show very satisfactory progress on the part of the tenants, who are engaged in dairying, farming, and grazing. The dairy factory is again in operation, and will materially assist the settlers in making a living. Edendale Settlement. —Twelve new selections were made during the year, the area being 1,048 acres, but one section of 390 acres remains unselected. There are 134 tenants on this settlement, holding 19,165 acres. The population numbers 482 ; houses, 102. The total value of improvements effected is £25,927, being £21,280 in excess of required value, and showing an increase of £2,583 over last year. The area in white corps is 2,462 acres ; in green and root crops, 1,462 : total, 3,924 acres laid down in crops. The total number of stock is 6,568, comprising 440 horses, 3,080 cattle, 2,735 sheep, and 313 pigs. The tenants are engaged in dairying, farming, and grazing, and their position and prospects are very good. John Hay, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

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APPENDIX lII.—VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS (REPORT BY SUPERINTENDENT OP VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS ON). During the year ending the 31st March, 1907, the number of sections taken up under village-homestead regulations was thirty-three, with an area 0f'375 acres. Sixteen sections, with an area of 810 acres, were taken up under other tenure, making the total number of sections taken up under the villagesettlement system forty-nine, with a total area of 1,185 acres. During the same period six sections, with an area of 114 acres, were forfeited or surrendered under village-homestead regulations, and twelve sections, with an area of 139 acres, under other tenure. The number of settlers under village-homestead regulations on the 31st March last was 1,505, holding an area of 31,742 acres —an average of about 21 acres to each settler. The number of settlers under other tenure was 573, with an area of 13,656 acres —an average of 23|- acres to each settler. The total number of village settlers under all systems on the 31st March last was 2,078, holding an area of 45,398 acres —an average of 21| acres to each settler. The annual rent and interest on advances under village-homestead regulations is £5,095, equivalent to a rental of 3s. 2|d. per acre. The annual rent of sections under other tenure is £2,665, equivalent to a rental of 3s. lid. per acre. The total amount of rent and interest is therefore £7,760. The amount actually paid during the year is £7,005. These figures show a difference of £755; but this does not mean arrears, as the whole of the year's rent was not due on sections recently taken up. The actual arrears amount to £434, about 2d. per acre on the area held, or 4s. 2d. to each settler. The value of improvements on sections held under the village-homestead system is £198,697, equivalent to an average of £6 ss. per acre, or £132 to each settler. The improvements on sections held under other tenure are valued at £43,908, equivalent to an average of £3 4s. per acre, or £76 to each settler. The number of souls on the land under all village systems is 5,835 ; of these, 2,653 are in the North Island, and 3,182 in the Middle Island. The position of village settlements on the 31st March last may be classified as under : — Number of Settlers. Resident. Non-resident. Total. Under village-homestead regulations ... ... 1,174 331 1,505 Under other tenure ... ... ... ... 380 193 573 Totals ... ... ... ... 1,554 524 2,078 In the North Island ... ... ... ... 653 318 971 In the Middle Island... ... ... -... 901 206 1,107 Totals ... ... ... ... 1,554 524 2,078 Area held on the 31st March, 1907. A. K. P. Under village-homestead regulations ... ... ... 31,741 2 36 Under other tenure ... ... ... ... ... 13,656 2 26 Total ... ... ... ... ... 45,398 1 22 In the North Island ... ... ... ... ... 22,220 3 37 In the Middle Island ... ... ... ... ... 23,177 125 Total ... ... ... ... ... 45,398 1 22 Annual Rent and Interest. £ a. d. Under village-homestead regulations ... ... ... 5,095 5 0 Under other tenure ... ... ... ... ... 2,665 12 10 Total ... ... ... ... ... £7,760 17 10 In the North Island ... ... ... ... ... 4,130 19 6 In the Middle Island '... ... ... ... ... 3,629 18 4 Total ... ... ... ... ... £7,760 17 10

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Sections taken up during the Year. Number. Area. Kent. a. r. p. £ s. A. Under village-homestead regulations ... ... ... 33 375 0 1 67 3 0 Under other tenure ... ... ... ... ... 16 810 2 14 422 7 6 Totals ... ... ... ... ... 49 1,185 215 £489 10 6 In the North Island ... ... ... ... ... 32 967 0 31 466 14 10 In the Middle Island ... ... ... ... ... 17 218 124 22 15 8 Totals ... ... ... ... ... 49 1,185 215 £489 10 6 Forfeitures and Surrenders during the Year. Number. Area. *«?* a » d Interest. a. b. p. £ s. d. Under village-homestead regulations ... ... ... 6 114 020 10 2 4 Under other tenure ... ... ... ... ... 12 139 029 9 10 8 Totals ... ... ... ... ... 18 253 1 9 £19 13 0 In the North Island ... ... ... ... ... 11 137 337 10 8 8 In the Middle Island ... ... ... ... ... 7 115 1 12 9 4 4 Totals ... ... ... .. ... 18 253 1 9 £19 13 0 Amount advanced for Cottages, Bushfelling, dtc. Oottages. Bushfelling. Total. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Under village-homestead regulations ... 9,165 2 6 6,030 10 .4 15,195 12 10 Under other tenure ... ... ... Totals ... ... ... £9,165 2 6 £6,030 10 4 £15,195 12 10 In the North Island ... ... ... 4,562 17 6 5,22113 2 9,784 10 8 In the Middle Island ... ... ... 4,602 5 0 808 17 2 5,411 2 2 Totals ... ... ... ... £9,165 2 6 £6,030 10 4 £15,195 12 10 Repayments of above Advances. £ s. d. £ s. d In the North Island ... ... ... ... ... 4,683 16 5 In the Middle Island ... ... ... ... ... 1,56113 9 6,245 10 2 Remaining unpaid ... ... ... ... ... 8,950 2 8 Total ... ... ... ... ... ... ... £15,195 12 10 Amount received for Rent and Interest during the Year. Rent. Interest. Total. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. -d. Under village-homestead regulations ... ... 4,218 10 5 396 8 1 4,614 18 6 Under other tenure ... ... ... ... 2,390 010 ... 2,390 010 Totals ... ... ... ... £6,608 11 3 £396 8 i £7,004 19 4 In the North Island ... ... ... ... 3,457 15 5 222 3 6 3,679 18 11 In the Middle Island ... ... ... .. 3,150 15 10 174 4 7 3,325 0 5 Totals ... ... ... ... £6,608 11 3 £396 8 1 £7,004 19 4 The total amount received as rent and interest in connection with village-homestead settlements from the commencement of the system in 1885 to the 31st March, 1907, a period of twenty-two years, is as under : — Rent. Interest. Total. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. In the North Island ... .... ... .. 23,028 17 2 7,889 511 30,918 3 1 In the Middle Island ... ... ... ... 36,689 12 8 4,072 8 0 40,762 0 8 Totals ... ... ... £59,718 9 10 £11,961 13 11 £71,680 3 9

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Arrears of Rent and Interest on the 31st March, 1907. Number. Area. Rent. Interest. Total. Under village-homestead regula- a. r. p. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. tions ... ... ... 59 1,050 332 190 4 2 79 13 7 269 17 9 Under other tenure ... ... 56 1,308 333 164 4 2 ... 164 4 2 Totals ... ... 115 2,359 325 £354 8 4 £79 13 7 £434 111 In the North Island 76 1,705 018 259 14 10 68 6 9 328 1 7 In the Middle Island ... ... 39 654 3 7 94 13 6 11 610 106 0 4 Totals ... ... 115 2,359 325 £354 8 4 £79 13 7 £434 111 Value of Improvements on the Land. £ s. d. Under village-homestead regulations ... ... ... ,198,697 0 0 Under other tenure ... ... ... ... ... 43,908 0 0 Total ... ... ... ... ... £242,605 0 0 In the North Island ... ... ... ... 142,651 0 0 In the Middle Island ... ... ... ... 99,954 0 0 Total ... ... ... ... ... £242,605 0 0 Number of Souls on the Land. Under village-homestead regulations ... ... ... ... 4,656 Under other tenure ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,179 Total ... 5,835 In the North Island ... ... ... ... ... 2,653 In the Middle Island ... ... ... ... ... 3,182 Total ... ... ... ... ... ... 5,835 I think the financial results in connection with village-homestead settlements as disclosed in this report prove conclusively that the system is one to encourage and extend whenever land is available for the purpose. J. E. March. Superintendent of Village Extracts from Reports of Commissioners or Crown Lands on Village Settlements. AUCKLAND. The village settlements proper in this land district are practically limited to the settlements selected under " The Land Act, 1892 " —viz., Te Kuiti, Kinohaku, and Rangaroa Village Settlements. The first two are progressing satisfactorily, and notwithstanding that residence is not due on Kinohaku a number of selectors are residing. Rangaroa is comparatively new, and at present shows no sign of being a specially successful settlement. There are other settlements on the books under the heading " Village Settlements," but they are holdings selected under the provisions of " The Land Act, 1885," and so many of the selectors have converted their tenures to lease in. perpetuity and been treated as no longer village settlements that the original settlements are in some cases reduced to one section only. They have been reported on by the Rangers for the purposes of this report, but the ordinary statutory reports have all been made, and so far as residence and improvements are concerned the Department has no control in the matter; and in view of this fact, and the small number of selectors, it does not seem desirable to treat them as village settlements for purposes of comparison. The following reports on these settlements have been received from the Rangers : — Te Aroha Village Settlement. —There has been no perceptible change in this settlement since last report. The settlers have their homes in good order, but, having to depend on outside employment, they have only sufficient time to cultivate a small garden, and just enough grass to keep a cow. Like all other settlers in this district, they were sufferers by the recent flood. Te Kuiti Village Settlement. —This settlement adjoins Te Kuiti Township. Access is good, and there are nine selectors living on their holdings. Progress has been steady, and the improvements effected are greatly in excess of requirements. The success of the settlement is assured. ,

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Kinohaku Village Settlement. —This settlement is situated from six to ten miles from Kawhia Township, and the access is by water. As the land was covered with bush when selected, residence has not yet fallen due. There are, however, eight selectors living on their holdings, and improvements have been effected on all the sections, in most cases in excess of requirements. A few of the selectors are engaged in stock-raising. There appears every prospect of the settlement being a success. Rangaroa Village Settlement. —This settlement adjoins the Taumarunui Township, and, being open country, residence has just fallen due. There are, however, no selectors living on their sections yet. Progress has not been at all good, and the settlement cannot be classed as successful. Whananaki Settlement. —As tha land in this settlement is level and of good quality, settlers are doing very well. Hukerenui Village Settlement. —The settlers are steadily bringing their lands under cultivation. Motatau Village Settlement. —All the settlers in this district are effecting good improvements. Motukaraka Village Settlement. —This settlement is well situated, being on the Hokianga River, near the thriving townships of Kohukohu and Rawene, which provide a good market for the produce of the settlers. The land is good and the settlement is prosperous. Waimamaku Village Settlement. —There is only one settler who now holds his land under the original tenure. He is making a good living, although his area is only 45 acres. The settlement generally is a prosperous one. Herekino Village Settlement. —This settlement languished for many years, but is now in a fairly prosperous condition. It is proposed to erect a dairy factory next year. Orchards and vineyards are paying well. J. Mackenzie, Commissioner of Crown Lands. HAWKE'S RAY. Tamaki Village Settlement. —Situated about six miles from Dannevirke, with access by good metalled road. These allotments comprise flat agricultural land, of good soil, and adapted for dairying. There are now twenty-severf*selectors, holding a total area of 2,206 acres and 25 perches, and paying an annual rental of £1,324 17s. lOd. An area of 13 acres is in crop. The population is fifty-one, and the number of stock 1,564, comprising 650 sheep, 712 cattle, 33 horses, and 169 pigs. Dairying may be said to be the principal source of income to the settlers. The Hawke's Bay Dairy Company have a creamery, and Mr. Webber has a butter-factory established in. the settlement. The supply to the former is about 600 gallons of milk per day from eleven suppliers. The output from the latter was 11 tons of butter for last season, settlers receiving 9|d. per pound for butter-fat. Value of improvements required by the Act is £3,312 9s. 3d., and that effected by selectors amounts to £3,978 lis. Seventeen selectors have been in occupation for nearly two years, and ten selectors for only twelve months. Puketitiri Village-homestead Special Settlement. — The above settlement is situated at Puketitiri, a village thirty-six miles distant from Napier by good dray-road, and is occupied by three selectors, all of whom are residing on their holdings. On an area of 88 acres and 26 perches improvements to the value of £841 have been effected. The population numbers 22, and the stock totals 79, comprising 29 horses, 11 cattle, 37 sheep, and 2 pigs. The settlers are engaged in various occupations- -viz., roadmaking, as mill hands, or working for other settlers; whilst on one of the sections the Puketitiri Hotel is erected. Woodville Village-homestead Special Settlement. —This settlement is situated about one mile from Woodville Township, on the main coach-road to Wellington, and is held by twenty-four selectors, seventeen of whom are residing on their holdings. On an area of 102 acres and 10 perches improvements have been effected to a value of £3,805. The present population is 83, and stock numbers 55, comprising 35 cattle, 17 horses, and 3 pigs. These holdings are convenient homes for working-men, who, in most instances, are away during the week earning wages, Henry Teent, Commissioner of Crown Lands. TARANAKI. There are only three small village settlements in this district. One is at Punehu, comprising eleven sections, in areas from three-quarters of an acre to 3 acres. Another is at Matapouri, consisting of three sections in areas of about 4 acres, and one of 18 acres. The other is at Tututawa, and named Mangaehu, comprising four sections, in areas from 6to 9 acres. These settlements are not a success, owing to want of employment in the neighbourhood and the inability of the selectors to make a living from the limited areas. Most of the sections are held by persons farming other land in the vicinity. Frans. Simpson, Commissioner of Crown Lands. WELLINGTON. No report received. MARLBOROUGH. No report received.

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WESTLAND. Kokatahi Village Settlement. —With the exception of some shelter patches of scrub, the whole of this settlement is under cultivation, and is used principally for grazing purposes. The settlers supply milk to the factory, rear stock, grow fruit, do some root-cropping, and have had a prosperous season. The following items give the position as at present : Total area, 197 acres ; sections occupied, 4 ; total population, 14 ; area in grass, 186 acres ; area in white and green crops, 8 acres ; horses, 20 ; cattle, 112; pigs, 10; improvements required by the Act, £39; improvements made, £1,191; arrears of rental, nil. Runanga Village. —As stated in last year's report; this is practically an extension of the Town of Runanga, and was laid out and set apart for the sole use of the employees of the adjacent State coalmine. During the year certain roads have been formed and metalled, and thus access has been given to each holder. Some nice houses have been erected, and several sections have been cleared of bush preparatory to building. It should be noted that the sections average only a quarter of an acre, and are simply for residential purposes. The Ranger reports full compliance of tenants with the regulations. G. J. Roberts, Commissioner of Crown Lands. CANTERBURY. No report received. OTAGO. In again reporting on village settlements in this district, it is unnecessary for me to repeat the remarks I made in last year's report as to the character of the so-called village settlements in Otago. A reference to the Village Settlement Tables Nos. 12 and 13 will show that a decrease has taken place in some of the tenures, the present numbers, areas, and rentals being as follows : Two deferredpayment holdings, with 100 acres, at £3 6s. per annum ; fifteen perpetual-lease village settlements, with 312 acres, at £29 17s. Bd. per annum ; three occupation-with-right-of-purchase allotments, with 2 acres 1 rood 12 perches, at 12s. per annum; 117 village-homestead allotments on lease in perpetuity, with 1,698 acres, at £149 4s. per annum; seventy-two village-homestead special-settlement allotments.on perpetual lease, with 1,060 acres, at £135 4s. 4d. per annum ; and thirty-one village-homestead allotments on lease in perpetuity under the Land for Settlements Act, with 413 acres, at £317 3s. lOd. per annum ; making in all 240 holdings, with an aggregate area of 3,585 acres, at an annual rental of £635 7s. lOd. The capital value of the whole of this area is £12,623, and the total payments made during the year in respect thereof amounted to £603 13s. 7d. The total value of the improvements now on the land is given at £16,516. The number of settlers resident is eighty-five, and the total number of souls about 564. The total area laid down in grass or cultivated is 2,099 acres. In respect of the sum of £1,541 ss. advanced for bushfelling and houses under the village-homestead specialsettlement regulations the sum of £275 2s. 6d. has been repaid. With the exception of the allotments under the Land for Settlements Act, very little progress is being made on these lands. As before remarked, they are too remotely situated and isolated for the selectors to obtain outside work, and the holdings are too small to support the settlers and their families. The Ranger's report with regard to village settlements is as follows : " Comparatively little progress has been made on village-settlement lands in Otago during the year. For the most part they are in outlying places, where outside labour is not obtainable, and the quality of the land is not sufficiently good to enable the several selectors to make a living on their holdings. Another unfortunate feature is that many of the settlements are a considerable distance from any dairy factory, the settlers being therefore unable to take advantage of that branch of industry, that tends so often to make small farms payable. No doubt village homesteads or small holdings are very beneficial where the land is good, and where creameries are within easy distance ; but these advantages exist only in a few instances with respect to the village settlements in this district. The principal purposes for which they are utilised are for grazing cattle and cultivation of small areas of crops for home consumption. Their present position is in most cases rather unsatisfactory, and their prospects cannot be described as very bright or encouragine." D. Barron, Commissioner of Crown Lands. SOUTHLAND. In this land district there are thirty-four village-homestead settlements and twenty-four village settlements, the total number of selectors upon them being 429, holding 6,205 acres on the following tenures : Deferred payment—two selectors ; area, 60 acres 2 roods 37 perches : perpetual lease — eighty selectors ; area, 1,088 acres 1 rood 13 perches : occupation with right of purchase —four selectors ; area, 3 acres and 24 perches : lease in perpetuity—292 selectors ; area, 4,499 acres 2 roods 2 perches : village-homestead special settlement—fifty-one selectors ; area, 553 acres 1 rood 24 perches : total, 429 selectors ; area, 2,605 acres and 20 perches. The new selections during the year were fifteen ; area, 202 acres. John Hay, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

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APPENDIX IV. —IMPROVED-FARM SETTLEMENTS (EXTRACTS FROM REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS OF CROWN LANDS ON). AUCKLAND. The holdings in these settlements are, as a rule, in a somewhat better position than at the end of the previous year. Ragwort is being coped with in Te Rau-a-moa, and personally lam very pleased at this, because as a last resource I supported the experiments which have now been so effectual. In some of the settlements selectors who were not attempting to carry out the conditions of occupation have been removed from the books. Progress in all the settlements is, however, rather slow. The following are the Ranger's reports on this class of settlement: — Paemako Settlement. —This settlement is situated nineteen miles from Te Kuiti, on the Awakino Road. Progress has been slow, but the prospects are good, improvements being greatly in excess of requirements. Tawai Settlement. —There are only four selectors in f this settlement complying with residence conditions, and progress has been very slow, although the improvements are in excess of requirements. Te Rau-a-moa Settlement. —The selectors in this settlement are engaged in dairying, a factory having been established. All the selectors have improved in excess oi requirements. Access is good, and the settlement shows signs of being in a prosperous condition. The prevalence of ragwort has been a great drawback, as it covered a very large area. lam now able to report that the sheep which were placed there about two years ago have quite checked the weed, and I think the evil will be quite stamped out if the existing conditions are adhered to. It is necessary that the settlers should cut those plants which the sheep cannot get at. Karu Settlement. —This settlement is not in a very flourishing condition. Progress has been very slow, and there are only three selectors residing. Kakepuku Settlement. —Although there are ten selectors! living on their sections, in consequence of their having to seek outside work the progress of the settlement has been very slow. The improvements are, however, slightly in excess of requirements. J. Mackenzie, Commissioner of Crown Lands. HAWKE'S BAY. There are only two small improved-farm settlements in this district—Waikopiro and Akitio—and, as all conditions have been completed for some time now, there is no change to report, except a slight increase in the value of improvements effected. The settlements are both in a very satisfactory position. TARANAKI. The position of those settlements allotted between 1894 and 1897, and occupied under the ordinary conditions, remains unchanged. They are as follows : — Ngaire, Poti, and Maata Improved-farm Settlements. —Situate close to Eltham, and used principally for dairying on a small scale. The live-stock consists of 225 head of cattle. There are fourteen families occupying twenty-six sections of about 10 acres each, and they have experienced a prosperous year. Tongaporutu, Derwent, Okau, Uruti, and Greenlands Improved-farm Settlements —Situate close to Tongaporutu, the latter being some seventeen miles back, and generally divided into 100-acre sections, comprising small flats on frontage and steep hills at the back. There are sixteen families occupying twenty-one sections, most of them engaged in dairying, and are fairly prosperous, the last season having been exceptionally good for them. The live-stock consists of 1,309 head sheep and cattle. Mangapoua Improved-farm Settlement. —Situate about four miles from Urenui, and occupied by two settlers, one family using the land for dairying; the other selector is a single man and grazes cattle. They are doing well. The live-stock consists of 116 head mixed cattle. Mangaere Improved-farm Settlement. —Situate on Ohura Road, about ten miles from Douglas Rail-way-station. There are eleven sections, occupied by six families, all engaged in dairying, the live-stock consisting of 247 head of cattle. This settlement is very prosperous. Whangamomona Improved-farm Settlement. —Situate about twenty-nine miles from Douglas Rail-way-station, and extending along Ohura Road for about eleven miles, comprising hilly country with flats on frontage, mostly used for dairying. ' There are forty families occupying seventy-nine sections of generally about 100 acres each. The live-stock consists of 2,712 head mixed cattle and sheep. These settlers are still handicapped in their efforts to make their farms pay, owing to unmetalled roads, distance from markets, and the consequent high prices for stores.' The poorer class of settler is gradually being replaced by men with better means and a knowledge of farming.

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Huiroa Improved-farm Settlement. —Situati on Douglas and Makuri Roads, and close to the proposed railway-line from Douglas Rail way-station. There are six families in the occupation of eight sections. The live-stock consists of 461 head of cattle. The settlers are engaged in dairying, and appear prosperous. Taumatatahi Improved-farm Settlement. —Situate on Waitotara Valley Road, about thirty miles from Waitotara Railway-station. The land is not suitable for this class of settlement, and four sections have practically passed into the hands of one person, who uses them in conjunction with a large sheepfarm adjoining. The following four settlements are still under the improved-farm regulations, having only been allotted within the last four years. Nihoniho, Paorae, and Mangapapa Improved-farm Settlements. —Situate in the Ohura and Aria Survey Districts, between twenty and twenty-two miles from Ongarue Railway-station, and easily accessible by good summer roads. There are ninety-three sections, of an average area of 175 acres each, and fifty-three have been settled upon and improved ; .fourteen other settlers reside in the district, and the remainder are held by persons who have not yet resided. It has been necessary to forfeit the interests of several persons and reallot the sections. Twelve settlers applied for and received advances on dwellings erected during the year, and arrangements have been made to assist some of the more needy settlers by supplying fencing-wire. The population of these settlements is 231, the live-stock consists of 1,510 head mixed cattle, and the settlements are in a fair way to be prosperous. Totoro Improved-farm Settlement. —Situate near the Mokau River, south of Wairere Falls, where there is a ferry crossing, and distant about twenty-five miles from Te Kuiti Railway-station. It comprises thirty-six sections, generally of about 200 acres each, of which twenty-three are settled upon, and six other settlers are living near their sections until they build ; four have received advances on houses erected during the year. It has been necessary to forfeit and reallot several sections owing to non-fulfilment of the conditions of residence. The population is sixty-two, the live-stock consists of 474 head mixed cattle, and the settlement is making very good progress. Regarding these latter settlements of Nihoniho, Paorae, Mangapapa, and Totoro, I may say, judging from my personal knowledge of the selectors and the land in their occupation, that if within the next year or two judicious advances are made to assist in bushfelling, grassing, fencing, &c, and the Department of Roads continues to find a certain amount of work for those in need of it, I feel well assured that these settlements will show the most satisfactory results of any in this district. Frans. Simpson, Commissioner of Crown Lands. WELLINGTON West Coast. Pemberton Improved-farm Settlement. —There are eleven sections in this settlement, aggregating 1,060 acres, now under occupation, the total number of persons on the land being eighty. 1,060 acres has been felled and grassed, and the stock consists of 800 sheep, 495 cattle, 44 horses, and 110 pigs. Dairying is the main industry and source of income, but on some of the smaller areas the settlers take outside work during the winter months. The improvements on the land are valued at £8,970, including £2,056 advanced by the Government. This is one of the most successful settlements in this district. The sections are in profitable occupation, and are very highly improved. Kawhatau Improved-farm Settlement. — This settlement was established in 1894, and comprises eight sections, having a total area of 667 acres, the number of souls on the land being thirty-eight. The settlers engage principally in dairying, but in some cases where the sections are not self-supporting the selectors take outside contract work. Improvements to the value of £6,100 have been effected, which includes improvements to the value of £1,190 paid for by the Government. This*settlement has always been most successful, and is now practically fully improved. Hautapu Improved-farm Settlement. —This settlement is situated in the Taihape district, and consists of twelve sections, with a total area of 1,074 acres, the total population being forty souls. The stock consists of 618 head of all kinds. The settlers are dairying mostly, and take outside work during their spare time. 850 acres has been felled and grassed, the total improvements being valued at £5,320, towards which £1,124 has been advanced by the Government. This is also a successful settlement. Masterton-Tenui Improved-farm Settlement. —The number of sections now under occupation is eleven, aggregating 1,065 acres, and the number of persons on the land forty-four. 1,000 acres have been felled and grassed, and the stock on the settlement consists of 1,600 sheep, 410 cattle, 43 horses, and 80 pigs. The improvements are valued at £5,300, and the settlers have been assisted by the Government to the extent of £847. The holdings are used for dairying and grazing purposes. The settlers are all doing well, and the success of the settlement is assured. Horopito Improved-farm Settlement. —Three sections, of a total area of 300 acres, are occupied, and there are five persons living on the settlement. 142 acres is felled and grassed, and the stock numbers 146 head of all kinds. The valuation of the improvements on the land is £784, which includes a sum of £393 advanced to the settlers by the Government. As the railway-works in this vicinity, the prospects of the settlers are brighter, and they will find a market for their produce among the cooperative workmen. Otaihape Improved-farm, Settlement consists of eight sections, aggregating 178 acres, on which seventyone persons are living. The settlement is all felled and grassed, and the stock on the land numbers 143 head of all kinds. Improvements to the value of £2,900 have been effected, and these include

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664 pounds' worth paid for by the Government. The sections are mostly used for homes, but on some of the larger areas dairying is carried on. This is a very successful settlement, and, being close to Taihape Township, some of the sections are being subdivided for building-lots. Ohutu Improved-farm Settlement comprises an area of 2,895 acres, subdivided into thirty-four holdings, all of which are under occnpation,|the total population being 135 souls. An area of 2,310 acres has been felled and grassed, and the total improvements on the land are valued at £13,870, towards which advances amounting to £1,941 have been made by the Government to assist the settlers. The stock consists of 1,704 head of mixed sorts, but principally cattle. Dairying is carried on on nearly all of the sections, and is the chief source of income. This settlement is a very successful one. Otuarei Improved-farm Settlement. —Eight sections, of a total area of 1,570 acres, are now under occupation, and the number of persons on the land is thirty-three. 600 acres has been felled, and 1,285 acres grassed, inclusive of natural clearing, and the stock numbers 2,422 of all kinds. The improvements are valued at £3,205, inclusive of £548 advanced by the Government to assist the settlers. Most of the settlers engage in sheep-farming, and take some outside work during the winter. Two of the selectors started dairying, but owing to the creamery had to abandon it and go in for sheep-farming. This settlement is now a one. Rongoiti Improved-farm Settlement. —Five sections, aggregating 492 acres, are occupied, the total number of residents being twenty-one. 492 acres has been felled and grassed, and the number of stock running on the land consists of 1,320 sheep, 130 cattle, 34 horses, and 26 pigs. Improvements to the. value of £2,769 have been effected, the Government assisting settlers to the extent of £464. The settlers are engaged principally in dairying and mixed grazing. They are all prospering, and the settlement is a success. Oraukura Improved-farm Settlement. —The area now under occupation in this settlement is 1,819 acres, subdivided into ten farms, and there are forty-six persons living on the land. 800 acres has been felled, and 820 acres grassed, inclusive of natural clearings, and the stock numbers 570 head of all sorts. The improvements effected are valued at £4,550, which includes £507 advanced by the Government for the assistance of the settlers. The principal industry is dairying, but some of the settlers receive fair incomes from royalties on their surplus timber. The settlers appear to be well satisfied, and the settlement is a very successful one. Sommerville Improved-farm Settlement consists of eight sections, comprising an area of 1,600 icres, all of which are occupied, the total population being thirty-five souls. 640 acres is felled, and 780 grassed, including natural clearing, and the stock on the land amounts to 586 head of all kinds. The improvements effected are valued at £2,540, including £283 advanced to the settlers by the Government. Dairying is the main industry and source of income, but nearly all the settlers take outside work. This is a successful settlement, and the settlers are prospering. Taihape Extension Improved-farm Settlement comprises six sections, of a total area of 567 acres, all of which are occupied, and the total number of residents is twenty-six. 360 acres has been felled and grassed, and the stock on the laud consists of 230 head of all kinds, but principally cattle. Improvements to the value of £2,028 have been effected, including £103 advanced to the settlers by the Government. As this settlement is close to Taihape, and is practically alongside a creamery, there is no doubt in time it will prove to be one of the best in the district. Namunui Improved-farm Settlement. —Twenty-four sections, aggregating 1,840 acres, have been allotted, the number of persons living on the land being five. 413 acres has been felled and grassed, and the value of improvements on the land is estimated at £1,064. The stock comprises seventy head of mixed kinds. It is expected that next year a large area of bush will be felled, and that all the sections will be fairly well improved. This settlement was laid off to provide extension of areas up to 100 acres for the settlers in the adjoining village settlements, and residence is not required from those who reside on their village-homestead allotments. Tapui Improved-farm Settlement. —Three sections, of a total area of 600 acres, are now under occupation, and the number of persons on the land is twenty-two. 147 acres has been felled and grassed, and the total amount of improvements is £710, including £60 advanced by the Government. The stock consists of 52 cattle, 10 horses, and 4 pigs. tiaketapauma Improved-farm Settlement. —The area now under occupation is 3,307 acres, subdivided into nineteen holdings, the number of souls on the land being twenty-seven. 150 acres has been felled and grassed, and the value of the improvements is £470, which includes £78 advanced by the Government to assist the settlers. Most of the selectors work on the Main Trunk line, but the majority of them intend shortly to take up their residence, and there will probably be a larger area felled next year. Kauaekeke Improved-farm Settlement consists of one 200-acre section, held by one person. 150 acres has been felled and grassed, and there are 258 head of stock on the land. The improvements are valued at £420. Horowhenua Improved-farm Settlement consists of one section of 138 acres, on which three persons are living. 70 acres has been felled and grassed, the total improvements being valued at £270, of which £40 was advanced by the Government. The stock consists of thirteen cattle and two horses. East Coast. Akitio Improved-farm Settlement consists of thirty-six sections, of a total area of 3,810 acres, on which twenty-five selectors are residing. 3,612 acres has been felled, and 3,391 acres grassed, inclusive of some natural clearings, and the stock carried on the land numbers 4,994 head of all kinds. The improvements are valued at £10,188, of which £3,690 has been advanced by the Government to assist the settlers. The selectors are industrious men, some of whom work exclusively on their holdings, while

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others seek work in the locality and surrounding districts. The progress made is satisfactory, and the settlers are enjoying more prosperous times owing to the better road access and higher prices ruling for stock, produce, &c. Mengatiti Improved-farm Settlement. —There are twenty-nine sections occupied, having a total area of 3,940 acres, and the number of selectors residing on the land is twenty-seven. 3,154 acres has been felled, and 2,991 acres grassed, the whole of the improvements being valued at £8,659, of which £3,340 has been advanced by the Government to assist the settlers. The stock consists of 75 horses, 936 cattle, 1,437 sheep, and 78 pigs. Some of the settlers work at dairying exclusively, while others seek work on the roads, &c. On the whole, the progress made is satisfactory, and the settlers are more prosperous, owing to better roads, and higher prices ruling for stock, produce, &c. John Strauchon, Commissioner of Crown Lands. SOUTHLAND. There are four improved-farm settlements in this land district, comprising a total area of 5,067 acres, upon which forty-seven settlers remain in occupation, holding 5,000 acres, the total population being 169, residing in eighteen houses. The total number of stock upon the four settlements is 806, the total area grassed being 3,155 acres. The total value of the improvements effected during the year is £349 6s. The Ranger reports, " The settlers on these settlements are making very little progress. The land in some places, notably in Waikawa and Moturimu, is of an inferior quality, and there is very little encouragement for making improvements. The settlers depend chiefly on outside labour, such as working on the roads, sawmilling, and cutting sleepers and telegraph-poles. The prospects and conditions of the selectors on the different settlements are not very encouraging." The following summary shows the position of the settlements : — Haldane Settlement (Block IX, Waikawa Survey District). —Two sections, containing 143 acres, were withdrawn from the settlement, and opened on ordinary lease in perpetuity, in order that they might be selected by the lessee of adjoining land, who had not a sufficient area to make a living for his family. The total area in the settlement is 2,057 acres, held by nineteen tenants ; there are eighteen houses, occupied by sixty-nine persons. The stock consists of 42 horses, 396 cattle, and 11 pigs ; total, 449. The area felled during the year is 34 acres, and 16 acres was laid down in grass. The value of impovements effected during the year is £132 10s. The Crown Lands Ranger assesses the value of the existing improvements upon the settlement at £2,509. Waikawa Settlement (Block XVII, Waikawa Survey District). —On this settlement 860 acres is held by four lessees, living in four houses, the total number of residents being eleven. The stock numbers 74, and comprises 6 horses and 68 cattle. No improvements of any kind have been made during the year. The area in grass is 714 acres. The Crown Lands Ranger values the improvements existing on the land at £400. Papatotara Settlement (Alton Survey District). —This settlement is occupied by fourteen selectors, who hold 1,528 acres. Ten houses have been erected, in which forty-three persons reside. The total number of stock is 246, and consists of 17 horses, 226 cattle, and 3 pigs. The area in grass is 862 acres. The area felled during the year is 34 acres, and grassed 29 acres. The value of improvements effected during the year is £178 65., and the total value of the improvements on the settlement is assessed at £1,161 by the Crown Lands Ranger. Moturimu Settlement (Campbelltown Hundred). — Ten lessees occupy 609 acres. The houses number eight, and are inhabited by forty-six persons. The stock numbers 37, and comprises 33 cattle and 4 pigs. The area felled during the year was 6 acres, and the area grassed 9 acres, the total area in grass being 193 acres. The value of improvements effected during the year is £38 10s. The Crown Lands Ranger assesses the value of the improvements existing on the settlement at £849. John Hay, Commissioner of Crown Lauds.

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Table 1.— Summary of Lands absolutely disposed of from the Foundation of the Colony, with Total Cash received to the 31st March, 1907.

Table 2. —Lands opened for Sale and Selection during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

District. Total Area sold and held on Freehold. Total Area granted or reserved under Acts. Total Area sold or otherwise finally disposed of from the Foundation of the Colony. Total Cash received to the 31st March, 1907, exclusive of Rents. Total Area disposed of on Leasehold Tenures of a Permanent Character. Total Area open for Selection on 31st March, 1907. Total Area remaining for future Disposal, exclusive of Area in preceding Column, and of Native Lands. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington .. Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury .. Otago Southland 2,101,702 2 24 1,434,186 1 25 447,181 1 27 2,218,622 1 10 522,512 2 14 857,596 0 1 66,595 2 18 3,518,503 1 29 2,019,994 0 4 1,605,851 3 29 . A. R. P. 3,541,729 0 3 401,084 2 18 694,416 2 30 1,335,779 1 37 848,253 2 27 217,109 1 7 149,371 2 30 1,544,841 2 24 706,161 2 38 2,930,384 0 6 A. R. P. 5,643,431 2 27 1,835,271 0 3 1,141,598 0 17 3,554,401 3 7 1,370,766 1 1 1,074,705 1 8 215,967 1 8 5,063,344 0 13 2,726,155 3 2 4,536,235 3 35 £ s. d. 864,069 17 0 730,521 10 5 868,343 17 7 2,473,752 13 2 468,109 10 11 344,202 1 1 75,891 6 10 6,471,579 7 9 2,222,887 5 11 1,905,097 9 1 a. R. P. 1,241,640 2 20 638,989 2 2 470,068 1 26 634,280 1 29 151,540 1 23 471,185 1 33 84,227 3 35 568,447 3 0 989,411 0 6 313,847 3 38 A. B. P. 803,304 0 0 i 19,797 0 0 | 54,590 0 0 ! 7,129 0 0 j 275,650 0 0 133 0 34 ! 95,789 0 37 45,675 0 0 50,695 1 20 58,020 0 0 A. R. P. 815,052 0 0 145,858 0 0 191,000 0 0 231,800 0 0 2,225,044 0 0 19,000 0 0 1,562,323 2 5 0 0 Totals 410,782 3 11 5,671,680 2 5 14,792,745 1 21 12,369,131 3 20 27,161,877 1 1 16,424,454 19 9 5,563,639 2 12 1,410,782 3 11

Land District. Optional System. Cash by Auction. Lease by Auction and Application. Village Allotments. Pastoral Runs. Small Grazing-runs. S.G. Runs, Lease in Land Lease in Perpetuity, for Perpetuity only. Land for Settlements. Settlements. Native Towns. Totals. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago Southland Acres. 87,888 3,783 42,440 2,014 18,359 2,646 Acres. 754 21 74 63 190 Acres. 243 55 78 400 Acres. 785 73 48 Acres. 25,326 2,834 Acres. 2,582 Acres. 38,122 8,097 Acres. 5,696 4^979 29,441 Acres. 30,609 12,569 1,918 16,406 Acres. '42 2 Acres. 165,89* 42,58] 49,48! 29,88! 48,03! 3,10! 8,25! 26,23! 114,48! 152,28' 458 8^259 2," 168 2,569 I : 29 175 88 2^307 3 25 11,000 60,485 136,134 12,268 20,009 5,871 631 25,356 626 4,845 419 8,000 i Totals .. 161,867 1,394 8,386 i 56,794 88,115 44 640,265 934 235,779 34,859 52,090

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Table 3 (Part I). —Summary of Lands taken up during the Year ended 31st March, 1907 (exclusive of Pastoral Runs and Miscellaneous Leases).

I I 01 ai o Tenures. J Auckland. |H Auckland. Hawke's Bay J Taranaki. lawke's Bay. ! Taranaki. Wellington. Nelson. Marlborough. Westland. Canterbury. Otago. Southland. Total Area taken up during Year. I I i Ordinary Crown Lands. Table 5—Cash lands 2,071 0 16 A. R. P.! A. K. P. A. R. P.I 815 1 36 [ 3,843 2 39 1,744 1 8 >__ J : j a. r. p.: a. r. p" I 6,552 1 32; 3,084 0 12 I __J A. R. P. A R P A R P A R P 135 028 958 0 6 1,129 0 10 A. R. P. 20,333 1 27 6—Deferred payment .. 103,812 3 27 13,822 3 22 3,498 3 569,945 1 33 25,673 3 33 1,993 3 24J15.018 3 13 276 0 23 ! 7—Perpetual lease and small areas .. . 8 —Occupation with right of purchase 1,664 2 0 2,646 0 0 12,496 3 3 3,945 2 Oi 14,327 0 33 ! 2,744 2 23 5,543 1 13 215,529 2 14 9 -Lease in perpetuity . _J .. . 2,979 1 22 8,685 0 33 73,545 3 13 10 —Agricultural leases '" i 11 —Occupation lease under " Mining Districts Land Occupation Act, 1894" 12 —Village settlement, cash 72 0 32j 128 0 8! .. 90 1 3 555 2 9 197 2 32 1,043 3 4 I 12 —Village settlement, deferred payment 12 —Village settlement, perpetual lease 14 1 0 5 15 .. 19 2 5 "I I "" 12 —Village settlement, occupation with right of purchase 12 —Village settlement, lease in perpetuity 12 —Village - homestead special settlement 14 —Special-settlement associations .. ■• 18 1 7 792 1 7 0 10 .. 201 2 24 16 2 0 1,012 1 38 173 0 17 156 2 17 •• 4 1 24 4 1 24 . 32 —Improved-farm special settlement.. ; - 344 2 0 ! 5,277 1 18} i i 5,621 3 18 , 15 —Homestead .. .. .. | .. , 16 —Small grazing-runs 8,551 0 01 •• 5,435 3 9 4,167 0 0 12,268 0 0| 43,429 2 5 73,851 1 14 Totals .. 128,362 2 24 7,100 1 32 89,152 2 5J 38,573 3 17 7,100 1 32 19,152 2 5 i 38,573 3 17 25,008 3 3 9,675 2 12: 25,008 3 3 14,417 2 36 12,419 2 28| 50,667 0 25 15,756 3 32 391,135 1 14 Cheviot Estate. Table 5 Cash lands 9—Lease in perpetuity 12 Village-homestead special settlement 16 Grazing-farms .. .. i ! I .. .. 7 0 31 7 0 31 •■ ,. "" "" 1 .. I I ■■" .. Land for Settlements Acts. 5—Cash lands , 9—Lease in perpetuity 12 —Lease in perpetuity (village) 14 —Special-settlement associations .. 16 —Small grazing-runs 8 2 36 15,586 0 9 1 0 1 0 12,585 3 12 0 10 12,585 3 12 1,300 0 0 17,911 1 32i 1,300 0 0 I 17,911 1 32i i i 2 0 Ol 40 1 27 I i •■ > I 215 1 36 4 0 19J 6,093 1 22 25,636 1 14 10 0 1,322 2 31 16 0 15 80,691 2 23 •• -- ■- •• i 22,357 0 0 .. | 8,097 0 0 i 8,097 0 0 993 0 Oi j :: ! 3,684 0 O 5,871 1 6 i 41,002 1 6 .. •• Grand totals .. .. : _ 166,314 1 291 1 19,686 2 4i90,452 2 5i 64,582 1 9| 190,452 2 51 512,852 2 9 19,686 2 4i 64,582 1 9| |25,008 3 31 10,710 3 39114,633 0 32) 22,208 1 20; 82,174 3 51 17,080 2 23]

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Table 3 (Part II).— Summary of Lands: Transactions up to the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

'3 q | Tenures. M O Tenures. Exchanges ! from other Tenures during the Year. Area held at 31st March, 1906. Total Exchanges during the Year. Total Forfeitures during the Year. ! Total Surrenders during the Year. Total Kxpiries during the Year. I Total Area held on 31st March, 1907 : Past and Current Transactions. Total Area made Freehold to Date. Ordinary Crown Lands. Table 5—Cash lands a. R. p. A. R. P. A. R. P. A. R. P. 26 3 11 A. R. P. 103 2 0 j A. R. P. A. R. P. j A. R. P. 12,832,732 2 7 .. •• i 6—Deferred payment '• 38,910 3 25 57 3 13 1,150 0 30 ' 146 1 15 42,668 2 33 I 47 0 18 1,408 0 14 ■ I 30,741 1 10 j 962,009 2 7 7 Perpetual lease.. 113,275 2 33 105,521 1 29 765,198 2 16 . 8 Occupation with right of purchase 1,312,188 0 19 1,454,983 1 21 92,870 1 6 9 Lease in perpetuity 13,338 2 24' 1,318,559 3 26 I 11,910 2 12 4,864 3 39 7 1 0 1,387.541 0 0 10 Agricultural lease 521 2 21 514 1 21 j 140,895 3 23 11 —Occupation lease under "Mining Districts Land Occupation Act, 1894 " 12—Village settlement, cash 23,141 1 10 715 2 9 241 1 24 346 0 25 22,881 3 36 7,113 3 3C 12 -Village settlement, deferred payment 12 —Village settlement, perpetual lease 235 1 37 225 2 0 12,218 0 25 1,835 1 30 1,703 3 31 2,445 1 22 12 —Village settlement, occupation with right of purchase 12 —Village settlement, lease in perpetuity 12 —Village - homestead special settlement 14 —Special-settlement associations •• 215 1 38 63 2 10 11,175 2 16 23,109 3 32 • •• _. 2 0 0| ' 201 0 29 •• 61 1 10 11,986 3 25 I 23,045 1 37 | 114,156 8 10 71,211 0 23 7 0 (1 91,347 0 34 711 3 25 - 450 0 4 49 0 4 1,895 3 0 379 0 0 ; 116,427 0 26 . 32 —Improved-farm special settlement.. 62,868 2 21 6,171 0 0 j 1,216 0 0 3,041 3 31 29,520 3 23 15 —Homestead •• 80,452 3 10 » 16—Small grazing-runs i 1,376,678 3 33 1,407,795 2 14 | Totals .. 13,554 0 22! 4,398,992 1 19 8,544 2 16 58,357 3 8 10,190 3 7 I . I 29,528 0 23 4,632,370 0 27 14,988,003 1 I Cheviot Estate. Table 5 —Cash lands 9—Lease in perpetuity 12 —Village-homestead special settlements 16 —Grazing-farms 24,392 1 2 2,480 1 0 •• - 6,842 1 31 24,392 12! 2,480 10 .. • • ,46,020 0 6 45,846 1 26 Land for Settlements Acts. 5—Cash lands » 9 —Lease in perpetuity 12 —Lease in perpetuity (village) 14 —Special-settlement associations .. 16-Small grazing-runs i 574,087 3 28 448 0 4 2,114 1 9 166,505 3 24 4,096 1 38 0 2 16 2,195 1 39 0 2 0 50 2 i 648,481 0 10 ' 446 3 28 2,114 19 207,508 0 30 .. ' ■• • • Grand totals [13,554 0 22i 5,215,041 0 12 8,544 2 16 i 62,454 3 22 12,386 3 6 29,528 0 23 5,563,639 2 12 14,994,896 0 31

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Table 4.— Analysis of Holdings taken up during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

Average Holdings of Selectors. Tenures. No. of Selectors. . _ . . „, , c. i ' No. of Selectors No. of Seleotors No. of Selectors gl to under 1 Aore. 1 to 50 Acres. Acres. No. of Selectors No. of Selectors ■ No. of Seleotors 251 to 500 501 to 1,000 1,001 Acres Acres. Acres. and upwards. I " ! Ordinary Crown Lands — Cash lands Deferred payment Perpetual lease Occupation with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity.. Agricultural lease .. .. •• -■ •■ •• -„„.",■, Occupation lease under "The Mining Districts Land Occupation Act, 1894 Village settlement, cash Village settlement, occupation with right of purchase Village settlement, lease in perpetuity Village-homestead special settlement Special-settlement associations Improved-farm special settlement Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs .. .- Thermal springs, Rotorua Miscellaneous leases and licenses 418 204 163 32 204 163 ■7. ":?io 6 3 412 296 .. 44 120 15 53 ' 122 15 4 44 53 '16 11 77 67 99 29 72 10 26 15 '.'. 16 10 4 11 32 17 1 46 33 113 4 481 " 1 21 10 2 14 1 1 2 21 14 1 4 1 4 42 1 18 44 4 11 4 8 34 32 18 4 39 273 124 4 39 273 25 9 ii ! Totals .. 1,894 269 i 618 506 194 152 155 Cheviot Estate — Cash lands Lease in perpetuity Village-homestead special settlement Grazing-farms Miscellaneous 16 j 14 2 -- 4 3 1 Land for Settlements Acts — Cash lands Lease in perpetuity Lease in perpetuity, village .. Small grazing-runs Miscellaneous 13 301 18 34 4 18 9 62 94 63 1 1 64 2 2 15 1 5 24 1 Grand totals 2,280 310 718 602 259 220 171

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Table 5. —Return of Crown Lands sold for Cash during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

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Area disposed of. Average Price per Acre. Consideration received. District. Tc iwn. Suburban. Rural. Total. Number '■ of Pur- : chasers. | Area. Number of Pur- Area, chasers. Number j of Purchasers, j Area. Number of Purchasers. Area. Town. J Suburban. ! Rural. Cash. Scrip. Total. I a. r. p. A. R. P. A. r. p. 98 A. R. P. I 2,071 0 16 £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Auckland 59 146 1 9 11 46 0 10 28 1,878 2 37 10 11 8 4 17 6 10 10 OltO 16 4J 2,866 6 4 | 2,866 6 4 Hawke's Kay 37 19 1 26 1 1 3 10 8 794 1 0 46 815 1 36 70 0 0 10 0 0 12 6 1,988 17 9 1,988 17 9 Taranaki 18 14 3 35 1 13 0 0 7 3,815 8 4 26 ; 3,843 2 39 27 11 11 3 4 7 (2 13 9) 18 8 8J (0 14 91 '{4 15 9)' JO 8 10) |l 2 Of 2,989 15 9 2,989 15 9 Wellington !. 100 50 0 8 1 3 10 4 1,691 0 0 105 1,744 1 8 30 6 6 12 12 4 3,297 11 0 3,297 11 0 Nelson 5 11 0 3 25 6,541 1 29 30 6,552 1 32 6 14 3,302 13 6 3,302 13 6 Marlborough 1 0 10 4 3,083 3 12 5 3,084 0 12 1100 0 0 0 8 2 1,258 0 5f 1.258 6 5 Westland •• 15 135 0 28 Canterbury 8 4 0 0 : 7 131 0 28 25 15 0 II 6 21 U 11 If (0 10 7! (0 8 10) "(0 8 7/ 544 8 7 544 7 Otago 16 9 19 22' 73 1 36 19 875 1 1 57 958 0 6 16 19 3 4 2 9 1,557 7 8 1,557 7 8 Soutlilan 1 0 2 0 - - « I 16 43 1 6 19 1,085 1 4 36 j 1,129 0 10 24 0 0 3 7 4 632 9 11 632 9 11 Totals 255 3 10 52 180 3 22 121 418 20,333 1 27 18,437 10 11 18,437 10 11 245 19,896 2 35 Land for Settlements — Auckland Marlborough ' Canterbury Southland 7 2 „ .. „.. ! 8 2 36 2 0 0 .. 7 2 2 1 8 2 36 2 0 0 4 0 19 1 0 0 8 0 11 50 0 0 70 2 6 100 0 0 163 7 5 3 0 0 70 2 6 100 0 0 163 7 5 3 0 0 2 1 4* 0 19 10 0 " i 39 13 2 ,300 .. Totals 9 10 2 36 3 i 5 0 19 12 15 3 15 336 9 11 886 9 11 •• Cheviot Estate — Canterbury 16 7 0 31 52 16 5 .. 379 19 6 .. 16 7 0 31 379 19 6 .. * Where two average prices are given, the first is for lands selected when an option was given to acquire them under other tennres, and the second when no such option was given. t Exclusive of .£5015s. received as balance due on outstanding exchange.

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Table 6. —Return of Deferred-payment Lands: Transactions during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

j Forfeitures duri] o o5 Sr s> o Area. ig the Year. Excl anges during the Year. Capitalised during the Year. £ Yearly S ! , Instalo Area. o ments "3 payable. Area. : Yearly ; ° 8 Instal- ! J> S L "2 ° ments I g _a> payable. . |§ Net Area held on 31st March, 1907, including Capitalised Holdings. , Amount received j , : during the o „• Yenrlv In ' YeaI ended 31st x S \ ea . rl > ln " March, 1907. , •« , stalments si o Area. t T i g _2 , and Interest '.££,. payable. Area. District. rj oi a oi 3"3 Yearly Instalments payable. Area. Yearly Instalments payable. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington .. Nelson Marlborough • Westland Canterbury .. Otago Southland Totals.. _ _ A. R. P. .... £ a. d. j •• i A. R. P. £ s. d. •• 4 A. R. P. £ S. d., A. R. P. 1,025 2 0 20 14 10; 19 1,504 3 23 1 1,415 0 0 1 99 0 0 1 213 0 22 91 6.970 2 8 £ s. d. 37 19 1 42 10 0 8 16 10 1 16 4 429 1 8 £ s. d. 249 0 9 63 15 0 404 6 4 2 13 6 536 14 3 I " ■• I •• •• I I i 57 3 13 .. 5 9,214 0 10 14 5,371 2 17 5 5,953 0 10 678 9 4 151 11 6 141 12 0 744 3 4 73 7 3 492 13 2 .. 2 9 0 2 9 0 1,025 2 0 20 14 10 137 i 30,741 1 10] 1,491 16 9 2,566 13 7 57 3 13 Freehold acquired during the Year. Made Freehold from Commencement of System to 31st March, 1907. Selectors in Arrear on 31st March, 1907. District. o in •2 ° 0.2 3 01 Area. HH ■2 ° 3 0> Area. Total Amount realised, exclusive of Interest. -i *H 1-2 B2 3 01 %H W Area. Amount. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington .. Nelson Marlborough .. Westland Canterbury .. Otago Southland 4 2 32 2 5 9 a. R. p. 1,025 2 0 398 0 0 4,832 2 36 323 807 1,303 654 1,516 50 100 117 1,122 1,310 A. R. P. 39,825 2 26 83,906 1 20 157,098 3 13 136,987 1 31 142,228 0 34 4,638 1 30 4,571 8 12 18,581 0 34 187,253 1 18 186,918 0 29 £ s. d. 22,753 13 9 89,081 7 9 238,671 16 3 151,161 10 10 115,612 2 3 3,257 9 3 4,282 11 3 42,438 11 10 224,739 0 10 250,975 0 1 3 1 6 A. R. P. 358 2 0 213 0 22 692 0 14 £ s. d. 20 12 2 6 7 0 48 6 1 130 0 0 826 1 1 905 2 31 75 5 3 Totals .. 54 8,118 0 28 7,302 962,009 2 7 1,142,973 4 1 10 1,263 2 36

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Table 7.— Return of Perpetual-lease Lands: Transactions during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

83

Taken up during the Year. Exchanges to other Tenures during the Year. Forfeitures during the Year. Surrenders during the Year. District. 3 01 ten Area. Annual ■ g g Rental -5 "S payable, g.2 Area. Annual Rental. Io ci So llz;" 3 Area. Annual Rental. "o oi 3 a Area. Annual Rental. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough ■ Westland Canterbury Otago Southland A. R. P. £ s. d. 3 3 i _ A. R. P. 1,035 1 22 114 3 8 £ s. a. i A. R. P. 100 0 0 £ s. d. 1 15 0 " i A. R. P. £ s. d. - - 37 12 4 10 14 0 1 46 1 15 19 0 1 47 0 18 4 14 0 Totals — 6 1,150 0 30 1,150 0 30 : 48 6 4 2 146 I 15! 3 4 o' 1 47 0 18 4 14 0 District. Freeholds acquired during the Year. 1 1 Area. Am , oun , t S..2 realised. 3 CD S.2 3 0) gee Made Freehold from Commencement of System to 31st March, 1907. i Total 5 Amount Area. realised, j ; exclusive of Interest. Area. Total Amount realised, ; exclusive of Interest. 1 Net Area held on 31st March, 1907. HH O co <H 8 -S o \rea Annual a _o Rental. 3 oi Amount received during the Year ended 31st March, 1907 (exclusive of Amount from Perpetual Leases made Freehold). O in 2 ° 9.2 3 01 ilectors in Arrear, 31st March, 1907. Area. Amount realised. Area. Amount. - Auckland Hawke's Bay .. Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough .. Westland Canterbury Otago Southland 10 1 i I A- R. P. £ s. d. a. r. p. £ s. d. 1,929 8 27 875 15 0 503154,908 1 10: 73,035 17 3 327 0 0 560 0 0 295]133,159 1 24102,008 9 7 400101,050 139 93,453 10 2 930 3 0 506 10 8 782 306,089 3 13 272,926 4 6 27 9,181 0 8 ; 3.074 13 6 300 0 0 82 10 0 7 925 3 24 447 5 0 6 482 3 20 482 17 2; 44 1 13 61 16 8 89 15,060 2 13 23,049 4 7 3.352 0 17 2,623 17 6 134 24,902 0 15 19,355 1 2 598 0 30 425 9 3 86 19,443 0 10 14,636 14 2i 220 12 13 21 12 5 23 187 j 64 j A. R. P. 38,586 0 30 3,543 0 23 3,961 0 16 7,268 3 8 2,017 3 14 1,170 2 23 580 1 8 2,026 0 7 34,394 2 6 11,972 3 14 £ s. a.j 1,101 9 11 132 7 0 216 4 2 307 15 ll 1 39 0 0 33 17 6 28 0 4 159 15 6 1,283 15 0 441 2 0 £ s. d. 834 4 7 164 7 4 185 3 3 289 19 8 32 10 2J 30 10 8| 27 12 0 150 0 11 1,233 1 7 407 12 4 29 A. R. P. 4,063 0 0 £ s. d. 74 7 1 3 2 2 450 0 0 378 1 14 30 0 0 9 19 2 i 2 16 4 1 5 38 2 17 1,647 0 26 1 18 8 46 3 0 •• Totals 37 7,482 1 7 5,135 19 1J2329765.198 2 16 602,469 17 1 : i 564 j 105,521 1 29! 3,743 7 4 8,355 2 6 39 I 6,577 0 17 162 7 11

84

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Table 8. —Return of Occupation-with-right-of-purchase Lands taken up during the Year ended 31st March, 1907

i Taken up during the Year. irfeitures during the Year. Surrenders during the Year. Exchanges during the Year. District. O oi CD O 3^ teta Area. Average Rent per Acre. Annual Rental payable. *0 in ih H s s •2 o B* 3 <0 S3CO , Annual Area - Rental. ' "o CO ■S 1 Area Annual g g Area " Rental. 3-3 0 cq ; 01 O -2 3 3 CO S3 CC Area. Annual Rental. 236 10 90 30 i 3 A. R. P. 103,812 3 27 3,498 3 5 69,945 1 33 25,673 3 33 1,664 2 0 2,646 0 0 s. d. 0 8-8 0 11-08 0 9 0 10 0 5 0 4-8 £ s. d. 3,822 15 6 161 10 6 2,463 4 2 1,099 1 2 31 14 0 52 11 8 A. R. P. 29,333 0 31 190 0 0 8,460 1 0 400 0 0 £ s. d. 902 16 3 19 16 4 346 15 6 17 10 0 A. R. P. £ s. d. A. R. P. ' £ s. d. Auckland Hawke's Bay .. Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough .. Westland Canterbury Otago Southland 88 2 : 15 2 •• 1 1 315 0 0 803 0 0 7 17 6 15 9 0 •• - .. .. .. .. ii 27 2,744 2 23 5,543 1 13 0 6-1 0 44 70 7 6 102 19 0 17 i 182 0 6 4,103 0 36 2i7 2 82 14 8 » 290 0 14 7 18 10 -. __ i ! ! : Totals .. 412 215,529 2 14 0 8-7 7,804 3 6 : 126 : 42,668 2 33 1,372 9 11 5 1,408 0 14 31 5 4 ■- | District. Freeholds acquired during the Year. 01 •g . Amount Area - received. 1 I [ O in <h a 9.2 3 CD et Area held on 31st March, 1907. . Annual Area - Rental. Amount received during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.* L .. _ , On Past On the Year s Transac . Total . Transactions. O CD _s ■** 3 "3 S5 02 Selectors in Arrear, 31st March, 1907. Amount. Area. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago Southland 42 5 10 37 6 1 A. R. P. £ S. a. 8,853 0 14 4,794 6 6 2,088 0 0 1,789 3 0 2,547 3 33 3,691 2 2 12,375 0 0 13,365 19 11 950 3 13 335 8 0 126 0 0 63 0 0 2,306 245 428 655 191 40 106 26 254 324 668,340 3 29 134,717 2 22 216,069 3 21 244,508 2 15 37,851 1 30 13,061 3 19 18,590 0 24 4,733 2 23 45,080 1 30 72,028 3 8 £ s. d. I £ s. d. 20,473 12 5 ' 1,911 7 9 6,698 12 11 ; 80 15 3 8,973 19 2 1,260 14 8 13,225 14 5 568 12 6 730 19 8 15 13 5 550 18 1 26 5 10 601 4 0 257 1 0 1,253 8 8: 39 3 5 1,746 7 2 51 9 6 £ s. d. 11,670 18 8 5,971 3 1 5,634 1 1 9,304 4 11 585 19 10 469 18 7 668 1 3 217 13 7 1,023 7 11 1,359 4 7 £ s. d. 13,582 6 5 6,051 18 4 6,894 15 9 9,872 17 5 601 13 3 496 4 5 668 1 3 217 13 7 1,062 11 4 1,410 14 1 164 1 5 10 12 3 24,600 0 0 20 2 21 3,965 0 0 2,176 0 0 1,524 2 28 1,001 0 0 £ s. 850 16 0 10 157 18 129 15 48 6 47 16 1 1 5 240 0 0 300 0 0 192 1 13 96 0 0 1,075 3 28 810 6 11 1 10 9 263 1 14 1,513 3 16 2,580 0 12 8 4 23 6 35 2 ; Totals 4,575 ! 1,454,983 1 21 37,644 2 11 1,301 15 108 28,449 0 21 25,245 6 6 54.511 17 6 I 3,954 2 4 36,904 13 6 40,858 15 10 215 , * Exclusive of amount paid for acquiring freehold

C.—l

85

Table 9.—Return of Lease-in-Perpetuity Lands, 31st March, 1907.

Taken up during the Year. Exchanges from other Tenures during the Year. Forfeitures luring the Year. District. Number of Selectors. Area. Average Rental per Acre. Annual Rental payable. Number of: \ Selectors. Area. Annual Rental payable. Number of Selectors. Area. Annual Rental. Ordinary Crown Lands — Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago Southland 41 6 27 9 47 35 87 32 A. R. P. 13,822 3 22 1,993 3 24 15,018 3 13 276 0 23 12,496 3 3 3,945 2 0 14,327 0 33 s. d. 0 591 0 7 0 8-3 1 9 0 4-5 0 5-5 0 4-3 £ s. d. 340 15 0 56 2 8 421 7 4 23 5 8 232 3 0 90 14 6 258 11 2 3 1 A. R. P. 60 3 0 3 3 39 £ s. d. 2 12 0 12 6 23 2 8 6,754 2 23 1,166 0 0 3,345 2 0 £ s. d. 150 5 1 46 12 10 109 16 10 1 19 2,255 0 0 90 4 0 7,002 0 0 ■ 161 10 0 30 10 1 30 4715 6 2,979 1 22 | 8,685 0 33 0 4 0 4-09 50 5 0 148 1 4 4 16 44 1,102 0 31 2,914 2 34 32' 15 4 81 7 0 4 2 402 3 26 231 0 13 9 8 2 8 5 6 Totals ! 296 73,545 3 13 | 0 61 1,621 5 8 13,338 2 24 369 10 10 69 11,910 2 12 372 3 11 1. Land for Settlements — Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago Southland Totals Cheviot Estate Ellesmere Endowment 67 24 8 64 2 30 87 12 301 I 15,586 0 9 12,585 3 12 1,300 0 0 17,911 1 32 2 0'5 6 10 14 0 7 0 1,592 11 6 j 4,303 1 6 839 3 4 6,245 11 4 25 1 6 28 5 6 3,268 1 4 8,834 0 6 166 7 10 11 1 2 4 1,608 1 0 596 0 0 38 3 0 571 2 20 58 9 8 127 7 10 53 6 10 184 12 4 •' 40 1 27 j 215 1 36 6,093 1 22 25,636 1 14 1,322 2 31 12 5 2 7-5 3 13 6 10-5 2 6-2 •• ■i li' 2 25 7 17 4 •■ 6 1 2 32 1 38 621 0 0 616 2 35 13 7 4 116 8 10 54 19 8 " 80,691 2 23 1 28 I 4,096 1 38 616 9 10 6 3-3 25,302 4 4 I 1 ., 1 •- -- --

C.—l

86

Table 9.—Return of Lease-in-Perpetuity Lands, 31st March, 1907-continued.

Surrenders during the Year. Net Area held on 31st March 1907. Amount received during the Year ended 31st March, 1907. Selectors in Arrear, 31st March 1907. District. Number of Selectors. Area. Annual Rental. Number of Selectors. Area. Annual Rental. On the Year's Transactions. On Past Transactions. Total. Number of Selectors. Area. Amount. Ordinary Crown Lands — Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago Southland 11 2 1 1 2,005 1 33 1,678 0 0 216 0 0 308 0 0 5 0 2 293 1 5 £ s. a. 56 10 10 46 19 8 6 14 0 4 12 4 0 2 6 4 14 6 a- R. P. £ s. d. 1,218 303,559 2 13 : 8,412 7 3 202 103,615 3 28 I 3,606 11 9 469 179,687 1 8 ' 7,229 19 6 492 143.267 1 14 6,206 1 10 325 90,450 2 16 1,485 8 11 313 140,994 2 21 3,290 8 4 471 59,732 2 9 1,478 3 10 242 75,570 0 21 4,263 16 4 785 192,667 3 6 5,635 2 8 337 i 97,995 0 29 | 2,257 18 8 i £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 170 17 6 6,452 9 8 6,623 7 2 28 1 4 3,347 8 8 3,375 10 0 210-13 8 4,229 17 10 4,440 11 6 43 3 10 5,873 6 2 5,916 10 0 195 10 2 830 11 4 1,026 1 6 395 14 1 2,500 0 10 2,895 14 11 936 15 8 700 5 2 1,637 0 10 3,810 19 1 3,810 19 1 24 0 1 4,838 0 8 4,862 0 9 74 0 8 1,845 10 1 1,919 10 9 a- s- p. £ s. d. 105 23,300 0 0 713 7 0 2 387 0 0 8 9 11 9 2,067 0 33 54 18 0 10 3,549 0 0 102 8 0 7 ' 2,292 2 14 63 8 4 5 1,011 2 0 10 2 5 16 103 3 37 17 10 6 1 15 1 9 3 13 6 14 3,094 2 3 48 9 9 6 J 2,663 2 5 34 16 10 175 ' 38,484 2 21 1,057 4 3 3 I 2 1 105 '2 16 253 2 23 I 1 14 10 j 7 12 6 Totals : 4,864 3 39 129 1 2 21 4,854 11,387,541 0 0 34,428 9 6' 36,507 6 6! 43,865 19 1 2,078 17 0 Land for Settlements — Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago Southland 4 1 •- I 5 1 1 1 1.032 2 18 296 0 0 6 3 10 I 168 13 0 32 14 10 17 16 6 529 100,710 1 11 419 119,093 1 13 35 3,672 1 37 310 39,481 1 20 15,750 19 2 39,320 0 4 3,097 4 2 15,247 9 0 . 796 5 9 12,729 3 3 13,525 9 0 2,151 10 9 32,533 1 2 34,684 11 11 424 0 3 2,779 13 3 3,203 13 6 5,371 5 5 8,131 17 1 13,503 2 6 45 12,500 0 0 7 518 1 10 5 114 2 35 13 , 99 0 0 175 1,204 18 0 233 10 8 96 2 10 160 10 0 49 3 15 215 1 36 594 3 0 ! 28 19 6 28 5 6 312 5 0 306 ' 54,401 0 0 27 4,990 1 4 1,138 175,702 3 2 515 104,221 3 3 225 46,207 3 0 12,271 7 2 538 11 8 65,941 5 0 32,000 15 10 10,362 2 0 7 4 8 12,057 11 0 12,064 15 8 26 17 4 548 0 9 574 18 1 2,801 15 0 55,214 19 5: 58,016 14 5 7,171 6 10 20,754 4 8' 27,925 11 6 83 3 11 9,301 5 8 9,384 9 7 14 2,42*' 2 36 181 16 3 - I •• - -- I -• 32 2,106 1 36 36 6,946 2 25 22 5,319 2 24 174 : 30,025 2 6 521 18 2 1,413 5 9 914 19 11 Totals 12 2,195 1 39 588 14 4 | 3,504 : 648,481 0 10 195,129 14 4 18,833 9 11 !l54,049 10 3 ! 172,883 6 2 5,836 7 10 5,836 7 10 1,271 2 6 1,271 2 6 4,727 1 7 Cheviot Estate Ellesmere Endowment :: " '• 118 24,392 1 2 68 13,937 0 0 6,450 14 6 1,399 13 2 -- 1 25 3 0 7 14 7

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Table 11. —Occupation Leases under "The Mining Districts Occupation Act, 1894," taken up during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

Table 10. —Return of Agricultural-lease Lands taken up during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

87

Taken up during the Year. Expiries during the Year. Net Area held on 31st March, 1907. Amounts received during the Year ended 31st March, '907. Made Freehold from Commencement of System to 31st March, 1907. ; Selectors in Ai 31st March, rrear on 1907. District. o m w 8 a> o ■2 o 9.2 3 *3 CO >. *d Sr*§ -S a TS - _-> 3 IJjCQtvj: rp ri -_ CD O | 9 £ < 3 -3 i S3 CO Area. Yearly Rental. HH o ci TH So •2 o 9.2 s 01 01 Ph CD 1 r-< CD ? c3 tfl 2 cd Jm rH c— ra C *6J.| gS.J Total. OSS 1§ O oi CD _£j r£S O B£ _ CO Area. Total Amount realised. 0 «j; 01 9, si o Area. 3 01 I Amount. Area. I A. B. P. A. R. P. £ s. d. ! a. R p. :£ s. d.| i A. R. P.j £ s. d. £ s. d.j £ s. d. £ s. d. A. R. P. 67 2,750 0 0 £ s. d. 590 5 0 ! . a. r. p. j £ B - a. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago .. Southland .. .. .. • • '.'. '.'. '.'. I .. I .. I .. .. '" .. 32 279 0 15 1,326 131,296 2 3] 50 6,570 1 5 488 12 11 131,580 12 6 6,570 5 0 .. ■• .. .. 1 7 1 0 0 4 0; 15 j514 1 21: 22 10 3 14 13 4 14 13 4 .. , .. • - Totals 514 1 211 1,475 140,895 3 23 7 10 0 4 0 15 22 10 3 1 14 13 4 14 13 4 139,229 15 5 I I

Taken up during the Year. Forfeitures and Surrenders during the Year. Net Area held on 31st March, 1907. Amount, received during the Year. Sel. 31 actors in Arrear on st March, 1907. District. O ci " 8 -O CD 3 * Area. : Annual Rental. o oi -> 8 Area. Annual Rental. O cO r. 8 CD 9, St o BS p 01 7h W Area. Annual Rental. ° n the On Past / ear s TransTransac- actlons tions. I "o ci S o, SI o B — 3 CD rH^ A rea. Amount. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago Southland 2 5 2 15 2 A. R. P. 72 0 32 •■ •• 128 0 8 I £ s. d. 4 5 0 " j 4 6 10 18 A. R. P. 587 2 9 £ s. d. 31 11 6 .. 182 32 19 6 A. R. P. 9,236 3 22 1,526 3 35 1,161 0 0 136 1 3 £ s. d. 759 12 4 52 16 2 31 4 4 5 0 6 £ s. d. I 2 2 6 | 2 2 10 ! £ s. a. I 406 10 10 34 14 7 ! 27 19 1 : 0 10 1 23 \: '8 2 A. R. P. ,850 0 0| 327 0 30 153 0 0 34 2 8 £ s. a. [109 18 3 18 19 5 6 9 9 18 6 90' 1 3 2 5 6 " I 3 18 555 2 9 197 2 32 34 7 10 15 16 4 -- 243 42 9,58o' 1 12 1,240 2 4 388 5 0 114 13 8 12 13 6 7 18 2 301 1 11 147 8 2 3 107 1 8 102 1 14 3 0 3 9 12 6 -- Totals .. 26 1,043 3 4 61 1 6 18 587 2 9 31 11 6 22,881 3 36 27 18 8 918 4 8 43 ! ,574 1 20 1149 8 8 26 524 1,35112 0 i i

C.~ 1

88

Table 12.— Return of Village Settlements during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

Taken up during the Year. Exchanges to other Tenures duriug the Year. Made Freehold during Year. Made Freehold from C< immencement. District. Tenure. to . S 3 Area. Annual Rental. ■** 1 * ,.->, Annual J i Alea " Kental. "3 j 1 Area. Amount © realised. 13 - ! E o CD •Ji Area. Total Cash received. Auckland . . Cash .. .. Lease in perpetuity .. Village-homestead special settlement Hawke's Bay . .. Cash . Deferred payment .. Perpetual lease .. j Occupation with right of purchase " ■ • .. | Lease in perpetuity Village-homestead special settlement Taranaki .. . . Cash .. Deferred payment .. Occupation with right of purchase Wellington .. .. Cash .. Deferred payment .. Perpetual lease .. Village-homestead special settlement Marlborough .. .. Cash .. Deferred payment .. Village-homestead special settlement Westland .. .. Cash .. Lease in perpetuity Canterbury .. .. Cash .. Deferred payment .. Perpetual lease Village-home stead special settlement Otago .. Cash .. I Deferred payment Perpetual lease .. Village-homestead special settlement Southland ... .. Cash Deferred payment .. Perpetual lease .. j Lease in perpetuity 4 '.'. 12 .. i '.'. io A. R. P. 14 1 0 18 1 7 £ s. a. A. R. P. £ s. d. A. R. P. £ s. d. A. R. P. 34 0 8 £ s. d. 540 4 0 3 5 0 38 3 60"3 0 3 5 0 .. • .. .. ... 263 110 9 3 660 0 4 1,192 2 2 146 3 1 2 10 4,221 3 11 2,706 18 1 293 18 1 15 0 0 792 1 7 419"2 6 1 0 10 5 0 0 1 8* 3 39 1 2 6 ! .. I '" I 5 15 .. I.. | 309 120 7 332 109 28 853 3 9 2,289 2 36 4 3 0 486 3 9 970 2 36 324 0 33 6,945 10 9 10,907 12 11 28 10 0 3,791 8 5 3,789 5 4 1,035 3 1 .. 156 2 17 44 7 4 3 42 3 38 4 9 4 .'. ■ - 9 5 22 1 11 43 1 20 75 16 10 18 15 0 2 60 0 0 3 11 4 .. 0 1 0 10 0 .. .. 17 12 3 21 97 10 0 ! 166 521 31 1,208 0 1 2,550 3 1 683 3 3 5,481 17 4 21,549 18 1 1,449 0 1 16 2 0 2 12 10 7 215 1 38 1 30 13 10 .. I I 10 0 20 6 0 " .. I 103 103 25 889 2 19 1,130 0 38 609 2 22 1,756 3 5 2,908 10 7 1,231 0 0 2 66"3 9 7 16 0 .. 1 7 9 3 37 130 1 39 40 0 0 313 13 9 579 271 43 2,946 1 28 4,040 3 12 681 0 3 9,230 10 3 9,653 11 8 1,642 11 5 201 2 24 19"2 10 Totals Land for Settlements — Hawke's Bay .. Cash Gran3 totals .. 64 .. I 1 .. 65 1,205 0 20 489 10 6 18 450 0 4 ! 50 18 0 50 18 0 10 I 141 2 36 141 2 36 378 13 9 3,201 21,784 1 37 89,369 19 3 0 10 .—. j 1 I 3 -- .. •■ .. 1,205 1 20 18 450 0 4 50 18 0 I 378 13 9 3,204 | 1 1 32 31 15 0 489 10 6 10 I 141 2 36 I 21,785 3 29 89,401 14 3 I .. [_.._.

a—l.

Table 12. —Return of Village Settlements during the Year ended 31st March, 1907— continued.

12—C. 1

89

Forfeitures during the Year. Surrenders during the Year. Net Area held on 31st March, 1907. Arrears on 31st March, 1907. District. Tenure Tenure Amount received during the Year. CO E c CO rj: CO E C 01 3 'S to E O CD 2 3 Area. Total Annual Kental. Sl B Area. Area. Annual Kental. Area. Annual Kental. Amount. Auckland .. Cash .. Perpetual lease „ .. Lease in perpetuity „ .. | Village-homestead special settlement Hawke's Bay .. Occupation with right of purchase made freehold .. Occupation with right of purchase .. „ .. Lease in perpetuity .. Village-homestead special settlement Taranaki Occupation with right of purchase .. „ .. Lease in perpetuity Wellington .. Cash „ .. Village-homestead special settlement Marlborough .. Perpetual lease .. Lease in perpetuity .. Village-homestead special settlement Westland .. Lease in perpetuity Canterbury .. Perpetual lease made freehold „ .. Deferred payment .. Perpetual lease .. Occupation with right of purchase .. „ .. Lease in perpetuity .. Village-homestead special settlement Otago .. Deferred payment „ .. Perpetual lease .. [ Occupation with right of purchase .. .. | Lease in perpetuity .. Village-homestead special settlement Southland .. Perpetual lease made freehold .. Deferred payment „ .. Perpetual lease .. Occupation with right of purchase .. .. Lease in perpetuity .. Village-homestead special settlement £ s. d. 358 0 0 170 7 7 102 16 9 159 16 4 5 0 0 0 12 6 1,157 12 3 60 5 10 1 11 5 8 18 3 28 10 0 1,864 10 5 12 6 24 11 6 17 12 6 12 11 7 20 0 0 13 9 5 59 18 4 3 9 8 7 14 5 815 9 4 2 19 4 28 8 2 0 13 0 137 19 11 140 18 7 313 13 9 28 17 11 150 14 1 1 11 8 333 1 7 140 6 10 3 'i '2 A. R. P. 103 *3 0 31 1 13 13 8 £ s. a. 5 10 0 2 3 4 1 7 4 •• A. R. P. -• £ s. a. - I ■• •• 1 •• 51 37 7 62 27 10 648 1 9 10 11 A. R. P. 2,64l" 3 9 1,462 2 28 45 0 14 2,718 0 39 160 1 18 8 10 69 0 8 11,151 1 36 10 0 0 153 0 35 91 0 24 198 1 27 £ s. d. 156 0 10 127 11 0 3 8 8 1,383 16 2 61 13 4 2 9 6 10 5 8 1,896 11 1 15 0 22 3 4 10 16 6 14 0 10 4 2 3 3 32 1 1 A. R. p. 195 1 4 32 1 14 2 3 0 11 3 5 443" 2 0 6 1 7 0 10 £ s. d. 13* 3 4 2'16 0 016 6 0 17 10 188 19 0 2 5 0 0 8 6 " 7 21 8 18 260 2 15 3 117 72 64 3 3 293 3 35 2 2 0 8 2 0 8,566 1 0 100 0 0 311 2 23 2 1 12 1,698 0 25 1,060 0 27 16 5 4 86 3 8 4 4 6 8 13 0 971 15 2 3 6 0 29 17 8 0 12 0 149 4 0 135 4 4 4 1 3 55 1 28 0 10 114 2 11 19 9 10 0 12 6 7 16 0 •• ! 2 1 2 2 0 0 10 0 47 0 36 0 6 0 0 3 4 2 8 10 7 4 91 2 0 36 2 10 3* 9 7 12 11 8 •■ i •• I 2 80 4 292 51 60 2 37 1,088 1 13 3 0 24 4,499 2 2 553 1 24 3 13 4 141 1 8 1 13 2 404 2 6 132 8 0 1 49 3 31 1 10 0 "" 2 65 0 16 4 16 2 •• '0 1 54 - 2 4 10 0 15 8 9 2 1 9 10 - ! I 6,173 5 11 — ' 1 1,834 Totals 16 252 0 33 16 15 0 37,023 0 23 5,778 6 3 73 1,105 0 9 264 14 Cheviot Estate — Canterbury .. Village-homestead special settlement 92 2,480 1 0 836 17 11 870 10 4 3 44 1 38 12 1 Land for Settleme nts — Hawke's Bay .. Cash „ .. Lease in perpetuity ■ 8 0 0 21 8 11 292 14 1 i 0 16 0 "i 3 0 2 16 0 12 0 1 0 2 0 14 31 33 3 24 413 0 4 22 12 0 317 3 10 1 2 12 45 2 0 i' 8 13 3 Otago -• 7,332 6 10 I— 252 3 9 6,988 2 5 83 Grand totals 17 ' 17 7 0 0 2 0 0 16 0 1,971 39,950 1 11 1,196 2 19 291 7

C.—l

90

Table 13. —Summary of Position of Village Settlements at 31st March, 1907.

Number < in Occi if Settlers ipation. Amounts advanced to Settlers up to 31st March, 1907. Amount of Advances which have been repaid to 31st March, 1907. Value of Improvements now on the Land. Annual Rental Total Amount of Interest paid to 31st March, 1907. Arrears of Interest on 31st March, 1907. => District. Area occupied. in Pasture or cultivated. including Interest on Advances. For Bushfelling, Grassing, &c. cTon-resident. For Houses. Total. Resident. A. R. P. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. a. A. R. P. 2,907 12 2 11,186 13 6 7 2 9 Auckland 51 37 4,104 1 37 1,677 3 1 277 1 10 958 0 0 1,253 17 6 2,211 17 6 931 5 1 Hawke's Bay 56 40 2,923 2 31 1,864 0 0 1,448 18 2 580 0 0 296 15 9 876 15 9 354 9 0 626 6 2 11,542 0 0 Taranaki 18 1 77 1 8 77 1 8 12 15 2 892 0 0 ! Wellington .. 585* 63 11,151 1 36 9,872 0 0 2,061 8 10 3,024 17 6 3,670 19 11 6,695 17 5 3,398 2 4 4,274 13 0 105,755 0 0 61 4 0 Nelson Marlborough 11 9 254 1 19 200 0 0 38 1 2 85 0 0 18 15 0 103 15 0 15 0 0 86 0 4 2,150 0 0 Westland 9 2 198 1 27 197 0 0 14 0 10 1,423 0 0 Canterbury .. 241 73 8,935 3 38 7,944 3 7 1,087 1 8 2,460 0 0 2,460 0 0 927 10 0 1,947 10 1 29,117 18 3 2 10 0 Otago 133 76 3,172 1 7 1,692 1 0 308 4 0 1,101 5 0 440 0 0 1,541 5 0 275 2 6 1,085 18 0 12,984 7 6 7 14 5 Southland .. 370 59 6,205 0 20 3,843 3 0 682 18 8 756 0 0 350 2 2 1,106 2 2 174 1 3 891 4 7 30,022 1 0 j 0 17 5 Totals .. 1,474 360 37,023 0 23 27,368 3 16 5,930 10 4 8,965 2 6 6,030 10 4 14,995 12 10 6,075 10 2 11,819 4 4 205,073 0 3 79 8 7 Cheviot Estate, Canterbury 60 32 2,480 1 0 2,409 1 11 870 10 4 120 0 0 120 0 0 120 0 0 26 0 0 12,538 1 0 Land for Settlen Hawke's Bay nents— 22 12 33 3 24 30 0 0 22 12 0 482 0 0 3,532 0 0 Otago 9 413 0 4 407 0 0 317 3 10 * Inclusive of 161 not re; rarted on.

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Table 14. —Return of Special-settlement Associations, under Section 163 of "The Land Act, 1885," and Part IV of "The Land Act, 1892," to 31st March, 1907, not included in the Special Returns.

91

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92

Table 15. —Return of Homestead Lands: Transactions during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

Table 16. — Return of Small Grazing-runs taken up during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

Net Area held on 31st March, 1907. Made Freehold during the Year. Made B'reehold since Commencement of System to 31st March, 1907. District. Number of Selectors. Area. Number of Selectors. Area. Number of Selectors. Area. .uckland .. Vestland .. >tago A. E. P. A. B. P. 464 39 22 76,096 3 10 1,480 0 0 2,876 0 0 Totals 525 80,452 3 10

Take: up during the Year. Forfeitures during the Year. Surrenders during the Year. District. o . . CD O) CD rOTTj S'o Th Area. Average Area. CO CO CX,j u £fl° Annual Rent £« C payable. 3 si a 3 53 Area. Annual Kental. J Si St B a •A Area. Annual Kental. I A. B. P. 8,551 0 0 A. a. P. 2,137 3 0 Is. d. 0 3-28 £ s. d. 116 18 2 A. E. P. £ s. d. A. E. P. £ s. d. Auckland .. 4 Hawke's Bay .. Taranaki Wellington .. 8 Nelson .. 1 Marlborough .. \ Westland .. .. j Canterbury .. 5 Otago .. 15 Southland 4 8 1 5,435' 3 9 4,167 0 0 679* 2 0 4,167 0 0 0 8-25 0 1-5 190' ; 7 2 26 10 0 683 0 0 5 19 6 5 15 12,268' 0 0 43,429 2 5 2,453 2 16 2,895» 1 8 1 0-3 0 6'5 625 18 8 1,178 1 10 :: 3 2,358' 3 31 58 *8 6 •• Totals .. 33 33 73,851 1 14 2,237 3 27 0 6-9 2,137 15 10 3,041 3 31 64 8 0 Land for Settlements— Auckland .. 5 Hawke's Bay Wellington .. 6 Marlborough j 1 Canterbury .. 1 Otago .. 5 Southland 1 22,357 0 Oj 4,471 1 24 0 3-44 321 0 6 I 8,097 0 0 993 0 0 3,684 0 0 5,871 1 6 1,349 2 0 993 0 0 3,684 0 0 1,174 1 1 4 0 0 4-7 1 99 3 4 1,623 12 0 18 12 6 345 7 6 383 2 4 Totals .. 18 41,002 1 6 1 6 2,277 3 23 1 7'2 3,291 14 10 Cheviot Estate: Canterbury Exc! ianges di iring the Year. let Area held on 31i it March, 1907. lount ■eceivei during the Y< ■ar. Am lars on 31st arch, 1907. District. o 3 62 H Area. Annual Kental. • •* CO £ a Y, u 9 JO a s Area, Area. Annual Kental. On tin Trans; 1 Year's ictions. On Trans; Past lc tions. j Ti ital. Amount. A. B. P. £ s. d. A. B. P. 68,274 2 0 248,938 3 2 16,654 2 6 77,257 3 19 12,723 0 0 205,290 1 31 £ s. d. 587 13 1 2,775 0 10 235 0 6 2,353 16 7 83 17 4 2,786 10 8 £ s. d. 58 9 1 £ s. d. 468 7 9 2,782 7 3 325 6 5 1,829 8 1 73 17 6 2,749 16 5 £ s. d. 526 16 10 2,782 7 3 325 6 5 2,070 18 10 73 17 6 2,749 16 5 A. B. P. 4,400 0 0 £ s. d. 61 2 6 Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington .. Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury .. Otago Southland 1 9 2,255 0 0 3,916 0 0 56 7 6 48 19 0 14 85 17 84 7 91 241 10 9 1 9 1 10 5,906 0 0 1,088 0 0 21,639 3 31 173 10 0 15 0 0 178 0 9 55 273 19 133,734 0 19 580,486 1 4 64,436 0 13 6,061 7 6 13,331 8 8 735 17 10 313 7 6 656 7 2 5,344 10 6 12,315 19 1 737 0 2 5,657 18 0 12,972 6 3 737 0 2 2 7 2 5,438 0 0 12,579 2 31 2,715 0 0 159 7 6 130 10 10 18 8 7 Totals .. 10 J6.171 0 0 105 6 6 645 1,407,795 2 14 28,950 13 0 1,269 14 6 26,626 13 2 27,896 7 8 32, 53,766 2 22 736 0 2 Land lettlementt 'or !— Auckland Hawke's Bay.. Wellington Marlborough.. Canterbury ., Otago Southland :. 7 16 7 •31 44 9 2 29,136 0 0 19,681 0 0 9,127 • 0 0 54,851 2 0 81,161 0 26 10,743 1 4 2,808 1 0 405 15 4 4,440 18 6 1,795 5 4 7,516 0 2 10,882 6 6 1,558 4 4 201 7 4 160 10 3 1,056 0 11 9 6 3 172 13 9 973 17 1 110 10 4,118 2 1 244 12 1 5,850 19 ' 9,340 15 1 514 16 11 90 18 : 271 0 5 4,118 2 6 1,300 13 5 5,860 5 10 9,513 9 8 1,488 13 11 90 18 8 "l 5,4li" 0 0 3,590 0 0 73 6 0 206 15 9 .. s Totals .. Cheviot Estate: Canterbury 11. 207,508 0 30 26,799 17 6 2,372 8 120,270 16 2 '22,643 4 5 9,001 0 01 280 1 9 49 45,846 1 26 6,871 13 2 6,209 10 7 6,209 10 7 8,199 2 0 556 2 3 * Four of these are not separate holders, but are included in the 91 o: ■dinary Crowu-land holders.

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93

Table 17. —Number and Area of Pastoral Licenses for the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

Taken up during the Year. Exchanges to other Tenures during the Year. Forfeitures during the Year. Expiries uring the Year. ; Surrenders during the Year. Number Area. of Area. Holders. District. Number of Holders. Area. Annual Bental. Number of Holders. Area. Number. Number. Area. Number. Area. £ s. d. 101 11 10 200 2 0 A. E. P. A. E. P. 19,109 0 0 30,652 0 0 A. E. P. 1,757 0 9 A. E. P. A. E. P. Auckland .. Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington .. Nelson Marlborough Westland .. Canterbury .. Otago Southland .. 21 4 3 2 58 5 13 7 4,594 0 0 13,880 0 0 34,726 3 36 16,717 0 0 191,225 2 38 59,484 0 0 159 0 0 150 0 0 179 15 0 349 6 10 1,027 9 8 557 4 4 8 3,651 0 0 3 .. •• 4 9 11 9 7 2 .. 21,073 0 0 2 17,311 3 12 4 36,007 2 0 146,814 0 0 3 60,217 0 0 2 281,423 1 12 13 14,420 2 0 3,880 0 0 37,500 0 0 1 8,500 0 0 .. .. 181,810 0 0 5,300 0 0 1 7,110 0 0 Totals —i17,367 0 9 i : 40 242,910 2 0 113 370,388 2 34 2,724 9 8 8 3,651 0 0 Net Area held on 31st March, 1907. Holders in Arrear on 31st March, 1907. District. Rent paid during the Year. Number of Holders. Area, approximately. Average Holdings. Annual Bental. Number. Area. Amount. Auckland - Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago Southland 131 17 A. E. P. 245,014 3 37 117,713 0 0 A. B. P. 1,870 1 14 6,924 0 0 £ s. d. 952 7 8 777 2 2 £ s. d. 517 16 3 762 4 1 23 60,598 0 0 £ s. d. 205 19 4 29 2* 55 193 140 216 92 133,337 0 0 165,829 0 0 898.627 0 0 561,059 0 35 3,450,673 1 39 4,159,278 2 15 1,482,753 1 0 4,597 3 0 82,914 2 0 16,339 0 0 2,907 0 6 24,647 2 27 19,260 2 7 16,117 0 0 2,244 15 6 330 0 0 3,889 13 0 860 1 2 32,912 2 4 25,603 19 10 3,989 14 2 2,166 17 9 330 0 0 3,947 1 8 1,186 18 1 31,140 14 10 25,856 2 8 3,709 10 5 1 14 200' 0 0 30,409 2 9 510 0 35 3 10 .. .Totals . 875 11,214,285 2 6 38 91,207 2 9 12,816 1 12 71,559 15 10 69,617 5 9 246 13 2 Cheviot Estate — Canterbury .. . Land for Settlements — Otago 1,642 0 0 1,642 0 0 193 3 8 193 3 8 •• 121 13 0 953 2 38 496 3 19 121 13 0 •• •Exclusive of 58 holders ii

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94

Table 18. —Return of Miscellaneous Leases and Licenses, not otherwise enumerated, during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

Objects for which leased. Total Annual Rental of the Lands leased during the Year. Total Area in Occupation on 31st March, 1907. Lessees in Arrear on 31st March, 1907 Goal and Mineral. Timber-cutting, &c. Plax-cutting. Miscellaneous. Total Area leased during Total Amount received during the Year. District. 6 fc Area. Annual Rental. 6 fc Area. Amount received. 0 fc Area. 1 Amount j received. 0 fc Area. Annual Rental. 0" fc Area. Annual Rental. 0 fc Area, Amount. .uckland lawke's Bay 'aranaki Wellington .. lelson larlborough Vestland lanterbury .. )tago louthland .. i i a. k. p. £ s. d. 676 5 10* .. i •• 1 74 4 A. B. P. -- I 35 0 0 8,146 2 16 920 0 0 £ s. d. 17,560 7 0 240 0 0 15 0 0 480 9 0 169 10 5 •I 10 2 2 A. E. P. 168 0 0 325 0 0! 40 0 0 £ s. d. 660 5 0 3 17 6 2 0 0 14 25 43 51 14 31 59 81 53 A. E. P. 3,282 0 14 324 1 11 448 1 20 14,444 2 14 8,924 3 29 5,775 0. 9 12,611 3 9 9,830 1 26 4,338 3 39 £ S. d. A. B. P., 100 6 0 ! 3,282 0 14 34 5 10 324 1 11 272 4 3 483 1 20 180 11 10; 22,759 0 30! 201 2 6! 10,169 3 29; 33 11 0: 5,895 0 9! 682 4 2 13,416 3 9 133 0 3 ! 10,820 3 29! 74 10 6 4,554 2 37 £ a. d. £ s. d. 20,476 8 1 100 6 0; 1,204 7 9 34 5 10 395 5 5 287 4 3 1,258 11 6 661 0 10 : 3,309 0 4 201 2 6 2,410 8 7 36 11 0j 9,191 6 1 739 4 2' 3,509 19 5 133 0 3 2,354 2 10 149 0 6 1,349 8 11 207 85 120 262 648 110 243 614 735 369 A. E. P. 41,396 1 25 63,437 3 24 1,420 1 29 36,642 1 23 172,521 1 29 42,148 2 27 82,233 0 13 92,668 1 19 133,330 1 33 32,140 0 22 £ s. d. 1,305 13 9 1,122 0 6 364 2 8 1,583 7 4 2,177 17 2 1,049 13 2 679 12 4 3,554 13 8 1,451 14 1 893 12 7 14 1 6 18 22 2 23 27 A. B P. 491 0 0 4 0 0 34 0 19 81 2 0 6,980 2 9 50 0 0 10,641 1 27 741 1 6 £ s. d. 123 9 0 2 0 0 12 8 9 80 12 0 185 16 9 8 10 0 161 0 0 97 1 8 1 80 0 0 10 0 "e 3 805 0 0 230 0 0 51 5 0 9 11 0 3 3 760 "2 3 205 2 30 33 6 0 73 0 0 ., 1 Totals .. I I 2 10 0 8 1 10 0 90 0 8 678 15 10 '• 88 .. - 20 371 59,980 2 11 1,711 16 4 71,706 1 28 ! 2,341 15 4j J45.458 18 11 3*393 697,939 1 4 14,182 7 3 113 19,023 3 21 670 18 2 10,136 2 16 18,526 2 5 1,499 0 33 772 2 6 l_l . I I . ! I >_l Land for S Auckland lawke's Bay n aranaki Wellington .. ilarlborough Vestland oanterbury .. )tago Southland Set) tlements — .. I .. 2 10 8 3 ol 5 3 10 .. ; .. .. " I " ■ - " ■• •• " ' 1 4 19 3,048 0 0 136 2 38 1 2 10 0, 1 494 15 10 1 114 17 10 1 12 19 4 2 0 0 I 12 6 0 2 10 3,048 0 0 136 2 38 2 10 0 494 15 10 114 17 10 3,384 3 4 185 19 6 269 17 8 505 2 6 712 1 2 10 0 222 19 3 141 5 11 303 10 2 13 2 9 "J 37 54 12 187 3 21 369 0 2' 73 1 1! 5,712 1 ( J 1,092 3 31 8 2 ( 967 3 3! J 1,699 3 1! ! 1,429 0 ] 60 0 6 121 3 6 63 12 1 758 1 8 380 8 0 10 0 255 16 8 135 18 0 34 13 5 "2 "l 1 1-2 1 0 " 3 0 0 - 5 3 46 3 0 22 1 5 277 2 36 46 3 0 22 1 5 277 2 36 12 19 4 2 0 0 12 6 0 "3 277 1 30 51 10 9 .. I •• •' I •• ■• •• ' ! I 6 298 1 30 59 14 7 Totals .. i !- .. -- 34 3,533 2 39 639 9 0i 3,533 2 39 639 9 0 5,725 19 6 191 11,540 3 37 62 1,389 0 22 1,810 13 10 — Cheviot Estate : Canterbury •• .. 169 2 0 96 2 3 96 2 3 219 6 5 283 0 IO! ! 2 105 3 38 2 17 11 169 2 0| * Includes £601 5s. lOd. ro; alt

95

f! 1 • J. *

Table 19.—Return of Gross Revenue received during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

System. Auckland. Hawke's Bay Taranaki. Wellington. Nelson. Marlborough. Westland. Canterbury. Otago. Southland. Totals. Obdinaey Ceown Lands. £ s. d. 2,866 6 4 875 15 0 4,794 6 6 £ s. d. 1,988 17 9 560 0 0 1,789 3 0 £ s. d. 2,989 15 9 £ s. d. 3,297 11 0 506 10 8 13,365 19 11 £ s. d. 3,302 13 6 £ s. d. *1,308 15 5 82 10 0 63 0 0 £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 544 8 7 1,557 7 8 61 16 8 2,623 17 6 300 0 0 96 0 0 20 0 0 £ s. d. 632 9 11 425 9 3 810 6 11 313 13 9 £ s. d. 18,488 5 11 5,135 19 1 25,245 6 6 333 13 9 5 0 0 Cash lands Perpetual lease made freehold Occupation with right of purchase made freehold Village-settlement perpetual lease made freehold Village-settlement occupation-with-rightof-pur-cbase lease made freehold Deferred payment, rural Deferred payment, pastoral Perpetual lease and small areas Occupation with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Agricultural lease Occupation lease under "The Mining Districts Land Occupation Act, 1894 " Village settlement, cash Village settlement, deferred payment Village settlement, perpetual lease Village settlement, occupation with right of purchase Village settlement, lease in perpetuity Village-homestead special settlement Special-settlement association, deferred payment Special-settlement association, perpetual lease .. Special-settlement association, lease in perpetuity Improved-farm special settlement Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs Coal and mineral leases Prospectors' mining leases Timbsr licenses and other leases, and sale of timber Plax-eutting.. Miscellaneous leases .. Transfer, lease, and license fees, <fec. Rents of reserves Miscellaneous Crown-grant fees State forests Survey liens on Native lands Survey fees which do not form part payment of land Survey fees which do form part payment of land - 249 0 9 834 4 7 13,582 6 5 6,623 7 2 408 13 4 358 0 0| 170 7 7 •■ 102 16 9 159 16 4 5 0 0 63 15 0 164 7 4 6,051 18 4 3,375 10 0 - -- 0 12 6 1,157 12 3 60 5 10 3,691 2 2! 404 6 4l 185 3 3 6,894 15 9 4 440 11 6 - " 1 11 5 8 18 3 2 13 6 289 19 8 9,872 17 5 5,916 10 0 28 10 0 " 1,86410 5 335' 8 0 536 14 3 32 10 2 601 13 3 1,026 1 6 36 17 5 ; .. •• 30 10 S ■ 496 4 5 2,895 14 11 27 19 1 12 6 24 11 6 17 12 6 •• 27 12 0 668 1 3 1,637 0 10 3 11 9 " 12 11 7 182 0 2 47 8 7 562 3 2 25 18 8 150 0 11 1,233 1 7 217 13 7 1,062 11 4 3,810 19 1 4,862 0 9 14 13 4 313 15 5 13 9 5 2 19 4 59 18 4 23 8 2 3 9 81 0 13 6 7 14 5 137 19 11 815 9 4 140 18 7 48 7 2 '.'. 80 5 10 109 0 8 359 8 6 133 4 8 407 12 4 1,410 14 1 1,919 10 9 155 6 4 28 17 11 150 14 1 1 11 8 333 1 7 140 6 10 1,781 12 1 785 1 6 3,355 2 6 40,858 15 10 36,507 6 6 14 13 4 946 3 4 386 10 0 45 6 8 410 10 8 7 18 9 1,785 6 3 3,198 19 10 325 12 11 403 10 2 526 16 10 617 16 3 601 5 10 75 0 0 17,560 7 0 660 5 0 1,442 9 1 643 3 0 137 1 2 880 8 2 171 12 10 17,735 11 7 2,208 11 6 116 1 8 238 18 6 2,782 7 3 762 4 1 53 0 0 240 0 0 754 8 9 207 2 0 156 19 0 176 18 8 60 18 7 57 0 2 61 9 4 737 8 8 1,247 9 1 325 6 5 -- 27 3 6 83 3 2 224 5 0 312 2 3 1,763 19 5 39 4 8 56 17 6 16 6 3 76 7 10 4,736 0 6 3,105 10 11 2,070 18 10 2,166 17 9 197 14 5 335 7 6 505 1 2 725 9 7 1,706 8 6 148 18 9 99 9 6 1,598 7 8 I 73 17 6 330 0 0 769 5 7 102 10 0 1,689 19 0 491 19 3 138 4 0 255 6 6 39 4 4 76 4 5 - 2,749 16 5 3,947 1 8 467 0 9 25 3 6 206 1 9 164 8 0 879 6 6 21 12 6 7 4 9 832 16 1 1,186 18 1 209 15 0 8,607 14 2 122 3 7 212 18 4 169 7 0 38 15 0 100 5 1 5,657 18 0 12,972 6 3 31,140 14 10 25,856 2 8 57 3 0 1,132 1 7 275 9 1 9 11 0 33 0 0 1,005 11 1 327 11 6 342 10 C 2,786 10 10 103 3 4 139 6 11 426 0 5 52 3 5 76 0 5 390 16 6 70 15 10 •• 293 9 10 737 0 2 3,709 10 5 375 2 1 1,128' 4 9| 176 19 8 48 7 2 6,104 10 3 5,288 18 6 27,896 7 8 69,617 5 9 3,144 13 1 230 10 0 30,203 3 8 1,017 11 9 4,531 18 11 2,922 2 8 6,192 1 4 5,340 7 3 700 3 9 20,580 6 0 3,884 '14 9 193 3 3 51 7 0 200 11 0 797 7 2 86 3 3 67 15 11 1,336 18 10 __ 71 5 2 24' 0 3 11 12 0 39 15 0 21 10 0 .. .. •• -- -• -- •• Totals 74,914 12 1 327,239 5 3 20,884 10 0 23,525 18 2l 52,541 7 8 9,838 8 8 !l4,248 12 111 !l2,996 13 8 47,788 7 7 54,347 12 10 16,153 1 8 * Includes £50 15s. laid on account of an exrlian; e.

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96

Table 19.—Return of Gross Revenue received during the Year ended 31st March, 1907— continued.

System. Auckland. Hawke's Bay. Taranaki. Wellington. Nelson. Marlborough. Westland. Canterbury. Otago. Southland. Totals. £ s. d. 74,914 12 1 £ s. d. 20,884 10 0 £ s. d. 23,525 18 2 £ s. d. .2,541 7 8 £ s. d. 9,838 8 8 £ a. d. 14,248 12 11 £ s. d. 12,996 13 8 £ s. d. 47,788 7 7 £ s. d. 54,347 12 10 £ s. d. 16,153 1 8 £ s. d. 327,239 5 3 Brought forward Lands foe Settlements. Cash Lease in perpetuity Lease in perpetuity, village .. ,.. Special-settlement associations Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs.. Miscellaneous 70 2 6 13,525 9 0 - 271* 0 5 8 0 0 34,684 11 11 21 8 11 4,118' 2 6 3,20313 6 13,503 2 6 1,300 13 5 100 0 0 12,064 15 8| 5,860' 5 10 574 'lS 1 .. 163 7 5 58,016 14 5 147 1 1 9,513 9 8 27,925' 11 6 292 14 1 1,488 13 11 121 13 0 141 5 11 3 0 0 9,384 9 7 96' 18 8 344 9 I! 172,883 6 ! 314 3 ( 147 1 : 22,643 4 i 121 13 ( 9,989 15 ! 206,443 12 II 3,384' 3 4 17,250 15 3 966' 3 7 269 17 8 3,361 11 2 712* 1 2 i' 0 0 504 18 8 648' 13 9 Totals 39,798 6 11 3,473 11 2 575 18 1 08,345 11 3 18,165 7 1 18,737 2 8 [29,969 18 5 10,127 2 0 Cheviot Estate. Cash sales Lease in perpetuity Village homesteads Grazing-farms Pastoral runs.. Miscellaneous leases Miscellaneous •• •• •• - - •• " •• 379 19 6 5,836 7 10 836 17 11 6,209 10 7 193 3 8 219 6 5 379 19 ( 5,836 7 II 836 17 I! 6,209 10 ' 193 3 i 219 6 I - Totals ! 1 13,675 5 11 -- •- -- -- •• -- -• 13,675 5 l: Rotorua Town Council 1,762 4 0 897 18 5 1,762 4 0 •• •• Endowment lands 344 0 6 5,316 3 6 964 3 3 27,567 6 0 47 0 0j 463 14 7 16,099 10 2 1,750 17 0 1,683 18 7 •• Thermal-springs Districts Act: Rents .. 47 5 0 47 5 0 " Native Townships Act, 1895 " 153 11 3 434 18 6 692 14 8 1 .. < | 1 • 1,281 4 5 •• Workers' Dwellings Aot 89 8 1 -- -- 106 4 6 21 4 7 -- 216 17 2 Grand totals 95,115 14 1 61,461 15 11 25,937 18 10 32,985 15 7 15,323 8 9 131,514 7 11 89,633 14 9 27,046 9 4 71,969 8 6 |27,244 6 11 578,233 0

97

o.—l

Table 20. —Return of Lands reserved and alienated under Acts, or for Scrip.

Table 21 .— Forfeitures and Surrenders during the Year ended the 31st March, 1907, showing under each Tenure the Number of Selectors who have forfeited and surrendered their Holdings, and the Area and Rental of such Holdings.

13—C. 1.

District. Area reserved for various Purposes. ring t ear em Area granted in Satisfaction of Scrip. arc. Total Area alienated during the Year. Total Area reserved. granted under Acts, &c, from the Foundation of the Colony to the 31st March, 1907. Area granted under Acts. Auckland .. Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington .. Nelson Marlborough Westland .. Canterbury .. Otago Southland .. A. E. p. .. ! 92,279 2 31 3,353 0 19 1,989 0 2 .. j . 2,691 3 35 1,689 3 9 475 1 2 961 2 25 4,203 2 12 7,384 2 0 A. B. P. 15 0 28 A. E. P. A. E. P. 92,279 2 31 3,353 0 19 2,004 0 30 2,691 3 35 1,689 3 9 ! 475 1 2 3,541,729 0 3.': 401,084 2 18 -; 694,416 2 30" 1,335,779 1 37~ 848,253 2 27p 217,109 17" 149,371 2 30 ~ 1,544,841 2 24 a 706,161 2 38 -. 2,930,384 0 6 19 2 11 10 1 18 981 0 36 4,213 3 30 ; 7,384 2 0 Totals.. 115,028 2 15 45 0 17 115,073 2 32 12,369,131 3 20,2

Forfeitures. Surrenders. Tenure. Number. Area. Annual Rental. Number. Area. Annual Rental. Obdinaey Ceown Lands. A. B. P. 26 3 11 146 1 15 42,668 2 33 11,910 2 12 241 1 24 £ a. d. A. B. P. 103 2 0 47 0 18 1,408 0 14 4,864 3 39 346 0 25 £ s. d. Cash 1 2 126 69 7 3 4 0 1,372 9 11 372 3 11 15 7 6 2 1 5 21 11 4 14 0 31 5 4 129 1 2 16 4 0 Perpetual lease Occupation with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Mining Districts Occupation Act.. Village Settlement, — Occupation with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Homestead special settlement .. Special-settlement associations .. Improved farm special settlements Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs Miscellaneous 2 10 4 9 7 2 0 0 201 0 29 49 0 4 1,895 3 0 1,216 0 0 0 6 0 12 12 10 3 16 2 76 2 9 2 379 0 0 11 10 10 •5 11 17,367' 0 9 2,011 1 39 77,736 1 16 41 7 6 73 1 0 3 13 31 3,041 3 31 242,910 2 0 8,074 0 29 64 8 0 1,574 6 8 226 17 8 Total 253 1,970 11 7 89 261,175 1 36 2,058 7 8 Cheviot Estate. Miscellaneous 55 0 0 10 0 Total 55 0 0 10 0 Land foe Settlements. Lease in perpetuity Village lease in perpetuity Miscellaneous 28 1 1 4,096 1 38 0 2 16 181 1 32 616 9 10 0 12 0 155 7 4 12 1 1 2,195 1 39 0 2 0 17 2 18 588 14 4 0 16 0 7 10 0 Total .. .. :' .. 30 4,278 2 6 772 9 2 14 2,213 2 17 597 0 4 Grand totals 283 82,014 3 22 2,743 0 9 104 263,444 0 13 2,656 8 0 Native townships 15 2 29 20 6 0 2 3 37 13 1 6

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98

Table 22. —Return of Land taken up during the Year ended 31st March, 1907, within the Thermal-springs District of Auckland.

Table 23. —Return of Lands disposed of under "The Native Townships Act, 1905," for the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

Locality. "3 ii u g CD 5 -o o z £ z % .ken up during the Year. sn up di Yea Area. luring tbe Net Area held on 31st Selectors in Arrear on 31st ir. March, 1907. March, 1907. Amount " o m received -$ . I Yearly jo Yearly during the <h g Rent pay- -o o! Area. Rent pay- Year. W ol Area. Amount, able/ B£ able." g| fc 1 " I , \__\ \__ a. e. p. £ s. d. a. e. p.j £ s. d. £ s. d.j a. b. p. £ s. d. 110 40 10 0 3106,080 0 24l2,188 16 4 1809 9 0 26 450 0 0 167 2 2 ;otorua*.. • Inclusive of Rotorua Town Counoil lands.

Land District. Name of Township. Name Date of Proclamation. Date Area of Township. Date when opened - Pro- for Sale - , ■ -, Offered, claimed. Taken up during the Year. No Area Ren JNo. Area. payab Area. Rent payable. A. B. p. 190 0 0 78 3 0 485 0 0 23 3 37 55 0 19 497 0 0 383 0 0 90 0 0 497 1 0 366 0 0 490 0 0 138 0 0 I 49 0 18 A. B. p. A. E. P. £ s. d. Auckland Hawke's Bay Kaimakau Rotoiti Parawai .. Te Puru .. Kaiewa .. Te Puia .. Te Araroa Tuatini .. Waipiro .. Pipiriki .. Tokaanu .. Potaka Parata j 14 July, 1897 8 June, 1900 29 June, 1900 26 Sept., 1901 16 Oct., 1902 13 July, 1898 4 Oct., 1899 14 Sept., 1899 25 Oct., 1900 5 Aug., 1896 11 Mar., 1897 26 July, 1899 14 Aug., 1899 29 Aug., 1899 1 Aug., 1902 4 3 0 42 0 26 2 0 25 25 1 23 166 1 32 206 0 1 39 0 29 338 1 27 254 3 30 198 0 0 80 2 6 14 Oct., 1898 14 July, 1904 80 June, 1904 30 June, 1904 30 June, 1904 15 Feb., 1900 14 Dec, 1900 16 Jan., 1901 10 Feb., 1904 27 July, 1897 17 June, 1898 9 May, 1900 'a 9 4 64 8 0 10 0 28 2 3 37 9"s 0 37' 2 6 13 1 6 Wellington 2 1 2 2 0 0 1 0 10' 0 0 1 15 0 33 0 4 11 Sept., 1900 Hokio 39 3 30 19 2 25 11 Mar., 1903 4 3 1 38 6 5 0 Totals 22 84 0 23 77 12 0 Land District. Name of Township. Net Area held on 31st March, 1907. Forfe 1 di tures nring or Sun the Yei renders ir. Rent paid during Year. INumber. Area. I Rent payable. Number. *-■ | ReT 1 A. B. P. £ s. d. A. B. P. £ s. d. £ s. d. uckland Kaimakau Hotoiti Parawai .. Te Puru .. Karewa .. TePuia .. Te Araroa Tuatini .. Waipiro .. Pipiriki .. Tokaanu .. Potaka Parata Hokio 25 14 30 8 21 28 23 31 42 2!) 56 19 22 7 10 9 3 14 10 0 37 2 0 22 136 3 32 203 1 6 33 1 29 319 1 15 197 0 0 86 1 37 85 3 37 28 2 27 10 3 31 64 5 0 66 2 6 110 12 6 31 2 6 77 0 6 82 19 0 119 5 0 184 2 6 165 6 10 216 8 4 193 4 0 90 4 0 15 11 0 48 8 9 47 9 3 46 8 3 11 5 0 79 6 9 69 7 0 98 12 3 187 12 6 155 8 8 164 10 0 205 3 6 158 2 0 9 10 6 i 0 1 16 3 0 0 lawke's Bay Vellington 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 37 13 1 6 5 12 10 0 5 2 0 3 10 0 0 10 15 0 4 1 11 11 11 0 Totals 348 1,131 2 7 1,416 3 8 18 2 26 ! 33 7 6 1,281 4 5

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Table 24. —Return showing the Area of Bush felled on Lands sold or leased by the Crown from 1st April, 1895, to 31st March, 1907.

Table 25. —Statement of the Number of Selectors on the Books of the Lands and Survey Department on 31st March, 1907.

99

District. Felled during the j Felled during the j Year on Lands taken i Year on Lands taken Total felled up during up in at 31st March, 1906. the Year 1905-1906. j Previous Years. Total felled at 31st March, 1907. Auckland Hawke's Bay .. Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough .. Westland Canterbury Otago Southland Totals — A. B. P. 4,296 0 0 2,140 0 0 920 0 0 3,340 0 0 320 0 0 200 0 0 3,000 0 0 15' 0 0 722 0 0 14,953 0 0 — ■ — A. E. P. 9,535 0 0 9,794 0 0 1,650 0 0 14,100 0 0 6,700 0 0 1,500 0 0 1,800 0 0 185 0 0 752 0 0 46,016 0 0 104,244 0 0 111,258 0 0 42,070 0 0 655,320 0 0 26,237 0 0 90,357 0 0 56,820 0 0 118,075 0 0 123,192 0 0 47,580 0 0 672,760 0 0 33,257 0 0 92,057 0 0 61,620 0 0 23,151 0 0 10,245 0 0 23,351 0 0 11,719 0 0 1,119,702 0 0 1,183,611 0 0

Deferred Perpetual Payment. Lease. Occupation with Right of Purchase. c CD . 00 r- CC T3 c-a 9 fl s fl fl g 03 o 03 > °rl O Lease in Perpetuity. CO . j . g fl Ui CD il CO . r_ iJ _ fi Cfl _ .r- 4J f- 0) O 5 c3 > cd "2 -— »aj 5 O CQ p CD CO cS <D ! 1-3 I 'cS C • -"I CD • . 3 Srg -3 ISM Occupation Lease under " The Mining Districts Land Occupation Act, 1894." ii CD CD s s 01 >- 3 c3" IS Ph CQt_s oo £ &0 t c3 00 oi 43 o i B & a % Is i? It — CD oi .-s 05 B S — -SflS cc ca u01 hhO Mil Vil mi in] age Sel snt, Lei ?erpettr ;tleise lity. District. CO T3 O r-l H O fl oo . fl w fl nd O oj s H CO fl C g c3 grq ' I s 01 z. in o fl 9 o o c CD . B -Tj rrj s fl fl H rS r S «3 2^ CD O rf > CO O CO i5§ . SCO fl ® ° 3 « •< i CO -fl S g > c3 OH U O ° B "2 -a S fl fl fl CO s § g CO O r4 O CO So .fl o> . SCO c 01 o h! oi CQ rs fl 01 . §■3 S fl O c3 fl M « aickland ..19 lawke's Bay .. 1 'aranaki .. I 1 Vellington .. 1 Telson .. ! 91 larlborough .. Vestland ... ianterbury .. 5 )tago .. j 14 Southland .. 5 220 12 13 21 12 5 7 23 187 64 1 17 2,306 245 428 655 191 40 106 26 254 324 7 1,218 202 469! 492! 325 313 471| 242 7851 337 529 419 35 310 23 4 182 i 9 51 62 10 14 306 27 1,138 515 225 11 32 19 6 80 i 9 11 18 117 292 118 68 9 43 7 2 2 21 15 80 8 3 4 i 16 12 i 15 243 42 31 i 564 46 4,575 4,854 118 3,504 !l58 15 524 80 45 4 Totals .. 137 11 117 31 .70 I iVilli stei I Se t,ge-hoi ,d Spei itleme: tierial it. Spe sett! Associ icialemei iatio: it IS. Improvedfarm Special Settlements. Smal Grazing-) oi ■ ■ H B " §H *V o bo"> a cd 16 5 Pastoral. iiscel laneoui District. co B C o HJ HH O _g > m co M s -*3 fl 00 . r- tn Ore 6 g o to T3iJ s H CO _ a fl co" o M o co O fl r-. to 'a § J |r-J CD CO to ■a o-s s *•? g 00 rX 01 CJ fc, CO . s-i C CD O CD *+•< a cd i rS i J S <3 | J <8 ins. IS CC . SCO <70 5 fl O <£ rC lJ fl M ED T3 sS u O • ■s'n 3 • ai o dj : S M 2 J -a i-S-5 B •J to cii O o =3 SH 1° M «> I C O CQ H T3 CD QQ CD S o X rrt l-W -W , _ CD g H --. -w e « u fe <fi ■ > CO 3 r—I & M lq r-H « fl . <D • SCO & fl I O <8 00 .9 » =o S c -3 * do co g P3 .£ CD HH si eel EH fc Total. Auckland .. lawke's Bay 'aranaki .. Vellington Jelson larlborough Vestland .. lanterbury )tago Southland 37 27 648 •• I 69 14 86 431 51 15 118 220 2 134 17 14 85 17 84 7 91 7 16 *7 ■i '« 131 17 29 2 55 193 140 216 92 1 207 85 120 262 648 110 243 614 735 369 13 9 2 9 22 2 1 7 326 19 | 310 j • • 77 103 168 5,526 1,361 1,443 3,384 1,745 1,040 1,071 3,156 3,608 2,036 20 17 10 27 " i I •• 54 1 37 54 12 260 72 51 92 57 30 14 .. ii :: .. " 55 273 19 44 9 2 .. I ii I 3 l 49 •• i | .. 2 6 7 62 6 18 I 3 12 4 ! •■ '.'. 47 Totals .. 1105 92 77 I 644 11 451 153 645 | 112 35 | 875 l 2 14 3,893 62 191 386 52 310 348 24,370 49

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100

Table 26. —Statement showing the Total Number of Crown Tenants, with Area selected or held, the Yearly Rent payable, and Rent in Arrear on 31st March, 1907.

Tenure. Total Total Total Amount of Number Total Area held by Yearly Rental suoh Rents or of such Tenants. or Instalment Payments in Tenants. payable. Arrear. Oedinaey Ceown Lands. Deferred payment Perpetual lease Occupation with right of purchase .. Lease in perpetuity Agricultural lease Homestead Mining Districts Land Occupation Act Village settlements — Deferred payment Perpetual lease .. .. Occupation with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Village-homestead special settlements — Perpetual lease Lease in perpetuity Special-settlement associations — Deferred payment Perpetual lease Lease in perpetuity Improved-farm special settlements .. Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs Miscellaneous leases 137 564 4,575 4,854 15 524 11 117 31 570 30,741 1 10 105,521 1 29 1,454,983 1 21 1,387,541 0 0 514 1 21 22*881 3 36 225 2 0 1,703 3 31 61 1 10 11,986 3 25 £ s. d. 1,491 16 9 3,743 7 4 54,511 17 6 43,865 19 1 22 10 3 l,35i 12 0 23 4 8 258 8 0 12 7 10 2,148 6 4 £ s. d. 75 5 3 162 7 11 1,301 15 8 1,057 4 3 149 8 8 1 10 0 19 9 10 19 0 16 1 1 239 866 4,607 0 19 18,438 1 18 612 13 10 2,723 5 7 32 5 10 193 19 0 10 634 604 645 875 3,393 669 0 8 113,487 3 2 74,396 1 2 1,407,795 2 14 11,214,285 2 6 697,939 1 4 48 4 0 5,886 13 6 4,155 3 6 28,950 13 0 71,559 15 10 14,182 7 3 0 8 5 267 0 0 573 10 9 736 0 2 246 13 2 670 18 2 Totals 18,664 16,547,780 0 16 235,548 6 3 5,505 7 2 Cheviot Estate. Lease in perpetuity .. Village-homestead special settlement Grazing-farms Pastoral runs Miscellaneous 118 92 49 1 62 24,392 1 2 2,480 1 0 45,846 1 26 1,642 0 0 1,389 0 22 6,450 14 6 870 10 4 6,871 13 2 193 3 8 283 0 10 7 14 7 12 1 3 556 2 3 2 17 11 Totals 322 75,750 0 10 14,669 2 6 578 16 0 Land foe Settlements Acts. Lease in perpetuity Lease in perpetuity, village Special-settlement associations Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs Miscellaneous 3,504 45 11 112 2 191 648,481 0 10 446 3 28 2,114 1 9 207,508 0 30 953 2 38 11,540 3 37 195,129 14 4 339 15 10 162 7 8 26,799 17 6 121 13 0 1,810 13 10 4,727 1 7 14 11 0 280 1 9 59 14 7 Totals 3,865 871,045 0 32 224,364 2 2 5,081 8 11 Workers' dwellings 52 9 3 35 1,345 0 0 Thermal Springs (Rotorua) 310 6,080 0 24 2,188 16 4 167 2 2 Grand totals 23,213 17,500,665 1 37 398,603 2 15 478,115 7 3 28,583 19 8 11,332 14 3 224 7 4 Endowments 809 Native townships 348 1,131 2 7 1,416 3 8 397 8 6

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Table 27.—Endowments: Lands taken up during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

Cash Lands. Occupation with Right of Purchase. Lease in Perpi ituity. Small Grazing-runs. District. Nature of Endowments. o 2 if Area. Amount realised. a Area. Annual Rental. CO a 3 Area. Annual Rental. CO a 3 Area. Annual Rental. Museum"» '_-" *.. Rotorua College and Grammar School Wanganui Harbour Wanganui River Trust.. Westport Harbour A. R. P. 10 0 £ s. d. 30 0 A. B. P. 1 776 2 0 £ s. d. 9 14 4 A. B. P. £ s. d. A. B. P. £ s. d. Auckland :. 1 Wellington 51 12 3 0 288 0 0 268 il 4 Nelson •• •• il 4,799 2 38 100 16 4 4 9,733 i 0 Totals 9 14 4 11 4,799 2 38 4 9,733 1 0 52 13 3 0 318 0 0 1 776 2 0 100 16 4 268 11 4 Hauraki Pastoral Leases. Occupation Leases u Districts Land Occupi ader Mining .tion Act, 1894. Thermal Springs. Miscellaneous. I Si a 3 Area. District. Nature of Endowments. ■r. 01 SI 3 S5 ,„, Annual Area - Rental. Area. u CD "5 Area. 1 Annual Rental. Annual Rental. =-- IT. o u 2 « Area. Annual Rental. A. P. P. 270 0 0 £ s. d. 5 0 0 A. B. P. £ s. d. A. B. P. £ s. d. A. B. P. £ s. d. Auckland .. Museum Rotorua College and Grammar School Wanganui Harbour Wanganui River Trust.. Westport Harbour 1 18 4 2 0 164 0 0 .. Wellington I Nelson 1 20 0 0 o io o 29 1,025 i 33 86 1G 6 Totals 1 1 20 0 0 0 10 0 18 4 2 0 164 0 0 29 1,025 1 33 86 16 6 270 0 0 5 0 0

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102

Table 28. —Endowments: Return of Revenue received during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

Table 29. —Summary of Cheviot Estate Eeceipts for the Financial Year ending 31st March, 1907. £ a. d. £ s. d. Cash land sales .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 379 19 6 Rents, lease in perpetuity .. .. .. .. .. .. 6,673 5 9 grazing-farms .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6,209 10 7 miscellaneous and pastoral leases .. .. .. .. .. 409 19 7 13,292 15 11 £13,672 15 5 Table 30. —Cheviot Estate : Return of Outlay and Incoma at 31st March, 1907. Dr. Outlay. £ s . <j. Purchase-money .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 260,220 0 0 Roads-construotion .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 45,158 10 0 Surveys .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6,411 9 11 Landing-service—Administration and contingencies to 31st March, 1906 '.. .. .. 12,318 12 10 Landing-service —Administration and contingencies, Ist April, 1906, to 31st March, 1907 .. 34 2 1 Interest to 31st March, 1906 .. .. .. '. .. .. .. .. 113,856 1111 Interest, Ist April, 1906, to 31st March, 1907 .. .. .. .. .. .. 8,866 2 6 Cheese-factory .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 900 0 0 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. £447,765 9 3 Cr. Income. CashFreehold disposed of .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 39,576 15 10 Rents and royalties to 31st March, 1906 .. .. .. .. .. .. 175,244 4 7 Rents and royalties, Ist April, 1906, to 31st March, 1907 .. .. ..' .. .. 13,292 15 11 Interest to 31st March, 1906 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,556 10 11 Interest, Ist April, 1906, to 31st Maroh, 1907 Shipping and port charges .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,828 3 11 Rents and interest unpaid at 31st March, 1907. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,786 8 2 Balance .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 210,480 9 11 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. £447,765 9 3

Tenure. i Revenue received. I Gash lands Perpetual lease made freehold .. Deferred payments Perpetual lease and small areas Occupation with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Mining Districts Land Occupation Aot Village-homestead special settlement Village lease in perpetuity Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs Coal and mineral leases Timber licenses and royalties .. Miscellaneous leases Rents of reserves Thermal Springs District £ s. d. 316 10 0 80 4 6 599 10 8 30 12 0 1,670 17 5 94 19 3 272 12 7 18 18 9 1,107 11 4 4,897 0 0 16,415 6 7 798 1 2 126 17 3 1,056 4 6 82 0 0 Total £27,567 6 0

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Table 31.—Summary of Arrears due to the Crown on 31st March, 1907.

103

O co oi R g_oo fl 01 Exclusive of current Halfyear's Rent. Inclusive of current Half-year's _ Rent. ° CO ! SH U B S g ~ , Amount goo a in Arrear. Exclusive of current Halfyear's Rent. "o ™ . 00 A o B£ Amount [z|cn Area - , in arrear. *0 a. si a B2 r. Ol Inclusive of curt Re] •ent Half year's at. I ' Tenure. Tenure. Amount in Arrear. Amount in Arrear. Area. Area. i Oedinary Cbown Lands. Deferred payment Petpetual lease Occupaticn with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Agricultural lease Mining Districts Land Occupation Act Village settlements on deferred payment Village settlements on perpetual lease Village settlements on occupation with right of purchase Village settlements on lease in perpetuity Viilage-homestead special settlements Special-settlement associations Improved farms Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs Miscellaneous (not otherwise specified) 10 39 215 175 43 1 4 4 A. B. P. 1,263 2 36 6,577 0 17 37,644 2 11 38,484 2 21 2,574 1 20 49 3 31 55 1 28 3 0 0 £ s. d. 75 5 3 162 7 11 1,301 15 8 1,057 4 3 149 8 8 1 10 0 19 9 10 19 0 54 92 612 604 j 129 4 26 4 A. B. p. 7,484 1 20 14,861 1 28 142,852 3 33 124,141 0 13 5,676 3 7 70 2 37 280 2 8 3 0 0 £ s. d. 308 11 5 409 19 7 3,432 13 1 2,765 14 9 305 14 3 5 15 4 54 1 9 2 3 6 Cheviot Estate. Lease in perpetuity.. Village - homestead special settlements Grazing-farms Miscellaneous Totals Land foe Settlements. Lease in perpetuity.. Village lease in perpetuity Small grazing-runs.. Miscellaneous 174 7 A. B. P. £ s. d. 1 25 3 0 14 7 3 44 1 38 I 12 1 3 ! 9 ! 8,199 2 0 | 556 2 3 2 ! 105 3 38 i 2 17 11 15 30,025 2 6 47 0 12 8,375 2 36 578 16 0 4,727 1 7 14 11 0 4 8 44 18 1 74 421 17 A. B. P. 1,287 2 0 109 2 36 39,509 0 26 645 2 38 41,552 0 20 j 66.610 2 3 105 0 12 £ s. d. 106 18 9 40 18 8 3,485 11 2 109 17 3 3,743 5 10 12,138 2 ( 56 16 1( 19 190 1 23 16 1 1 85 1,881 1 7 341 12 0 3 6 I 9,001 0 0 298 1 30 I 280 1 9 59 14 7 10 27 19,773 2 5 743 0 21 1,160 16 : 206 17 i 45 806 1 7 226 4 10 142 3,467 3 34 453 1 10 Totals 190 475 25 4,237 0 38 267 8 5 60 10,745 1 34 539 13 9 39,372 0 8 5,081 8 11 87,232 1 1 13,562 12 1 ! I 42 32 38 113 6,284 3 37 53,766 2 22 91,207 2 9 19,023 3 21 573 10 9 736 0 2 246 13 2 670 18 2 118 236 139 500 14,734 0 12 496,408 2 25 992,054 2 35 131,221 0 13 1,066 11 11 6,276 15 5 2,781 18 1 2,740 6 3 Thermal Springs, Rotorua 26 450 0 0 j ! 167 2 2 62 1,486 0 14 320 7 i I : i Grand totals 1,036 |310,367 2 5 11,332 14 3 3,416 ,076,154 2 21 39,110 19 Totals |2,805 1,945,884 0 26 21,484 12 11 Native Townships .. 63 103 2 39 397 8 6 805 1262,169 3 1 5,505 7 2 132 331 2 6 565 3

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104

Table 32. — Return showing Position and Transactions in Improved-farm Settlements from their Commencement to 31st March, 1907.

Name of Settlement. Areap. Dates of Gazette Proclamation. Number Number of Settlers of remaining Sections in in each Occupation Settlement. on 31 Mar., '07. Number of Persons resident. Area occupied. Area felled. Area grassed. Number of Cattle or other Stock on Allotments. Roads felled and formed or partially formed during the Year. Amount paid Past ai to Selectors for Improvements: id Present Transactions. Rent and Interest paid Value of by Selectors. Improvements now on the During the From Com- Land including Year ending mencement of ,.7, p \ 31 Mar., '07 System. by Government. For Houses. For Bushfelling and other Works. Total Payments. Auckland — Te Rau-a-moa Paemako Mangatu Awatuna Katui Rangatira Tawai Karu Kakepuku .. Acres. 1,519 1,412 1,100 1,000 1,000 1,000 411 1,924 2,738 1896, p. 655 1897, p. 5 1895, p. 803 1895, p. 863 1895, p. 863 1895. p. 863 1896, p. 1541 j 1904, p. 1098 i 1904, p. 1904 I 10 10 13 j 10 10 3 10 1 10 4 10 2 19 7 11 3 16 10 109 50 30 41 24 3 21 5 32 A. E. p. 1,424 2 32 1,221 2 38 298 0 0 100 0 0 292 0 0 200 0 0 91 3 27 1,555 0 0 1,536 0 0 Acres. 1,060 113 166 40 170 66 80 Acres. 1,120 578 166 32 158 56 76 30 86 583 380 90 8 70 22 45 30 30 Mis. ch. •• .. - £ s. d. 237 16 2 337 8 0 184 8 3 122 2 11 165 11 4 45 18 4 102 10 0 55 0 0 206 10 0 £ If. d. £ s. d. 1,737 16 1 1,975 12 3 372 6 8 709 14 8 1,466 17 8 1,651 5 11 989 12 11 ! 1,111 15 10 901 0 0 1,066 11 4 146 8 0 192 6 4 487 0 8 589 10 8 55 0 0 206 10 0 £ s. d. 48 16 1 78 7 9 2 19 0 7 2 3 95 6 0 3 15 4 7 12 10 2 17 0 2 6 0 £ s. d. 751 11 10 679 6 4 316 4 1 126 0 3 363 0 8 71 7 1 106 8 11 2 17 0 2 6 0 £ s. d. 7,171 11 2 2,798 11 0 1,060 0 0 130 0 0 880 0 0 350 0 0 880 1 0 260 15 0 705 16 6 •■ Totals 12,104 179 6,719 1 17 1,695 2,302 1,258 1,457 5 0 6,101 2 0 I 7,558 7 0 — 249 2 3 2,419 2 2 "14,236 14 8 •• Hawke's Bay — Waikopiro .. Akitio 1 1,880 145 1895, p. 79 1896, p. 655 15 15 2 2 70 | 1,771 0 0 145 0 0 1,770 145 1,770 I 145 | 442 139 14 4 20 0 0 1,708 5 0 ! 1,847 19 4 152 4 5 172 4 5 218 18 6 20 0 0 2,333 17 3 154 15 7 7,627 0 0 820 12 9 I •- Totals 2,025 17 17 70 1,916 0 0 1,915 1,915 442 159 14 4 238 18 6 | 2,488 12 10 8,447 12 9 •• 1,860 9 5 2,020 3 9 Taranaki — Ngaire Tongaporutu Mangaere Uruti Taumatatahi Whangamomona Poti Maata Huiroa Okau Derwent ; | 170 2.500 482 697 430 10,543 108 30 668 1,889 1,369 7 Feb., 1895 4 Oct., 1894 10 Jan., 1895 10 Jan., 1895 22 Oct., 1894 30 Jan., 1896 4 July, 1895 4 July, 1895 29 Nov., 1894 5 Mar., 1896 5 Mar., 1896 (15 Aug., 1895 I 27 Nov., 1902 17 Sept., 1896 27 Oct., 1897 18 Feb., 1904 18 Feb., 1904 (19 Mar, 1904 Nil Jan., 1906 (19 July, 1906 16 15 16 4 13 11 7 5 4 4 111 59 8 8 3 3 9 , 7 19 2 13 5 26 37 44 21 1 163 | 18 2 26 30 30 159 2 30 450 1 16 442 2 16 502 0 0 404 0 0 I 7,527 1 17 108 0 0 30 0 0 563 1 23 184 0 14 696 0 0 166 529 460 494 290 5,205 106 30 522 506 596 166 529 460 494 290 5,205 106 30 522 506 596 130 409 247 144 600 2,712 77 18 461 257 380 -- I I •■ - 262 10 0 200 0 0 132 10 0 . 79 0 0l 70 0 0 827 10 0 120 0 0 50 0 0 93 10 0 137 10 0 192 10 0 311 7 9 922 13 11 574 2 0 817 7 0 281 14 2 6,859 3 5 173 15 3 58 1 8 587 3 0 1,010 1 6 1,123 11 5 573 17 9 1,122 13 11 706 12 0 896 7 0 351 14 2 7,686 13 5 293 15 3 108 1 8 680 13 0 1,147 11 6 1,316 1 5 43 11 5 33 11 3 61 11 11 55 17 0 33 1 11 536 14 10 37 11 11 7 3 2 40 14 11 14 8 8 79 16 9 448 12 6 445 9 9 521 19 1 490 6 9 301 14 9 4,305 12 6 361 11 11 69 17 11 454 5 4 166 11 10 611 3 8 1,557 0 1,595 0 2,321 0 1,570 0 1,366 0 19,887 0 1,324 0 249 0 j 2,257 0 1,380 0 2,079 0 Nihoniho 3,190 \ 23 21 41 2,862 1 28 942 1,009 595 133 0 0 820 0 11 953 0 11 104 0 4 269 8 10 4,073 0 Greenlands .. Mangapoua .. Totoro Mangapapa .. 603 j 702 6,508 5,322 6 2 7 2 36 34 29 29 9 7 62 113 199 1 10 200 0 0 6,250 0 0 5,328 0 9 236 108 831 1,086 236 108 1,300 1,457 119 116 474 615 50 0 0 30 0 0 i 87 10 0 360 0 0 629 0 3 286 5 6 372 11 1 798 2 5 679 0 3 316 5 6 460 1 1 1,158 2 5 15 8 8 15 8 0 34 4 6 61 19 8 174 14 9 94 12 10 34 4 6 61 19 8 795 0 490 0 3,334 0 5,042 0 Paorae 7,812 | i 41 41 77 7,726 1 37 702 746 I 300 162 10 0 648 5 7 810 15 7 72 4 2 72 4 2 2,757 0 Totals 1 43,023 361 252 707 33,633 3 0 12,809 13,760 7,654 2,988 0 0 I Il6,273 6 10 19,261 6 10 1,247 9 1 8,884 10 9 52,076 0 1 ! I I ; 1 1 I i 1 I !

105

α-i.

Wellington — Pemberton .. 1,390 Kawhatau .. .. 1,000 Hautapu .. 1,204 £ Masterton-Tenni 1,168 20 Dec, 1894 • 10 Sept., 1897 2 Feb., 1903 31 Oct., 1894 31 Oct., 1894 18 Sept., 1895 24 Sept., 1896 30 Apr., 1896 21 Dec, 1896 20 Apr., 1898 23 Aug., 1898 ,24 May, 1899 2 Oct., 1894 19 Dec, 1894 7 Apr., 1896 27 Dec, 1899 7 Apr., 1896 16 Nov., 1897 ■ 20 Apr., 1898 2 Dec, 1898 .27 Mar., 1904 ( 1 Sept., 1896 110 Nov., 1897 113 Dec, 1897 (19 Mar., 1902 /21 Dec, 1896 114 Oct., 1897 115 Aug., 1898 -(19 Apr., 1899 17 Sept., 1901 28 Oct., 1901 '10 Dec, 1903 24 May, 1899 24 May, 1899 19 Sept., 1901 3 April, 1902 (26 Aug., 1904 ]22 Oct., 1904 12 Nov., 1903 12 Nov., 1903 19 Sept., 1901 13 11 8 12 80 38 40 1,060 0 33 666 2 24 1,074 0 0 1,200 638 850 1,200 638 850 1,459 921 618 2,133 4,994 146 143 1,704 2,422 1,510 227 0 0 230 0 0 265 0 0 1,828 10 1 959 14 6 859 2 10 2,055 10 1 1,189 14 6 1,124 2 10 223 6 9 114 6 0 115 14 1 2,431 6 5 1,170 8 3 1,098 5 11 8,970 0 0 6,100 0 0 5,320 0 0 12 12 I L .. . . 1 f 12 44 11 36 44 25 1,065 1 37 3,810 2 0 1,000 3,612 1,000 3,391 220 0 0 606 10 0 627 0 1 3,084 9 1 847 0 1 ; 3,690 19 1 109 4 11 435 8 41 1,059 18 3 3,173 5 8 j 5,300 0 0 10,188 16 9 P Akitio .. ... 4,880 (—' Horopito .. .. 2,000 Otaihape .. .. 200 12 10 3 8 5 71 300 0 0 178 2 34 142 178 142 178 60 0 0 259 0 0 333 1 4 405 12 0 393 1 4 664 12 0 39 14 3 36 17 11 219 14 10| 509 8 91 784 0 0 2,900 0 0 Ohutu .. 2,881 ) 34 34 135 2,894 3 26 2,310 2,310 307 0 0 1,634 0 11 1,941 0 11 266 14 5J j 1,840 14 lj 1 I 13,870 0 0 Otnarei .. ■ ■ 1,500 11 7 33 1,370 0 0 600 1,285 180 0 0 368 14 5 548 14 5 138 14 10 1 720 14 1 1 3,205 0 0 Rongoiti .. 1,087 8 5 21 492 2 0 816 87 10 0 376 13 1 464 3 1 65 18 2i 509 17 11 2,769 0 0 656 Mangatiti .. 5,356 36 24 27 3,164 3 38 3,154 2,991 2,526 306 15 0 3,033 18 0 3,340 13 0 | 2,677 2 4 8,659 8 9 ' 649 9 1 Oraukura .. .. 1,819 Sommerville 1,600 Taihape .. .. 567 Horowhenua .. 138 10 8 6 1 10 1 6 1 46 35 26 3 1,819 0 0 200 0 0 567 1 16 138 1 8 800 640 360 70 820 780 360 70 ! 570 586 230 15 141 0 0 101 0 0 30 0 0 10 0 0 365 17 2 181 14 9 73 10 0 30 0 0 506 17 2 282 14 9 103 10 0 40 0 0 222 3 2 115 5 6 71 15 9 18 0 10 702 12 8 386 1 1 156 10 8 18 0 10 4,550 0 0 2,540 0 0 2,028 0 0 270 0 0 Namunui .. .. 1,841 24 24 5 1,840 2 1 413 413 70 120 15 0 120 15 0 11 2 4 ! 11 2 4 ! 1,064 0 0 Raketapauma .. 3,141 Tapui .. .. 600 o oti 1 Kauaekeke .. 200 = ° £ Raketapauma .. «=■£ y Mangatiti n*M Otuarei Ss *• J Sommerville 16 3 16 3 1 3 5 1 7 27 22 1 2,698 2 9 600 0 0 200 0 0 609 0 19 776 0 0 200 0 0 1,400 0 0 150 147 150 150 147 150 27 66 258 60 0 0 77 13 9 77 13 9 60 0 0 8 1 4 1 39 0 2! 5 12 6 8 14 39 0 21 5 12 6 470 0 0 710 0 0 420 0 0 1 .. ■• - - .. I ■• ! ; .. j 1 ■• i ■• •• ■• - Totals .. 32,572 272 - 237 17,070 14,360 7 0 17,451 2 0 2,677 10 4 16,737 18 1 80,118 5 6 684 27,126 3 5 17,691 |20,398 ! 3,090 15 0 _ .... Southland — Haldane (withdrawn, 2,057 Gazette 1906, p. 2505. 143 acres) Waikawa (withdrawn, ) Gazette 1904. p. 2154, I 860 908 acres) | Papatotara .. .. 1,480 Moturimu .. .. 670 1895, p. 176 1895, p. 1222 • 1895, p. 1447 (erratum) 1894, p. 1818 1895, p. 1526 } 22 8 19 4 69 11 2,087 0 18 776 1 5 1,423 1,386 714 449 394 10 0| 229 12 ol 4,613 4 1 3,581 4 2 5,007 14 1 3,810 16 2 112 0 7 39 7 & 805 18 11 186 10 3| 4,140 7 8 1,500 2 3 725 74 j 15 14 14 10 43 46 1,527 3 2 609 0 35 924 188 862 ! 193 ' 246 37 67 19 0 210 0 0 2,565 14 1 395 11 10 2,633 13 1 605 11 10 97 5 8 44 15 11 512 12 4 273 4 7 2,563 18 8 1,074 0 0 ] Totals .. .. 5,067 3,155 806 902 1 0 9,278 8 7 59 47 169 5,000 1 20 3,260 I •• 11,155 14 2 12,057 15 2 293 9 10 1,778 6 1 Grand totals .. 94,791 I 74,396 1 2 I 38,823 49.750 19 5 818 603 1,809 I 36.749 I 130.558 8,597 15 4 1 |58,348 14 9 I ,706 10 0 32,308 9 ll| 164,157 1 6

106

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Table 33 (Part I). —Return of Lands acquired and leased under the Land for Settlements Acts up to the Year which ended 31st March, 1907.

1 ion to Holdings ar. n Date when Land opened for Selection. flnS ' Area occupied ascertained by Roads XrpCor Deficiency. anlet - Area of Laud unlet, including Land forfeited, surrendered, or resumed and not relet, and also Land not yet offered for Selection. NewBi ilections and Additi during the Ye Total Lands leased i it Date. ' No. of ; Selectors. 1 Name of Settlement. Area. I ; Annual Rent payable. 1 No. of ' Selectors. 1 Area. Annual Rent now payable. _ i J i 1 L i I I , 1 I ucklaud — Opouriao Okauia Rangiatea .. Karapiro .. Fencourt .. Whitehall Bickerstaffe .. Matamata Feb. 12, 1896.. Feb. 21, 1898.. June 22, 1898.. Oct. 21, 1898.. Mar. 12, 1900.. April 9.1900.. Dec. 7,1903.. June 2,1904.. Dec. 18, 1905.. April 23, 1906.. April 22, 1902.. April 22, 1902.. April 22, 1902.. April 22, 1902.. April 22, 1902.. April 22, 1902.. Mar, 25, 1907..' Mar. 25, 1907.. A. K. P. A. R. P. 7,604 0 0 258 1 29 5,920 0 0 1,598 0 10 4,004 0 0 89 3 0 2,335 0 24 48 2 31 7,105 3 5 50 3 33 8,959 0 0 10 0 12,480 0 19 532 3 19 42,738 3 2 283 3 13 ]- 159,302 0 0 2,756 3 32 A. B. P. 755 3 30 3,451 2 20 848 3 26 110,027 0 28 2 1 "l 5 34 A. B. P. 280 2 0 64 1 15 1,954 2 0 706 3 0 34,877 0 36 £ s. d. I 10 16 2 I ! 13 12 6 I 1 1 398 1 2 • 90 4 8 I 1,293 12 6 104 7 19 18 34 10 31 I 178 58 A. R. P 7,343 0 11 3,566 0 0 3,914 1 0 2,286 1 33 7,054 3 12 8,958 0 0 1 8,495 2 20 41,597 1 7 46,515 3 20 £ s. d. 1,484 3 4 135 3 10 712 8 2 442 3 2 1,770 14 4 384 17 0 1,779 4 2 6,990 3 4 Selwyn Cradock Hamlet Hetana Hamlet Kitchener Hamlet Methuen Hamlet Plumer Hamlet Waari Hamlet .. Mangapouri .. Mangawhero 33 0 9 3 3 14 451 1 34 42 3 9 26 3 35 3 2 21 77 3 14 6 2 22 74 0 0 9 2 12 427 2 32 28 0 26 2,572 1 13 22 0 20 5,001 0 0 159 2 26 9 3 37 298 1 30 9 0 31 8 3 32 371 3 34 2,550 0 33 4,841 1 14 1 4 2 11 4 1 2 2 8 8 3 8 4 2 29 23 3 9 16 2 4 3 3 20 5 19 10 11 12 8 11 6 0 63 17 0 13 0 4 19 2 9 22 11 25 16 7 19 0 38 no 0 35 23 1 14 62 0 1 60 1 36 27 2 12 2,091 10 4 47 13 2 89 16 0 52 12 4 173 9 0 52 9 6 10 7 4 - - ■ ■ •- -- Totals 259,113 0 27 5,896 3 37 123,168 2 35 72 37,943 2 9 1,913 12 0 549 I 130,034 0 39 16,216 15 0 ilawke's Bay — Raureka Elsthorpe Waimarie Pouparae Tomoana Mahora Willows.. Hatuma Manga-a-toro Kumeroa Forest Gate Argyll .. Wigan .. .. Lindsay Mangatahi May 6, 1896.. June 24, 1896.. Sept. 9,1896.. April 21, 1897.. Mar. 2,1898.. Mar. 22, 1899.. Mar. 22, 1899.. April 25, 1901.. Jan. 21, 1902.. May 12, 1902.. May 19, 1902.. June 23, 1903.. Dec. 15, 1903.. April 11, 1905.. Feb. 5,1907.. ■ 427 2 0 9,740 0 0 430 2 10 337 3 4 111 3 38 1,133 3 0 775 1 36 26,522 3 20 19,581 3 12 3,774 2 38 8,822 0 13 33,705 1 30 10,072 1 37 13,574 0 0 12,391 1 37 11 1 2 145 1 27 4 2 16 1 1 32 1 3 35 17 1 5 649 1 2 159 3 12 29 2 38 65 0 15 102 2 37 27 2 1 290 2 18 119 1 3 2' 2 8 1 1 0 10 17 2 18 25 3 4 19 44 18 9 13 34 22 62 26 15 28 62 17 67 22 416 0 38 9,592 0 5 425 3 34 336 1 12 110 0 3 1,116 1 35 775 1 36 25,873 2 18 19,422 0 0 3,745 0 0 8,160 3 38 33,602 2 33 10,044 3 36 13,283 I 22 12,272 0 34 - 543 2 0 2,312 13 0 463 0 0 405 8 0 135 2 0 1,638 2 2 758 10 2 7,841 10 10 4,727 16 4 1,688 13 6 2,475 2 10 8,464 0 4 2,799 12 10 5,406 17 0 4,245 3 4 596 0 0 1 296 0 0 32 14 10 1 22 *2 10 12,272 0 34 2 10 0 4,245 3 4 Totals 141,401 3 35 1,626 0 3 598 2 8 26 12,588 1 12 4,305 11 6 458 139,177 1 24 43,904 14 4

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107

Taranaki — Tokaora Spotswood Ciandon Huinga Totals . Nov. 20, 1901.. .. May 5, 1903.. .. : Nov. 16, 1903.. .. Oct. 4, 1906.. 1,505 2 8 310 3 23 881 0 13 : 1,880 1 13 4,577 3 17 13 3 1 9 1 35 26 1 33 49 2 29 194 2 38 587 2 20 1 7 33 3 0 j I 1,266 1 0 j 37 19 4 801 4 0 18 11 6 7 1,491 3 7 106 2 30 881 0 13 1,266 1 0 1,582 12 4' 193 15 4 583 4 7 801 4 0 4,577 3 17 4,577 3 17 49 2 29 : 49 2 29 782 1 18 8 1,300 0 0 839 3 4 34 1 3 11 10 2 150 0 39 93 i8 0 318 2 18 139 17 4 631 2 0; 197 12 2 100 2 35 ! 72 18 10 1,379 3 7 I 1,249 10 0 2,605 0 0 j 663 13 10 ] 7,027 0 0 | 1,534 6 0 i 37 15 13 37 29 7 42 20 5 8 10 30 23 5 10 37 3,745 3 10 3,160 16 3 j '.Vellingtou — Paparangi Ohakea Te Matua Aorangi Langdale Mangawhata Epuni Hamlet .. Maungaraki Linton Longbush Tablelands Normandale Tawaha.. Hikawera Mahupuku Dyer i .. Feb. 28, 1898.. .. Dec 27, 1899.. .. Deo. 27, 1899.. .. April 5,1900.. .. Mar. 19, 1901.. .. May 14, 1901.. .. June 25, 1901.. .. Dee. 20, 1901.. .. Sept. 17, 1902.. .. June 16, 1903.. .. June 16, 1903.. .. Dec. 15, 1903.. .. Mar. 26, 1906.. .. June 5, 1906.. .. June 5,1906.. I June 25, 1906.. ) 1 Sept. 17, 1906.. ) ) ) 322 3 32 ; 1,745 1 30 702 0 19 1,785 0 0 9,405 0 0 1,240 2 36 , 100 3 14 ; 472 1 20 551 1 36 ; 3,021 3 26 ' 5,496 3 80 : 1,623 0 9 j 2,328 2 31 2,615 2 33 ! 7,064 2 25 6,657 0 0 322 3 32 ; 1,745 1 30 702 0 19 1,785 0 0 9,405 0 0 1,240 2 36 , 100 3 14 ; 472 1 20 551 1 36 ; 3,021 3 26 ' 5,496 3 80 : 1,623 0 9 j 2,328 2 31 2,615 2 33 ! 7,064 2 25 6,657 0 0 24 2 31 8 1 24 31 3 29 150 0 37 14 1 36 7 0 10 97 1 16 ; 2 0 0; 19 0 22 ! 30 1 30 4 0 13 27 0 10 10 2 33 37 2 25 217 2 30 24 2 31 8 1 24 31 3 29 150 0 37 14 1 36 7 0 10 97 1 16 2 0 0 19 0 22 30 1 30 4 0 13 27 0 10 10 2 33 37 2 25 217 2 30 20 0 0 2 2 15 107 3 0 318 2 18 •• I 3 •• I 298 I 1 1.737 0 6 702 0 19 1,753 0 11 9,234 3 3 1,226 1 0 91 0 29 267 1 4 549 1 36 3,002 3 4 5,466 2 0 1,618 3 36 2,301 2 21 2,605 0 0 7,027 0 0 308 10 2 1,129 3 10 527 7 4 1,342 16 10 1,554 6 8 826 10 0 515 13 8 209 1 8 314 1 2. 866 18 10 1,387 3 2 444 4 10 1,847 19 0 663 13 10 1,534 6 0 1 2 1 2 14 5 10 36 16,809 1 10 4,400 12 10 \ 35 16,439 1 10 4,828 19 0 Totals 55,133 3 21 55,133 3 21 ; 8,363 19 2 326 U'-J , J-tJ'_> (J iii 682 3 26 130 1 15 74 29,056 1 32 54,320 2 20 17,800 16 0 - I 5,507 0 0 3,898 0 0 320 0 0 35,906 0 0 5,854 0 0 3,755 2 0 12,895 0 0 246 0 21 46,598 0 0 272 0 15 69 1 0 803 2 37 ! 185 0 0 i 100 0 0 57 0 0 i 687 0 25 i 5 2 5 65 0 19 1,694 0 0 693 0 22 11 14 ! I Marlborough — Blind River Omaka Puhipuhi Starborough Richmond Brook Waipapa V. North Bank Rainford Flaxbourne .. ; Jan. 16, 1895.. .. ; June 24, 1896.. .. ; Feb. 25, 1897.. .. ! Mar. 13, 1899.. .. ] Aug. 18, 1899.. .. Feb. 25, 1901.. .. April 1,1901.. ■ ■ Aug. 31, 1903 .. .. June 22, 1905.. 5,507 0 0 3.898 0 0 320 0 0 35,906 0 0 5,854 0 0 3,755 2 0 12,895 0 0 246 0 21 46,598 0 0 272 0 15 69 1 0 803 2 37 185 0 0 100 0 0 57 0 0 687 0 25 2 3 36 11 16 0 110 13 10 19 13 2 191 11 4 8 11 132 5,229 1 0 3,828 3 0 320 0 0 35,037 0 24 5,669 0 0 3,655 2 0 11,144 0 0 246 0 21 45,215 2 33 882 8 4 585 19 4 24 10 0 5,869 17 2 1,305 0 6 408 10 8 352 3 0 315 15 4 10,423 11 0 135 1 16 Totals 114,979 2 21 2,174 0 37 20,167 15 4 114,979 2 21 2,174 0 37 2,457 3 6 25 138 1 12 122 9 10 391 110,345 1 38 Westland — Poerua Kokatahi .. ; June 26, 1896.. .. j Nov. 4, 1902.. 3,230 1 6 1,894 2 20 ! 3,230 1 6 1,894 2 20 I 93 1 6 32 3 16 93 1 6 32 3 16 2 215 1 36 28 5 6 20 8 3,137 0 0 1,861 3 4 271 15 2 267 16 6 Totals 5,124 3 26 I 5,124 3 26 126 0 22 ! I 215 1 36 28 5 6 i 28 4,998 3 4 539 11 8

108

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Table 33 (Part I). —Return of Lands acquired and leased under the Land for Settlements Acts, &c.— continued.

Name of Settlement. I Date when Land opened for Selection. Area acquired, including ascertained Surplus or Deficiency. Area of Land unlet, New S< Area occupied including Land forfeited, by Roads surrendered, or and Reserves resumed and not relet, unlet. and also Land not yet No. of offered for Selection, j Selectors.! ilections and Addition to Holding? during the Y'ear. , Annual Rent Area " payable. Total Lands leased at Date. No. of Selectors. Area. Annual Rent now payable. .1 I l I I A. R. P. I A. B. P. | A. B. P. A. B. P. A. B. P. A. B. P. £ s. d. I A. K. P. £ s. d. an terbury — Pareora.. Studholme Junction Kapua Rosebrook Otaio Patoa '.. The Peaks Roimata Kereta Braco Bpworth Ashley Gorge Omihi Valley Orakipaoa Highbank Otarakaro Wharenui Rakitairi Waiapi Horsley Down Albury .. R.S. 1862 Pt. R.S. 2682 Adj. R.S. 36469 .. Adj. R.S. 36231 .. Adj. R.S. 36056-7 Adj. R.S. 36228 .. R.S. 36278 Pt. R.S. 30791 .. Pt. R.S. 36226 .. Marawiti Hekeao Pavvaho Waikakahi Tamai Takitu .. Pareora No. 2 Rautawiri Papaka Punaroa Lyndon Kohika .. Jan. 18,1894.. .. : Jan. 18, 1894.. .. ! Mar. 24, 1894.. .. June 26, 1895.. .. 1 June 26, 1895.. .. Nov. 27, 1895.. .. Aug. 1,1895.. .. Aug. 14, 1895.. .. Dec. 14, 1895.. .. Nov. 27, 1895.. .. Nov. 27, 1895.. .. Dec. 4,1895.. .. June 28, 1899.. .. I June 22, 1896.. .. i June 24, 1896.. .. Mar. 24, 1897.. .. i Mar. 24, 1897.. .. Mar. 22, 1897.. .. Mar. 22, 1897.. .. May 81, 1897.. .. April 12, 1897.. .. Oct. 21, 1897.. .. i June 29, 1899.. .. ; June 29, 1899.. .. | Deo. 14, 1899.. .. ' Dec. 30, 1899.. .. ; May 17, 1900.. .. Nov. 14, 1901.. .. April 23, 1902.. .. Oct. 16, 1902.. .. May 7, 1897.. .. ! Mar. 9, 1898.. .. April 5, 1898.. .. ! Mar. 20, 1899.. .. June 26, 1899.. .. 1 Mar. 1, 1900.. .. ! Mar. 22, 1900.. .. I April 19, 1900.. .. , April 19, 1900.. .. i April 19, 1900.. .. Mar. 5, 1901.. .. l May 13, 1901.. 1 620 2 13 ; 109 0 7 574 1 22 600 1 8 373 3 14 4,535 3 14 2,811 0 9 48 3 27 105 2 29 27 2 4 21 0 3 1,165 3 6 20 0 0 384 0 31 9,121 3 8 39 3 9 73 1 10 3,526 1 26 1,124 2 36 3,982 3 35 19,539 1 24 20 0 0 6 2 4 154 3 2 98 3 30 58 0 16 100 3 23 618 2 0 100 0 0 46 1 26 2.028 2 33 2,254 2 11 52 0 18 48,262 2 34 41 0 28 9,713 0 37 8,132 0 31 113 0 7 1,561 2 25 7.029 3 5 4,243 3 28 3,864 1 10 8 2 38 4 1 39 2 0 0 6 2 21 17 3 26 12 0 0 4 0 4 .. 1 4 2 4 85 3 30 5 0 0 S '3 3 22 33 2 16 139 2 33 .. 1 0 3 21 '2 0 0 53 1 26 .. 1 1 3 14 151 3 38 4 2 0 5 3 2 32 39 0 1 r. 54 0 14 7 2 0 8 2 18 27 0 0 35 1 25 8 2 38 4 1 39 2 0 0 6 2 21 17 3 26 12 0 0 4 0 4 4 2 4 85 3 30 3 3 22 33 2 16 139 2 33 500 1 i 'a 1 •• 0 10 30 0 0 I 26 2 0 28 4 12 14 9 4 12 0 10 27 4 14 2 10 1 •27 9 15 6 77 '.'. 26 22 15 27 5 11 4 79 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 13 5 5 0 16 25 8 7 6 200 40 • 5 33 6 9 17 10 17 i I 611 3 15 104 2 8 572 1 22 600 1 8 367 0 33 4,517 3 2S 2,799 0 9 44 1 10 105 2 29 27 2 4 21 0 8 1,161 1 2 20 0 0 384 0 31 9,030 3 18 39 3 9 73 1 10 3,521 0 28 1,124 2 36 3,948 3 30 19,398 0 39 20 0 0 6 2 4 154 3 2 98 3 30 58 0 16 100 3 28 618 2 0 99 0 19 46 1 26 2,026 2 33 2,201 0 25 50 1 4 48,096 2 9 37 1 36 9,674 0 36 8,078 0 17 113 0 7 1,554 0 25 7,021 0 27 4,216 3 28 3,828 3 25 396 18 6 73 4 6 270 3 4 307 13 6 216 14 8 170 16 6 196 12 6 136 15 4 82 18 0 72 8 4 13 11 2 258 1 0 13 5 0 397 10 8 3,041 18 4 111 18 0 274 8 0 1,069 18 0 518 19 10 1,072 5 10 3,435 4 8 3 7 4 2 16 25 14 0 17 15 6 14 18 10 12 11 4 25 1 8 17 0 0 5 3 0 748 15 10 631 5 2 149 4 6 16,838 7 4 251 8 10 1,250 16 2 3,700 0 8 132 17. 8 947 6 0 1,681 16 6 847 2 8 1,450 4 2 •• .. 0 3 21 - 2 0 0 53 1 26 1 3 14 151 3 38 3 2 32 39 0 1 54 0 14 42 0 i 5 15 0 0 2 3 0 7 2 0 8 2 18 27 0 0 35 1 25 " I

G — k

109

Tarawahi Raincliff Puhuka Kaimahi Kapuatohe Rapuwai Lyndon No. 2 May town Eccleston Mead Chamberlain Annan Rosewill Morice Kinloeh Mills June 25, 1901.. June 25, 1901.. July 29, 1901.. Oot. 15,1901.. Oct. 15, 1901.. Dec. 9,1901.. April 21, 1902.. April 28, 1902.. May 12, 1902.. Jan. 21,1903.. Mar. 9, 1903.. June 15, 1903.. Mar. 31, 1904.. Sept. 7,1905.. Mar. 21, 1906.. Mar. 31, 1906.. 31 3 0 745 2 0 39 2 7 100 2 1 49 3 37 2,247 2 11 15,887 0 0 391 3 32 1,246 1 5 5,914 3 17 10,500 1 9 32,858 2 33 38,683 2 15 2,253 2 26 13,033 1 5 882 2 30 31 3 0 745 2 0 39 2 7 100 2 1 49 3 37 2,247 2 11 15,887 0 0 391 3 32 1,246 1 5 5,914 3 17 10,500 1 9 32,858 2 33 38,683 2 15 2,253 2 26 13,033 1 5 882 2 30 4 1 16 206 3 0 2 3 3 2 0 0 2 0 0 42 0 0 5 2 8 0 3 19 8 1 1 12 1 8 428 3 14 396 1 38 125 2 20 254 3 5 0 2 24 10 0 27 12 0 I 2 8 0 0 3,684 0 0 6 18 8 345 7 6 24 '1 10 12 11 5 10 11 4 21 21 40 159 29 30 21 27 1 24 538 3 0 36 3 4 90 1 14 46 1 37 2,245 2 11 15,845 0 0 384 1 2 1.245 1 26 5,906 2 16 10,488 0 1 32,426 3 19 38,303 3 37 2,123 3 27 12,778 2 0 882 0 6 275 13 0' 85 3 10 75 13 10 231 17 8 159 5 0 480 16 8 2,281 10 2 284 11 4 569 11 2 975 18 0 2,169 19 10 5,132 7 8 13,688 12 8 2,258 1 0 6,748 3 4 940 6 4 i" 2 0 3 1 13 1 1 11 8 10 0 1 0 36 176 2 0 5,641 3 0 237 0 26 1 10 0 0 12 4 118 0 8 2,812 10 4 312 8 4 Totals ! 262,175 1 11 262,175 1 11 36 9,824 0 22 3,626 8 2 1,230 259,946 0 28| 77,241 15 10 2,202 0 18 27 0 0 Otago — . Pomahaka Downs Teaneraki Tahawai Maerewhenua Puketapu Ardgowan Makareao Makareao Extension Momona Tokarahi Janefield Elderslie Barnego Earnscleugh Windsor Park No. 1 Windsor Park No. 2 Duncan.. St. Helens Greenfield Steward Plunket Totara .. B'eb. 20, 1894.. Feb. 7,1894.. Aug. 21, 1895.. Sept. 10,1895.. Mar. 18, 1896.. j May 12, 1896.. ! June 26, 1896.. April 14,1897.. May 10, 1897.. May 11, 1897.. Sept. 13, 1899.. Mar. 20, 1900.. May 15, 1900.. Dec. 18, 1901.. May 28, 1902.. Oct. 28, 1902.. Dec. 29, 1902.. June 29, 1903.. April 11, 1905.. April 9, 1906.. Feb. 5, 1907.. Mar. 25, 1907.. 7,478 2 2 351 0 39 70 1 35 11,163 3 31 509 0 6 4,267 3 28 2,383 0 4 2,589 2 12 224 1 16 11,259 2 36 147 0 2 11,618 2 4 7,078 2 1 1,269 3 5 3,821 2 16 2,179 2 17 633 2 3 547 3 20 k2,071 1 30 211935 2 7 6,136 0 0 3,161 0 22 212 3 39 6 3 9 1 3 21 238 1 2 12 3 10 97 1 35 239 0 32 19 0 3 5 0 0 281 2 1 3 15 111 2 26 24 1 31 30 3 1 17 2 31 2 0 6 1 2 13 925 0 8 3 0 0 i 24 23 8 73 11 66 30 3 14 79 21 34 23 13 37 10 7 3 41 48 18 25 6,340 1 35 344 1 30 68 2 14 10,922 2 29 496 0 36 4,170 1 33 2,143 3 12 2,570 2 9 219 1 16 10,978 0 35 143 2 37 11,506 3 18 7,054 0 10 1,239 0 4 3,803 3 25 2,177 2 11 631 3 30 547 3 20 21,785 1 3 21,729 1 28 6,126 0 9 3,031 0 23 913 16 2 281 9 6 35 14 4 3,552 2 2 189 0 10 1,897 5 4 372 7 8 296 15 4 185 1 2 4,110 18 0 258 6 2 4,126 19 4 1,408 17 0 173 10 8 1,847 16 10 875 16 8 238 1 2 224 11 0 4,244 11 8 5,021 12 6 2,165 6 6 2,513 15 0 19 1 5 10 0 i i . i 286 0 27 201 1 19 9 3 31 35 1 35 4 3 0 94' 2 4 1 48 18 25 3 0 0 21,729 1 28 6,126 0 9 3,031 0 23 : 10 0 5,021 12 6 2,165 6 6 2,513 15 0 Totals 120,898 1 16 120,898 1 16 1,839 1 17 1,027 1 12 93 30,908 3 25 9,702 14 0 611 118,031 2 27 34,733 15 0 Southland — Merrivale Otahu Beaumont Ringway Glenham Edendale h Dec. 18, 1895.. I Nov. 4,1897.. • Jan. 26, 1898.. Dec. 20, 1901.. ! Mar. 24, 1902.. . April 15, 1904.. 9,998 0 0 6,153 0 36 4,484 0 4 2,253 2 8 11,484 2 10 19,809 3 11 9,998 0 0 6,153 0 36 4,484 0 4 2,253 2 8 11,484 2 10 19,809 3 11 178 3 29 128 2 25 16 0 36 17 1 30 158 3 32 254 1 4 69 3 36 2,517 2 0 390 0 35 2 1 12 546 3 6 5 0 0 24 3 6 0 10 0 49 6 29 134 9,813 0 11 5,954 2 15 4,467 3 8 2,236 0 18 8,808 0 18 19,165 1 12 1,429 2 6 360 4 2 445 4 1 460 19 0 1,567 13 4 6,334 19 8 1,048 2 21 154 0 4 Totals 2,977 2 31 15 1,600 1 27 178 13 10 239 50,445 0 2 10,598 2 9 •• 54,183 0 29 54,183 0 29 ! 754 1 36 Grand Totals - 1. 123,575 2 15 29,080 17 4 3,869 871,045 0 32 224,364 2 2 1,017,588 1 3 15,351 3 25 131,169 3 5 i 351 1,

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110

Table 33 (Part II).—Return of Lands acquired and leased under the Land for Settlements Acts up to the Year which ended 31st March, 1907.

Name ot Setl Name 01' Settlement. ttlement. Yearly Value of Unlet Land at 31st March. 1907. No. of Houses I Value of on Holdings. Holdings. Improvements. Occupied Land. DUrln Y g e,lr e s ViOU8 During Year. Amount advanced to Selectors for Buildings, &c. fear e s Vi ° U8 During Year. Total. Arrears on 31st March, 1907. No Ar«R Rent in JN0 " Areft Arrear. Rent and other Payments received during the Year. Total Receipts from Inception to 31st March. 1907. L_ _ I ! Auckland — Opouriao Okauia .. Rangiatea Karapiro Fencourt Whitehall Bickerstaffe Matamata Selwyn .. Cradock Hetana .. Kitchener Methuen Plumer .. Waari .. £ s. a. 151 4 0 .'. j 236 10 0 132 4 10 2,461 0 6 18 5 2 235 7 2 4 4 0 16 1 4 1 11 3 138 17 2 £ a. d. 30,450 5 9 2,864 14 0 9,697 0 0 4,943 18 0 12,383 5 0 5,343 6 0 4,262 16 0 33,456 9 6 ; 3,204 5 0 1,079 0 0 1,046 7 0 1,065 17 0 2,004 5 0 1,081 3 9 409 13 0 £ a. d. ! £ s. d. £ a. d. ! A. R. P. 21 2 0 £ s. d. . £ s. d. 17 0 6 i 1,428 14 3 138 11 1 94 15 6 638 4 2 28 3 0 404 11 4 1,885 12 11 18 1 6 399 16 9 120 3 9 1,504 2 8 876 7 2 6,095 19 7 2,811 6 1 90 12 6 24 3 9 i 48 11 2 12 2 10 63 3 7 9 12 0 226 8 1 63 4 11 4 8 0 12 0 7 £ s. d. 14,861 6 9 1,607 8 3 6,054 11 11 3,506 9 11 10,933 19 6 2,484 18 1 3,894 11 2 18,318 5 9 3,387 7 1 204 19 4 284 1 5 215 2 7 703 0 9 173 8 8 60 11 6 78 7 18 11 33 10 22 128 26 8 15 10 15 13 4 361 14 108 52 166 40 84 459 94 29 63 46 54 21 13 .. .. .. 4 *2 3 1 1 26 404 2 0 307 0 0 1,446 2 0 156 2 0 10,097 2 0 80 0 0 | 50 0 0 102 0 0 96 10 0 184 0 0 100 0 0 250 0 0 130 10 0 137 10 0 126 0 0 92 10 0 130 0 0 198 10 0 284 0 0 380 10 0 263 10 0 92 10 0 I '" 3 ! 2 1 ! 43 2 0 4 10 11 0 0 'a 7 3 0 Totals Hawke's Bay — Raureka Elsthorpe Waimarie Pouparae Tomoana Willows.. Mahora .. Hatuma Manga-a-toro Kumeroa Forest Gate Argyll .. Wigan .. Lindsay Mangalahi* .. 3,395 5 5 3 18 0 127 7 10 398 1,604 18 95 26 102 16 60 9 53 12 64 31 140 14 87 59 280 25 121 14 75 25 108 60 251 12 42 55 211 113,292 5 0 4,228 15 0 13,950 10 0 3,468 0 0 4,062 1 0 3,453 0 0 9,527 0 0 6,056 15 0 38,729 8 0 23,167 17 9 5,863 7 0 12,218 1 7 I 36,900 10 6 8,782 1 11 14,673 0 0 846 0 0 j 503 0 0 846 0 0 .. 1,349 0 0 j •- - I 45 2 5 2 i 32 1 11 91 3 12 16 0 39 4 0 0 378' 3 0 5 2 0 12,500 0 0 1,204 18 0 ; 15,810 19 8 32 17 6 ' 512 0 7 17 19 0 i 2,151 0 2 376 14 6 19 11 0 i 329 14 11 123 5 10 3 3 10 i 675 12 7 1,617 17 0 7,249 0 6 4,868 7 6 { 1,681 11 8 j 2,314 19 9 161 1 2 1 8,134 6 6 2,384 3 10 5 10 0 5,262 11 6 , 2,242 10 6 ! 5,740 1 11 j 25,053 5 3 4,517 8 5 i 3,779 3 9 : 1,196 11 4 ; 5,706 18 9 I 12,512 15 3 1 45,198 14 4 22,158 1 1 7,580 13 3 11,882 8 6 31,004 9 1 8,708 3 8 10,443 11 2 2,242 10 6 66,690 2 8 -- - • i - .. i i -• .. i i - I —— i— :] — - i i •• ! Totals Taranaki — Tokaora Spotswood Clandon Huinga .. .. j 131 5 10 661 4 10 | 316 16 8 i 376 14 8 5 6 1,689 74 38 25 23 185,080 7 9 fiiiB ia r\ 1 - i 337'io 0 j 13 I ! 1 4 528 2 22 240 2 6 I 39,923 17 4 197,724 16 3 ! I 8,273 14 1 I 1,145 9 5 j 2,101 18 11 561 8 11 4,180 0 0 1,835 0 0 715 0 0 99 0 0 337 10 0 337 10 0 I 97 0 0 17 2 35 57 2 2 2,039 19 0 39 0 8 273 2 0 754 18 1 561 8 11 .. i .. I Totals 978 1 6 33 160 6,829 0 0 337 10 0 337 10 0 5 114 2 35 96 2 10 3,629 8 0 12,082 11 4 •• i _l I I

111

n i

Wellington — Paparangi Oliakea .. Te Matua Aorangi.. Langdale Mangwhata Epuni Hamlet .. Maungaraki Linton LoEgbusb Tablelands Normandale Tawaha Hikawera* Mahupuku* Dyer* Holworthyf Waddingtonf Hall-Jone'st Pittf .. Mellingt Wilfordf Loughnanf Haw trey f 5 16 0 14 4 11 39 13 6 I 36 15 12 39 23 8 44 16 5 6 9 24 16 144 65 55 162 77 43 182 81 32 26 24 97 42 4,901 6 4 6,777 0 0 3,945 0 0 8,055 0 0 10,415 2 7 4,137 0 0 ■ 9,747 0 0 ! 2,656 1 0 i 2,075 0 0 j 2,201 0 0 ' 3,468 0 0 5,027 13 4 Not due 514 0 0 250 0 0 " 1,421 0 0 325 0 0 •• • • . ■■ ■■ 514 0 0 4 250 0 0 | 1 1,421 0 0 5 2 : .. 325 0 0 j 1 26 0 0 30 0 0 18 0 0 26 0 0 4 0 0 | 38 5 0 304 5 2 1,533 11 11 531 12 11 23 15 0 , 1,288 19 0 1,728 19 7 869 8 3 53 0 0 580 5 0 37 0 0 174 9 9 269 4 6 831 17 5 1,513 9 8 8 10 0 527 4 3 1,405 4 7 701 11 5 1,622 18 8 3,596 9 4 350 0 0 148 14 9 42 0 0 10 15 0 23 13 0 74 8 3 5 8 6 4 0 0 3,302 15 0 8,641 9 4 3,997 4 10 9,557 13 1 9,829 19 2 5,043 1 7 4,275 3 11 1,518 15 6 1,352 0 9 3,538 10 10 5,638 1 7 1,195 0 1 1,901 13 2 1,222 12 11 2,491 0 1 3,706 9 4 525 0 0 154 14 9 44 10 0 14 10 0 23 13 0 74 8 3 5 8 6 4 0 0 . • •• " .. ... " .. .. •• ! •• i I •■ .. .. I - - i i I i •■ • .. Totals 59 14 5 253 253 1,030 63,405 3 3 2,510 0 0 " 2,510 0 0 ! 13 99 0 0 160 10 0 18,138 10 11 68,057 15 ! 59 14 5 Marlborough — Blind River Omaka Puhipuhi Starborough Richmond Brook Waipapa North Bank Rainford Flaxbourne ■•! 0 12 2 50 0 0 31 5 4 100 0 0 14 10 99 10 4 6 9 78 _ i 3 1 9,508 7 ! 6,186 5 - 211 13 I 43,284 2 l: 9,265 17 II 2,790 15 I 2,556 6 : I 1,121 19 - I 18,939 7 ' 14 10 99 10 4 9 78 46 44 398 69 17 37 34 261 i 6,192 0 0 t 5,548 0 0 250 0 0 48,476 0 0 9,134 0 0 6,000 0 0 1,642 0 0 1,332 0 0 23,712 0 0 4 342 0 7; 40 3 3 340 0 32 j 22 1 1 81 0 6 j 16 1 6 934 17 9 553 17 1 22 17 0 5,234 10 0 1,195 17 11 449 15 6 432 17 0 318 13 1 9,669 9 10 - .. :: i 's 6,934 0 0 ! 145 11 3 " " .: •• .. I 6 146 2 31 34 5 2 ■■ i Totals 181 17 6 230 230 906 102,286 0 0 17 7,843 3 36 ! 258 2 3 18,812 15 2 93,864 14 l: 181 17 6 ■■ j Westland — Poerua .. Kokotahi ■'•' 15 7 15 7 71 40 7,643 12 0 3,939 16 0 306 0 11 269 17 2 2,611 18 ( 1,125 19 i Totals 22 22 Ill 11,583 8 0 I 'j 575 18 1 3,737 17 * Ins] iction not due. f Not et offered for selection

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112

Table 33 (Part II). —Return of Lands acquired and leased under the Land for Settlements Acts, &c.— continued.

Name of Settlement. Yearly Value of Unlet Land at 31st March, 1907. Occupied Land. ccupied Land. No. of Souls resident on Holdings. L Amount advanced to Selectors for Buildings, <fec. Value of During previous r. . ,, m . , Improvements. Years. During Year. Total. No. Arrears on 31st March, 1907. Arpa Rent iu Area " Arrear. Bent and other Payments received during the Year. Total Receipts from Inception to 31st March, 1907. No. of Houses on Holdings. Canterbury — Pareora Studholme Junction Kapua Rosebrook Otaio Patoa The Peaks Roimata Kereta Braco Bpworth Ashley Gorge Omihi Valley Orakipaoa Highbank Otarakaro Wharenui Rakitairi Waiapi Horsley Down Albury R.S. 1862 Pt. R.S. 2682 Adj. R.S. 36469 .. Adj. R.S. 36231 .. Adj. R.S. 36056-7 Adj. R.S. 36228 .. R.S. 36278 Pt. R.S. 30791 .. Pfc. R.S. 36226 .. Marawiti Hekeao Pawabo Waikakahi Tamai Takitu .. Pareora No. 2 Rautawiri Papaka Punaroa Lyndon Kohika Tarawahi Rainclifi Puhuka Kaimahi Kapuatohe Rapuwai £ s. d. £ a. d. j £ s. d. £ a. d. £ s. d. j I A. E. P. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 25 2 12 13 8 2 1 25 3 14 1 12 104 10 39 65 41 12 2 118 27 56 7 51 2,933 0 6 579 8 0 1,893 5 0 2,396 3 6 1,949 5 6 1,662 0 0 2,239 0 0 6,016 0 0 909 17 6 2,391 0 0 158 16 0 4,707 0 0 I •• 2 j 3 I •• 47 3 38 159 0 12 23 12 0 41 14 7 415 13 9 65 18 4 278 13 1 302 0 9 200 13 7 143 8 7 162 9 3 129 6 7 74 12 4 65 7 3 12 4 2 216 7 2 19 17 6 423 18 3 2,845 4 11 105 4 8 249 2 10 923 4 5 503 10 0 970 6 3 3,205 12 8 3 0 8 1 17 6 23 2 8 16 0 0 13 9 0 11 6 4 22 11 6 16 3 0 4 12 10 633 14 11 570 2 8 168 14 6 15,597 7 5 380 14 11 1,129 11 6 3,783 11 0 164 10 2 815 8 8 1,395 1 6 786 13 8 1,288 5 9 314 11 2 76 13 6 71 1 7 225 1 2 130 9 7 433 11 2 4,906 3 1 904 18 10 3,397 9 2 3.514 10 8 2.515 8 10 1,788 9 8 2.095 9 9 1,560 18 9 914 13 0 775 6 11 147 8 10 2,816 8 10 106 0 0 4,166 6 1 32,478 1 11 1,037 8 9 2,668 6 4 10,017 11 10 4,921 15 3 10,445 18 11 32,249 13 6 29 16 4 106 13 7 188 18 4 127 19 4 102 7 9 82 6 10 125 8 4 78 4 0 21 2 10 7,122 18 5 5,352 17 2 1,298 10 0 125,505 17 9 1,791 14 0 8,152 3 9 24,121 9 3 893 9 7 6.096 9 3 10,679 11 10 4,702 2 1 8,306 16 6 1,273 15 1 1,301 1 4 371 18 2 1,069 1 7 898 5 10 2,572 15 8 10 0 0 10 0 0 ;; j •• 20 57 7 26 18 14 24 60 1 I 2 10 0 95 235 25 121 81 66 98 327 1 2,338 19 0 19,352 14 1 1,650 0 0 5,859 0 0' 6,773 19 6 4,015 3 1 j 12,633 3 3 26,770 7 10 175 10 0 230 0 0 230 0 0 2 1 1 1 I 118 1 14 5 2 0 2 2 0 424 2 0 19 15 1 7 9 3 17 2 6 58 5 10 -• I -• 3 52l' 2 13 ! 62 16 7 1 3 101 4 0 397 11 0 " [ 21 0 0 1 1 12 13 25 160 40 5 32 6 9 17 8 15 24 . 1 10 11 10 5 3 "2 71 33 90 781 155 24 188 20 42 64 51 57 94 3 34 40 20 21 5C7 9 0 218 10 0 50 2 0 351 5 0 4,585 8 6 5,311 13 6 3,944 0 0 86,047 4 0 6,631 0 0 6,962 16 3 17,879 7 6 ! 1,171 17 6 : 3,925 0 0 i 8,890 11 10 7,709 19 4 5,746 4 3 5,193 0 0 521 1 1 1,740 5 11 ! 2,579 0 0 1,183 10 0 2,311 13 7 404 0 0 721 10 0 ■■ 80 0 0 •• I ■• ■• 404 0 0 801 10 0 i ! I I -- I 1 5 3 1 •• 43 0 1 791 1 23 4 0 0 187 3 15 I 9 2 9 162 19 1 10 4 6 39 17 8 • - -- •■ 595' 0 0 '500 0 645 0 Oi >! '2 il 0 12 1 4 19' 9 10 6 0 0 175 0 0 175 "0 0 270 0 0 2 4 9 0 0 40 0 0 7 8 7 93 1 6 235 0 0 35 "0 0 I 1 1 _ _ i I

113

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15—C. 1.

Lyndon No. 2 Maytown Eecleston Mead Chamberlain Annan Rosewill Morice Kinlocb... Mills 4 10 0 2 17 6 8 11 4 19 21 37 145 25 18 15 29 61 15 56 104 165 569 83 71 70 7,973 9 3 1,689 13 11 2,874 7 8 5,919 11 0 11,140 16 10 23,692 10 1 52,391 16 11 5,367 1 3 6,535 11 2 2,713 1 6 401,665 16 7 I I M 3,590 0 206 15 9 1,741 6 3 259 19 7 519 19 0 1,011 8 10 1,997 2 9 4,711 15 1 12,218 14 3 2,127 5 5 4,037 19 2 587 19 1 9,604 9 1,325 10 2,642 18 3,629 10 9,011 3 17,060 7 38,568 17 3,270 5 6,162 0 902 15 4 27 3 30 7 17 8 I .. I Totals I 56 7 4 1,054 ' 4,600 2,370 10 0 165 0 0 |2,535 10 0 — 36 5,973 3 26 780 4 8 68,626 1 1 427,980 1 5tago — Pomahaka Downs Teaneraki Tahawai Maerewhenua Puketapu Ardgowan » Makareao Makareao Extension Momona Tokarahi Janefield Elderslie Barnego Earnscleugh Windsor Park No. 1 Windsor Park No. 2 Duncan.. St. Helens Greenfield Steward Plunket Totara 146 0 4 0 15 0 16 17 8 55 7 48 16 3 14 41 19 24 18 8 23 7 4 3 39 39 39 81 38 241 37 232 69 17 54 195 89 79 65 50 83 40 14 7 115 131 6,567 0 0 2,064 0 0 1,468 0 0 21,828 12 3 1,552 8 6 12,836 19 1 4,097 11 9 1,982 0 0 2,248 12 6 20,683 15 7 3,551 0 0 13,709 0 10 8,891 15 0 2,195 10 0 5,318 10 2 2,580 6 3 1,061 10 0 731 14 9 9,527 8 6 11,378 5 3 12 3 i 5 4 1 3 2,815 1 14 45 2 0 8 1 35 176 1 33 85 0 23 399 2 07 23 2 19 817 5 7 13 3 0 0 19 0 50 4 8 37 8 11 114 13 6 18 11 4 499 15 5 258 17 7 33 16 6 3,249 4 9 170 3 2 1,864 0 10 346 16 11 293 12 1 170 0 5 4,049 11 4 221 9 11 3,716 8 10 1,251 10 0 168 14 0 1,587 6 0 898 13 6 177 6 0 203 10 6 3,682 0 11 4,773 0 3 1,082 9 6 1,257 12 8 9,539 14 11 3,352 12 4 396 13 4 39,223 11 6 1,955 9 11 20,378 8 7 [ 9,250 11 10 1,975 1 4 39,296 6 8 1,687 19 11 27,026 9 4 8,321 13 4 965 17 8 8,026 19 8 3,608 12 8 679 17 3 854 14 6 7,996 2 4 4,773 0 3 1,082 9 6 1,257 12 8 5 2,249 2 5 262 " 1 8 .. 2 1 1 174 3 24 30 0 0 165 2 12 22 5 8 7 11 11 9 15 0 13 9 1 818 0 13 72~'8 6 .. 89 16 0 - • • •• •• Totals 237 15 1 409 i 39 6,992 0 25 1,426 8 9 29,956 1 1 191,649 19 6 1,676 134,274 0 5 3outhland — Merrivale Otahu Beaumont Ringway Glenham Edendale 212 6 50 5 5 6 26 102 148 11 26 10 157 482 15,808 18 0 2,374 16 10 2,964 5 0 2,306 6 3 6,243 19 4 25.927 2 3 7 1 4 1 3 6 960 3 20 1,012 3 4 1,336 1 33 253 1 22 530 3 12 1,225 1 13 261 4 0 45 8 10 203 18 9 25 1 8 75 14 6 803 12 2 1,590 19 1 317 19 10 499 3 0 426 11 11 1,465 14 9 5,826 13 5 15,428 2 9 2,725 10 3 2,713 15 10 2,067 13 4 7,208 10 2 23,993 2 1 402 3 0 37 2 4 Totals 441 17 10 194 834 55,625 7 8 — 22 5,319 2 24 914 19 11 10,127 2 0 54,136 14 5 •• Grand totals 5,482 4 11 2,969 668 0 0 6,732 0 0 — 190 I 1,055,924 14 0 12,610 1,074,014 8 8 6,063 0 0 39,372 0 8 5,081 8 11 1205,600 13 4

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Table 34. —Comparative Statement of Selectors and Lands selected under Settlement Conditions for the Ten Years ended 31st March, 1907.

114

Deferred Payment. Perpetual Lease. Lease in Perpetuity. Occupation with Right of Purchase. Agricultural Lease. Occupation Leases.* Cash. Year ending 31st March, No. Area. No. Area. No. Area. No. Area. No. Area. No. ! Area. I No. [ Area. Acres. 22,525 Acres. Acres. 651 Acres. 1117,938 Acre: 81,41 Acres. 258 Acres. 1,285 1898t 272 2 599 380 5 23 1899t 534 37,400 1 13 1 640 675 ;159,415 458 109,95 2 114 31 1,449 1900f 491 23,936 2 624 656 153,531 395 117,77 3 70 64 2,295 1901f 362 58,703 3 2,499 489 144,205 673 262,72 !!) 1 23 53 2,123 1902t 489 27,290 1 52 1 10 501 116,125 447 128,89 18 1 28 71 2,507 19031 374 17,194 573 •161,745 403 118,55 3 36 52 2,434 1904f 435 22,481 894 194,515 402 146,95 2 13 97 4,972 1905f 371 18,990 751 |173,811 330 138,2C )(i 3 218 40 1,914 1906t 229 11,132 1 127 706 158,018, Si 388 157', 48 121 30 1,194 1907t 447 20,357 597 154,237 17 412 215,53 26 1,044 Year ending 31st. March, Vi Village Settli Settlement: Occu Cash. with 1 Pur Uage ement: ipation Right of chase. Seti 'ill Lei lage ment: ase letuity. Villagehomestead Special Settlement. Speoi settlen Associai ialnent tions. Improved Farms. Smi rrazinj an azinglall g-runs id [-farms. Totals. in Pi No. Area. No. Area. No. Area. No. ; Area. No. Area. No. Area. No. Area. No. A rea. 1898t 2 Acres. 1 2 Acres. 2 92 Acres. 1,426 9 Acres. 42 5 Acres. 442 77 Acres. 9,007 71 Acres. 149,458 1,539 Acres. 384,449 1899f 21 30 3 2 106 2,115 12 134 5 607 64 4,823 40 77,632 1,953 394,324 1900f 0 4 3 2 80 1,762 6 31 1 2 41 7,393 04 155,109 1,812 462,530 1901f 35 22 96 1,082 7 376 13 1,936 35 86,076 1,767 559,774 1902f 21 10 1 1 33 456 30 469 1,618 3d 112,947 1,632 390,406 1903f 19 9 40 619 34 1,512 29 5,761 30 4,032 45 113,925 1,602 425,824 1904f 10 8 1 Oi 21 514 28 272 4 729 106 19,436 58 144,786 2,053 534,679 1905f 2 1 1 0| 14 208 8 111 2 223 14 1,459 45 67,271 1,581 402,412 1906t 39 40 2 41 55 1,936 49 287 3 547 34 68,587 1,536 399,342 1907t 18 20 32 1,012 17 173 1 4 46 5,622 51 114,854 1,644: 512,853 1 " Minini Distrii its Land Occu ►ation Act 1894." t Incl isive if Chevio Estati t, and lands disp< ifled of u: ider the Land for Settlemi mts Acta.

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Table 35. —Transactions under "The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903," during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

Total Area held at 31st March, 1907.

115

ieavy-husk Land. Light bush Land. Scrub Land. Swamp Land. Totals. Area opened during Year. Selections during Year. Selections during Year. Selections during Year. Selections duri ing Year. Total Selections during Year. leur District. No. Area. Amount of Rental remitted per annum Area opened during Year. Amount of ■k- . Rental Al ' ea ' | remitted per annum, i Area opened during Year. No. Area. i Amount of Bental i remitted per ! annum. Area opened during Year. No. Area. Amount of Kental remitted par annum. Area opened during Year. No. Area. Amount of Kental remitted per annum. Auckland .. Hawke's Bay Taranaki .. Wellington.. Nelson Marlborough Westland .. Canterbury Otago Southland .. A. R. P. 71,373 2 39 1,075 0 0 35,130 2 19 528 0 0 41,953 2 21 2,646 0 "0 5,823 0 0 134 89 19 21 5 25 A. B. P. 67,744 2 27 1,075 0 0 70,900 3 33 24,057 0 0 7,168 1 21 3,341 0 0 5,150 3 14 £ s. d. A. a. p. 2,893 0 8 3,341 0 38 20 3 2 2.367 17 8 6,392 2 35 347 19 2 152 1 8 807 0 19 66 9 8j 83 10 8i 1,887 0 0 2 6 10 33 18 8; 1,282 3 37 6,567 8 213,711 0 9 15 A. B. P. 4,757 1 20 £ a. d. 147 7 0 a. B. P. 13,974 2 3 83j! 83 a. b. p.i £ a. d. 29,515 1 8|778 14 10 A. B. P. A. B. P. 320 1 14 4 520 1 14 £ a. d. 17 18 0 A. B. P. 89,009 3 14 1,075 0 0 42,209 1 14 1,040 2 4 47,302 1 14 2,646 0 0 8,259 0 0 236 1 106 21 51 5 51 A. E. P. 102,537 2 29 1,075 0 0 79,929 2 28 24,960 0 4 15,064 2 3 3,341 0 0 11,416 0 31 £ a. d. 3,927 0 6 20 3 2 2,760 9 10 975 8 6 276 4 2 66 9 8 173 19 8 15 8,342' 2 35 367 5 10 686 0 0 2 512 2 4 2 4,541 2 14 3 3 686 0 0 25 6 4 903 0 4l 27 9 4 j 1,885 2 2' 23 6 4 26 5,960 2 20 100 0 2| 1 50 0 0 0 16 0 15 3,053' 0 27 49 12 8 549' 0 0 12 .. 3,453 0 301 51 1 8 1 170 "o 0 2 11 0 i 6 125 0 26 1,815 1 o! .- .. 1 77 0 32 2' 312 1 37 0 18 6 5 10 6 2 31 202' 1 I81 7,832 3 16; 3 5 4 j 142 14 6 3,43l' 3 37 161,961 3 36 — 181,378 1 1 19 90 4,277 3 21 26,391 3 3 84 11 2 748 16 10 585 0 0 4 20,848 2 21106 .. 1,427 0 38, 18 14 2 5,299 3 34 504 246,359 1 9! |8,345 15 4 Totals .. 30ll ;37,870 1 2 924 12 8 . 320 1 91,130 0 3 27 14 0 190,842 0 0

Heavy-bush Land. Light-bush Land. Scrub Land. Swamp Land. Totals. District. ~- r, o o o j Area held. ; Annual Rental (remitted). » I •M 'H i 6_ Area held. Annual Rental (remitted). **__ : Area held. Annual Kental (remitted). c a) Area held. j Annual Rental (remitted). to oc ' Area held. Annual Rental (remitted). Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson .. Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago .. Southland .. 356 .. 16 .. 208 .. 107 .. 38 6 .. 66 .. .. 5 .. 18 A. B. P. 148,833 2 16 24,158 0 0 149,644 2 14 91,830 2 37 10,-182 1 10 3,637 0 0 14,050 3 22 £ a. d. 6,225 16 4 773 12 0 5,110 3 2 4,087 3 8 245 6 0 72 8 2 228 5 4 54 1 61 15 41 A. B. P. 17.304 0 37 1,667 0 0 37,657 0 25 i 11,845 0 0 15,744 0 21 £ a. d. 520 17 4 37 10 2 1,415 5 7 651 7 6 264 15 4 A. B. P. 162 50,932 1 38 3 ! 6,990 0 0 4 1.528 0 0 2 903 0 4 8 i 2,408 1 0 1 173 0 0 25 j 5,832 1 30 £ a. d. 1,443-16 4 113 17 10 54 3 8 27 9 4 34 1 0 3 9 2 103 15 2 8 •• ■• . a. B. p. £ a. d. 2,248 3 8 03 16 8 50 0 0 0 16 0 580 20 273 124 88 7 167 A. B. P. 219,319 0 19 32,815 0 0 188,829 2 39 104,578 3 1 28,684 2 31 3,810 0 0 39,055 2 25 £ a. d. 8,254 6 8 925 0 0 6,579 12 5 4,766 0 6 544 18 4 75 17 4 755 7 4 1 63 14,76l' 1 39 344 5 10 13 4,410 3 14 79 1 0 ; 942 2 19 5,127 0 26 24 5 7 i 101 17 2 3 63 j 368 0 33 13,524 3 14 8 6 0 272 6 10 '.) 1,930 2 22 25 19 8 ii 77 0 32 I 0 18 6 3,017 1 11 43 5 10 . i 9,804 0 25 187 18 0 '9 1 104 1,388 0 4 23,599 3 33 33 10 1 443 9 6 Totals .. 820 448,706 3 24 16,868 17 5 301 112,872 0 9 3,514 15 5 ! 214 ' 70,697 3 14 [214 ( 70,697 3 14 1,806 12 2 37 1372 642,080 3 32 22,378 2 2

116

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Table 36. —Rebates of Rent granted under "The Crown Tenants' Rent Rebate Act, 1900," and " The Land for Settlements Consolidation Act, 1900," during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

Table 37. —Crown Lands proclaimed under the Local Bodies' Loans Acts, the Amount borrowed, and the Amount repaid to the Public Account up to 31st March, 1907.

Land District. Number of Tenants who have been granted Rebate. Area held.. Amount of Rebate granted. Obdinaby Obown Lands. £ a. d. 1,515 19 ' 2 996 12 9 891 17 8 2,017 12 9 56 19 3 324 9 4 50 4 3 481 0 3 619 17 8 271 4 9 Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough.. Westland Canterbury Otago Southland 2,223 476 753 2,084 204 293 245 361 1,076 630 A. B. P. 613,524 0 35 221,358 0 33 205,877 1 11 396,673 0 0 62.457 0 0 132,761 2 18 26,316 3 0 85,920 0 15 239,783 1 13 111,465 3 13 Totals .. 8,345 2,096,137 1 18 7,225 17 10 Land foe Settlements. Auckland .. .. .. .. -* Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Marlborough.. Westland Canterbury Otago Southland 408 389 22 230 300 20 1,082 449 155 92,311 1 31 214,017 1 18 2,012 2 28 34,754 0 0 97,363 3 0 3,756 2 0 245,526 2 1 95,983 2 30 31,749 3 23 1,120 4 0 3,560 15 11 153 2 5 478 17 1 1,812 10 1 20 12 4 6,629 4 11 2,304 6 7 674 1 7 Totals 3,055 817,480 3 11 16,753 14 11 Cheviot Estate. Canterbury .. 201 26,398 3 20 683 10 3 Grand totals 11,601 2,940,017 0 9 24,663 3 0

Land District. Area proclaimed. ( Amount borrowed. Amount repaid to Public Account at 31st March, 1907. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago Southland Acres. 980,784 294,038 523,053 539,893 273,755 171,305 5,017 2,135 174,177 112,900 £ a. d. 163,669 0 0 44,540 7 6 127,663 0 0 123,848 0 0 31,576 0 0 20,915 9 6 1,441 0 0 156 0 0 21,290 0 0 25,708 0 0 £ a. d. 163,669 0 0 44,540 7 6 127,663 0 0 123,848 0 0 31,576 0 0 20,915 9 6 1,441 0 0 456 0 0 21,290 0 0 25,708 0 0 £ a. d. 38,200 16 11 15,920 17 8 51,483 9 2 88,803 10 7 250 2 10 12,628 7 6 633 18 3 453 4 8 20,520 15 10 10,483 9 10 Totals .. 3,077,357 561,106 17 0 239,378 13 3

c.—l.

Table 38. —Statement showing the Blocks of Land which have been proclaimed under "The Government Loans to Local Bodies Act Amendment Act, 1891," and "The Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1901," and the Report of the Surveyor-General on the Value of such Blocks, and on the Necessary Works, and the Estimated Cost of the Works, and on the Moneys expended in respect of such Blocks out of Moneys borrowed under the said Acts.

117

Name of Block. Gazetted. Area of Block. No. Page. Date. Valua- W«ta Est ™ tion ° f opTun such P r °P° sed Block. open up such t b Block. borrowed. Surveyor-General's Report. To Mar. 31, 1906. * From T t . April 1, a °' al 1906, to m.v!S, si March 31, Ma ™% 81 - 1907. lMI - Expenditure. Auckland Lan !D DlSTBl :ct. £ s. d. I Ahuroa Akaaka Swamp Auckland Special Settlement Avoca Awakino Awaroa No. 2 Acres. 4,000 2,935 8,995 3,668 1,210 3,767 23 72 78 24 97 20 1.1 59 16 71 479 1273 1665 482 2995 495 1 750 1620 435 1372 (269) 1270} 495 2021 1152 1498 1755 529 2198 1572 1726 1846 2109 2034 1602 1365 2343 564 2221 495 2032 1447 479 2113 1047 629 2109 2032 1716 I 1773 479 939 667 1517 494 479 955 2270 1959 479 885 2879 973 529 1518 648 2021 1858 2694 2154 563 29 923 254 1847 1846 412 2114 571 528 18 Mar., 1892 15 Sept., 1892 24 Oct., 1895 29 Mar., 1894 22 Nov., 1906 24 Mar., 1898 5 Jan., 1899 28 Mar., 1901 23 July, 1903 23 Feb., 1899 21 Sept., 1893 13 Feb., 1896 £ 2,500 2,093 3,698 1,834 985 2,185 Road-works Drainage .. Road-works £ 500 920 899 458 482 400 £ 497 917 898 458 .. £ s. d. 497 2 5 916 12 1 898 0 1 458 0 0 400 400 0 0 Hauturu 63,186 I 29,585 i 10,469 10,000 432 5 7 10,431 18 2 Huehue .. Kaikokopu Kaimarama 4,134 7,397 3,182 2,911 2,774 1,580 827 739 318 826 739 318 0 12 3 827 0 0 738 18 2 318 0 0 Karioi-Alexandra 12,912 10 4,837 1,662 1,662 1,661 14 6 Karioi Parish Kauaeranga Kawaka Kawhia .. '. Kenana Ketetangariki Kinohaku West Kinohaku West No. 2 Kiokio Kohumaru .. Kopua Kowaunui Mahoenui Maioro Swamp Maire Mamaku Manawahe Mangakahia Mangakahia No. 2 .. Mangamahoe 550 3,556 3,420 4,927 773 1,070 73,795 23,004 4,349 4,880 4,263 3,464 6,471 722 2,659 7,684 43,248 10,190 1,109 344 20 91 34 70 50 16 100 72 66 83 73 63 73 80 81 24 83 20 91 56 j 23 I'77 ( 54 t 22 73 91 77 79 23 46 24 54 20 23 47 84 68 (23 ( 24 97 f 46 116 54 17 91 70 90 75 24 j 25 9 83 83 | 23 'I 77 (34 I 16 24 Mar., 1898 20 Dec, 1898 28 April, 1904 22 Sept., 1898 22 June, 1906 23 Feb., 1905 1 Dec, 1899 1 Aug., 1901 21 Aug., 1902 17 Nov., 1898 1 Sept., 1904 26 July, 1906 8 Aug., 1901 13 Oct., 1892 6 Oct., 1904 7 April, 1898 14 Sept., 1905 24 Mar., 1898 2 Nov., 1899 15 June, 1905 18 Mar., 1892 1 Oct., 1903 6 July, 1893 13 Mar., 1902 1 Sept., 1904 2 Nov., 1899 27 Oct., 1898 3 Nov., 1898 18 Mar., 1892 21 June, 1894 11 Mar., 1897 2 July, 1903 24 Mar., 1898 18 Mar., 1892 18 June, 1896 21 Sept., 1905 18 Aug., 1904 18 Mar., 1892 2 April, 1903 8 Dec, 1904 20 June, 1895 23 Feb., 1905 2 July, 1903 1 Mar., 1906 20 Dec, 1898 4 Sept., 1902 10 Nov., 1904 8 Sept., 1904 7 April, 1898 8 Jan., 1903 5 April, 1906 2 Feb., 1899 17 Nov., 1898 17 Nov., 1898 30 Mar., 1893 1 Oct., 1903 1 May, 1893 23 Feb., 1905 206 1,770 1,332 2,819 425 663 55,346 7,589 ! 3,812 1,700 2,264 1,595 5,366 451 931 3,842 25,909 4,548 671 356 55 445 684 616 155 268 19,224 5,753 545 600 894 520 990 225 399 700 6,190 2,000 111 112 55 299 425 514 11,300 3,899 545 200 90 6 8 205 4 0 101 19 4 7 5 7 129 7 4 2,030 19 8 402 15 10 309 4 2 135 8 4 55 0 0 389 3 5 630 9 4 615 18 1 7 5 7 129 7 4 13,331 2 2 4,301 7 0 545 0 0 199 17 1 309 4 2 135 8 4 989 19 5 225 0 0 277 6 4 700 0 0 1,519 5 10 1,394 11 7 111 0 0 Drainage .. Road-works .. 990 225 201 700 23 833 111 7612 0 1,496 13 6 561 2 6 Manganuiowae Mangaokahu 4,599 I 1,745 j 1,743 500 424 500 232 500 0 0 232 0 0 3,525 Mangawhara Man gore wa-Kaharoa Mareikura No. 1 Mareikura No. 2 Mareretu Marlborough Maropiu Maukoro Maungaru Maungataniwha Maungataniwha No. 2 Maungataniwha No. 3 Moeatoa 9,669 23,987 950 584 5,060 4,670" 5,343 9,978 4,368 4,000 1,220 470 2,930 6,073 9,997 493 292 1,976 2,043 2,712 5,729 2,184 1,500 487 235 2,322 2,416 3,552 120 70 395 467 656 1,496 460 500 120 94 733 371 2,260 120 70 395 467 641 1,496 460 499 120 1,435 16 0 j 409 16 6 1,806 6 8 2,669 18 11 120 0 0 70 0 0 395 0 0 467 0 0 642 10 6 1,495 19 7 460 0 0 499 1 6 119 19 9 26 17 6 121 7 6 ■ • 1 16 6 26 17 6 121 7 6 Motatau 5,803 I 2,349 600 599 598 10 7 Ngarua 3,461 2,153 849 707 141 18 10 848 19 11 Ngunguru 6,216 I 3,417 772 772 772 0 0 Ngutunui Oamaru No. 1 Okohiriki Okohinki No. 1e Omanawa Omawhake Opanake 1,657 15,027 13,277 2,626 3,380 5,094 2,508 1,053 9,821 5,094 1,050 2,047 2,135 1,254 210 3,734 1,550 260 845 637 100 8 16 0 1,060 18 5 8 16 0 1,060 18 5 1,547 8 1 259 2 3 844 0 0 1,547 259 844 99 99' 1 0 Opouteke 12,240 I 7,991 3,248 Opuatea No. 1 Opuatea No. 2 Opuatea No. 3 5,720 8,030 4,337 2,288 2,735 1,976 858 1,000 600 858 799 600 20011 7 858 0 0 1,000 0 0 600 0 0 Opuawhanga No. 1 .. 4,815 } 1,917 I 2,300 265,688 500 500 500 0 0 Opuawhanga-Whangarei No. 1 5,140 500 500 500 0 0 Carried forward 86,426 52,750 496,548 9,387 15 7 62,136 9 3 * The figures give le totals to the nearest lound for ie year ending 31st March, 1906.

c—l.

Statement showing the Blocks of Land which have been proclaimed under "The Government Loans to Local Bodies Act Amendment Act, 1891," and "The Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1901," &c.— continued.

118

Oazetted. Burvi Name of Block. ValuaNo. Page. Date. tion of Block. >yor-General's Report. Works Est^ ted required to pr0p08ed open up such V V Block - borrowed. To Mar. 31, 1906. * From T . , April 1, r ™" *_V?i « 31, March 3], 10(V7 1907. JJU7 ' Expenditure. Auckland Land Disteict—a mtinued. Acres. £ Brought forward ..496,548 .. .. .. |265,688 Otaenga •• •• 1,630 81 2343 6 Oct., 1904 1,019 Otanake Special Settlement .. 7,253 62 1727 6 Aug., 1903 5,440 Otau •• •• 18,510 71 1255 8 Sept., 1892 6,941 Oteno •• •• 463 16 528 23 Feb., 1905 232 -m onn < 83 1845 17 Nov., 1898 | „ qm Otukai 1 10,000 ■ ?0 lg56 4 Sppt., 1902 ) d,dbU Oumauku 9,™ j 77 2114 1 Oct., 1903 2,931 Ouruwhero .. •• 2,615 49 1433 25 June, 1903 2,347 Owai .- •• 3,378 73 1602 8 Aug., 1901 1,008 Paekotare .'.' .. •• 752 20 494 24 Mar., 1898 296 Pakanae 992 73 1601 8 Aug., 1901 291 Pakeh0 9,613 91 2032 2 Nov., 1899 5,720 Pakir i ' .. .. 4,125 85 2335 5 Nov., 1903 1,007 PapamoaNo'.'2 .. -.1,443 7 273 1 Feb., 1906 715 Parahaki 1,933 73 1601 8 Aug., 1901 568 Pareokawa 7,645 96 2148 7 Nov., 1901 3,557 PirongiaWest .. ..16,960 14 361 15 Feb., 1900 ! 10,874 p uk emiro 1,111 68 1959 18 Aug , 1904 450 p"ken U i .. .. 1,600' 77 2113 1 Oct., 1903 1,200 Puketarata'.'. .. ■■ 5,347 1 1 4 Jan., 1900 2,177 Puketarata No. 2 .. .. 3,027 104 2261 14 Dec, 1899 1,487 Puketarata No. 3 .. •• 2,370 65 1702 14 Aug., 1902 2,371 Puketiti .. ■ •• 603: 17 680 1 Mar., 1906 737 PuriH .. .. 1,856 91 2022 20 Dec, 1898 791 _____ " •• •• 686 5 152 21 Jan., 1904 349 Rotokakahi'.'. .. •• 4,022 99 2638 16 Nov., 1905 3,571 R°to Ngaro 14,841 112 2949 21 Dec, 1905 4,655 Ruapekapeka .. •• 10,355 77 1345 6 Oct., 1892 3,982 Taeore 340 55 1428 8 June, 1905 136 TahoraNo.2North.. ) ***** | _ 522 28 Feb., 1901 4,291 Takahue .. •■ 1,'993 23 479 18 Mar., 1892 946 Takahue and Whangape .. 12,200 89 1864 5 Dec, 1895 4,270 Taneihua - •• 4,660 104 2261 14 Dec, 1899 2,106 Tauhoa, Sections 184 to 201 ..i 4,069 15 336 18 Feb., 1892 1,675 Tauhoa-Komokoriki .. .. 2,650 j 35 573 4 May, 1893 1,000 Taumata 3,423 20 495 24 Mar., 1898 2,188 Taumata-Whakauma .. 3,269 62 1727 6 Aug., 1903 2,100 Tnviniri ■• 7,442! 45 860 8 June, 1893 3,755 TeKauri '.'. •• -• 3,570 i U 544 18Feb„ 1904 2,616 Road-works £ 86,426 326 1,813 2,350 115 £ 52,750 £ s. d. [9,387 15 7 £ s. d. 62,136 9 3 1,037 2,350 93 14 1 | 1,130 17 1 2,350 0 0 1,000 626 70 9 11 696 3 11 1,465 680 340 80 124 1,800 369 180 193 950 2,121 167 240 535 378 296 151 186 137 1,207 2,225 500 68 1,110 638 340 76 92 1,794 369 353 7 2 28 9 9 5 "7 6 1,463 6 0 666 4 7 340 0 0 75 14 6 97 10 0 1,793 10 9 369 0 0 177 5 1 10 15 0 944 8 7 2,091 0 8 177 "5 1 .. 11 944 2,083 7 il 0 " 155 533 378 296 46"7 5 201 0 4 532 11 7 377 19 4 295 19 4 180 515 0 185 6 0 16 495 ! 40511 9 2 0 0 405 11 9 18 5 0 494 13 4 1,612 " " 300 1,800 466 449 325 428 817 920 916 300 1,800 466 447 325 428 815 623 117 0 300 0 0 1,800 0 0466 0 0 449 0 0 325 0 0 428 0 0 815 6 2 919 18 10 668 13 2 Roads and bridges Road-works j 297 1 9 ! 668 13 2 Te Kuiti 3,506 70 1498 25 July, 1901 2,927 Te Pahu 3,228 3 80 18 Jan., 1906 1,711 -iCpuhi •• -• 4,505 73 2109 1 Sept., 1904 4,352 Te Puroa " •• •• 8,600 83 1846 17 Nov., 1898 3,440 Te Rerenga.' 7,991 97 2880 8 Dec, 1904 4,730 Tokatoka 8 U,m 38 911 26 May, 1898 20,712 777 491 1,689 1,000 1,599 9,073 776 34 1,000 796 443 1 10 1,088 1 10 776 7 0 443 1 10 1,067 3 0 1,000 0 0 1,553 2 3 Drains and roads Tramway ami road-works j Road-works Roads and drains Drainageworks and bridges over drains Road-works 757 11 9 Tokatoka .. .. ( \__f } 38 911 26 May, 1898 10,226 { Tokatoka No. 2 .. •- l',733 73 1601 8 Aug., 1901 3,934 Tokatoka No. 3 ... •■ 448 14 544 18 Feb., 1904 896 j 1,200 [9,535 1,474 437 , 724 11 6 10,259 10 4 1,473 19 4 448 0 0 1,474 448 1017 1 Tumu-Kaituna .. .. 3',187 12 495 19 Feb., 1903 2,550 1,275 1,274 1,274 7 7 Tnro to .. -• 1,783 97 '2879 8 Dec, 1904 1,689 Umurua '.'. •• •• 4,866 24 j 564 7 April, 1898 2,433 Waiawa •• •• 20,000 5 I 94 27 Jan., 1896 8,000 Waiharakeke .. •- 2,116 27 I 758 23 Mar., 1905 1,979 Waimana 14,292 46 973 20 June, 1895 5,402 Waimatanui .. ..15,723 20 496 24 Mar, 1898 10,847 6,050 71 2073 25 Aug., 1904 2,273 Waiotira 3,226 62 1214 10 Aug., 1893 1,613 Waipoua 58,200 74 1419 5 Oct., 1893 29,100 Warm -• •• 6,257 65 1398 1 Sept., 1898 1,570 Wairere .' 1,930 79 2299 29 Sept., 1904 1,641 Waitoa •• •• 5,108 75 2287 30 Aug., 1906 9,332 I 20,000 74 1298 22 Sept., 1892 10,000 Waoku .. •• j 2 543 17 j 301 9 Mar., 1893 1,462 Whangaingatakupu .. ■- '975 73 ! 1602 , 8 Aug., 1901 439 Wbareorino .. ■• 16,600 78 I 1602 J 8 Aug., 1901 14.525 I g3g 7Feb> igol Wharepuhunga .. .. 31,700 | 45 U37 18 May, 1905 f ' y ' Whatitiri No. 1 .. •• 5,628 51 j 1113 14 June, 1900 4,830 97 24 5 27 46 20 71 62 74 65 79 75 74 17 78 78 I 18 t 45 51 2879 564 94 758 973 496 2073 1214 1419 1398 2299 2287 1298 301 1602 1602 335 1137 1113 539 480 2,500 318 2,000 4,258 756 322 5,800 790 483 3,830 2,000 395 170 3,075 479 2,500 2,000 2,770 751 22 0 0 180' 4 11 226 6 5 22 0 0 478 14 11 2,499 19 0 180 4 11 2,000 0 0 2,996 0 11 750 13 9 26 15 10 5,799 5 5 790 0 0 269 1 8 " „ 26 15 10 5,799 790 269 1 8 j 2,240 2,240 0 0 170 982 383 16 7 169 18 4 1,366 4 10 2,828 844 843 843 6 Totals .. •• 956,552 .. .. .. 530,967 164,869 15,628 15 121,753 7 4 956,552 530,967 106,1271 * The figures give the totals to the nearest pound for t: le year ending 31st March 1906.

119

α-i

Statement showing the Blocks of Land which have been proclaimed under "The Government Loans to Local Bodies Act Amendment Act, 1891," and "The Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1901," &c.— continued.

Name of Blook. Gazetted. Area of Block. No. Page. Date. Surveyor-General's Report. w„rt= Estimated m. [ S_5 ! reqnSSdto ______ Mar 31,1 t,on of I own 1111 such P r °P°S« d IQQfl Block. ope _&, *o be * I Block. borrowed. Expenditure. From April 1, 1906, to March 31, 1907. Expenditure. 1. Total to March 31, 1907. Taranaki Lan: d Distrii :t. Aorangi Autawa Eao Egmont, Blook VI .. Eltliam Gatton Huiroa Hurimoana Kaimanuka Kaipikari Kaitangiwhenua No. 2 Kaitangiwhenua Special Settlement Kaupokonui Koliuratahi Kuraiti Ku.i Kururau Lepperton Llewellyn Maben Makahu Makino .. Mangaehu Mangaere Mangamingi Manganui-Egmont Mangaowata Mangaroa Acres. 3,807 4,725 17,218 1,683 3,200 3,800 6,433 3,190 9,987 4,273 33,430 7,747 75 21 77 57 19 19 72 79 72 79 27 1 2153 393 2191 1163 340 340 1273 1774 1273 1775 510 4 8 Sept., 1904 23 Mar., 1893 2 Oct., 1902 26 July, 1894 16 Mar., 1893 16 Mar., 1893 15 Sept., 1892 3 Nov., 1898 15 Sept., 1892 3 Nov., 1898 5 April, 1894 7 Jan., 1904 £ 2,631 4,276 13,890 1,721 1 3,150 3,860 5,318 2,981 i 5,350 2,136 15,667 4,209 i Road-works " £ 1,160 1,153 6,361 421 800 950 2,093 797 2,665 582 6,393 1,491 £ 1,153 4,160 421 800 950 2,093 797 2,665 582 6,312 1,448 £ s. d. 431 5 2 1,56516 8 £ s. d. 431 5 2 1,153 0 0 5,725 9 9 421 0 0 800 0 0 950 0 0 2,093 0 0 797 0 0 2,665 0 0 582 0 0 6,393 0 0 1,452 8 4 8l"8 1 4 10 8 230 3,548 4,465 13,989 11,808 2,775 4,594 4,680 6,551 8,608 492 7,432 6,629 2,833 10,501 4,969 62 79 14 75 86 83 15 65 66 24 72 30 15 72 77 77 1215 1774 360 2153 2323 1383 397 1871 1361 521 1273 526 336 1510 2191 2192 10 Aug., 1893 3 Nov., 1898 15 Feb., 1900 8 Sept., 1904 ; 28 Sept., 1905 20 Oct., 1892 ! 9 Mar., 1896 : 4 Aug., 1904 27 Aug., 1896 28 Feb., 1901 15 Sept., 1892 27 April, 1893 18 Feb. 1892 4 Oct., 1894 1 2 Oct., 1902 2 Oct., 1902 230 3,019 1,855 I 4,921 . 7,568 ! 2,998 : 3,445 2,341 6,180 3,787 604 9,485 9,040 3,597 6,577 4,560 58 738 6*17 1,985 3,490 966 862 900 1,468 1,860 301 4,144 4,286 894 2,140 1,225 58 738 617 919 40 966 862 900 1,468 73 301 4,144 4,286 894 991 1,200 1,003*15 9 1,482 16 1 58 0 0 738 0 0 617 0 0 1923 3 0 1,523 4 11 966 0 0 862 0 0 900 0 0 1,468 0 0 73 0 4 301 0 0 4,144 0 0 4,286 0 0 894 0 0 1,812 0 1 1,203 12 2 Roads and bridges Road-works 821 "4 7 3 10 6 Mangatawa Marco Mataro Mauku Milsom Mokau-Ohura Moki , Ngatimaru, Blocks V, IX Okoke Opaku-Kapara Oxford Patua Patupuremu Piko Poarangi Puniwhakau Putiki Puiikituna Rangiwhakaoma Rawhitiroa .. 6,804 6,467 1,486 1,893 6,686 41,475 8,734 4,565 13,893 18,620 4,000 9,692 17,960 10,276 3,835 10,695 6,595 4,229 10,005 736 of 32,746 21,375 2 13 42 91 21 30 99 23 51 4 4 24 77 43 14 19 64 14 72 3 382 953 2031 374 1007 2178 412 1049 26 23 667 J2190-1 1009 361 340 1358 ■ 360 1501 9 Jan., 1902 16 Feb., 1899 18 May, 1899 2 Nov., 1899 23 Mar., 1893 14 April, 1904 I 6 Dec, 1900 , 30 Mar., 1893 5 July, 1894 12 Jan., 1893 12 Jan., 1893 11 Mar., 1897 2 Oct., 1902 25 May, 1899 15 Feb., 1900 16 Mar., 1893 27 July, 1899 15 Feb., 1900 4 Oct., 1894 3,796 4,040 668 1,136 6,238 I 27,175 ; 4,708 4,745 9,275 10,455 3,550 6,542 8,160 6,928 2,419 7,604 3,620 2,664 4,428 1,270 1,027 260 284 1,750 12,595 1,822 1,940 2,369 2,793 1,200 1,636 3,580 1,784 550 1,926 1,144 789 1,421 1,270 1,027 260 284 1,750 5,217 1,822 1,940 2,367 2,793 1,200 1,636 3,434 1,782 550 1,926 1,143 789 1,421 6,815 10 4 1,269 19 8 1,027 0 0 260 0 0 284 0 0 1,750 0 0 12,032 19 5 1,822 0 0 1,940 0 0 2,366 11 1 2,793 0 0 1,200 0 0 1,635 19 10 3,565 18 8 1,782 7 9 550 0 0 1,926 0 0 1,143 7 2 789 0 0 1,421 0 0 132 "4 1 I' 5 7 Jan., 1897 3,680 46 46 46 0 0 Rerekapa-Moanatairi 77 2189 2 Oct., 1902 12,182 Roa.ds and bridges Road-works 5,835 4,139 1,017 18 7 5,156 14 8 Rimuputa Ross Tahora Tangitu Tanner Taumata 5,609 1,912 2,311 11,805 5,200 8,223 77 34 90 90 78 84 j 77 I 30 60 77 13 77 81 77 1715 760 1977 1977 1361 2261 2191 1007 1245 2192 240 2189 2343 2190 27 Oct., 1898 9 May, 1895 17 Oct., 1901 17 Oct., 1901 10 Oct., 1892 21 Sept., 1905 2 Oct., 1902 14 April, 1904 15 Aug., 1895 2 Oct., 1902 23 Feb., 1893 2 Oot., 1902 6 Oct., 1904 2 Oct., 1902 3,229 2,564 1,422 ! 7,463 5,950 3,812 799 478 471 2,140 1,780 1,616 799 476 471 2.140 1,780 799 0 0 476 2 6 471 0 0 2,140 0 0 1,780 0 0 60 7 11 60 "7 11 Taurangi 21,500 1 12,976 (Roads and] 1 bridges j Road-works 5,865 4,624 1,128 1 0 5,751 16 1 Terrace End Tirangi Upper Waitara Vera Waiaraia Waikaka 11,118 8,098 840 2,575 16,797 4,016 8,950 [ 3,563 1,914 1,573 9,163 8,254 2,173 1,620 126 320 4,010 960 2,173 1,511 126 320 1,649 946 102 "7 0 1 2,173 0 0 1,613 6 6 126 0 0 320 0 0 3,995 2 8 620 10 10 Roads and bridges Road-works 2,34519 5 Cr. 325 1 5 Waikekeho Waikiekie Waingarara.. Waitangata Waro 590 600 1,634 10,628 11,244 72 78 78 77 52 {". 1522 1698 1666 2190 ]620 340 57 16 Aug., 1900 15 Oct., 1896 6 Sept., 1900 2 Oct., 1902 23 July, 1903 16 Mar., 1893 10 Jan., 1901 1,178 788 1,111 8,683 6,678 419 150 373 2,575 3,210 419 150 373 2,402 3,097 38 "8 6 109 0 2 418 16 9 150 0 0 372 16 i 2,440 15 6 3,206 8 7 Whenuakura 10,927 j 5,652 j 1,690 1,690 1,690 0 0 Totals 101,780 16,819 3 1 117,599 5 8 539,251 359,332 127,596 * The figures give the totals to the nearest pi mnd for tl le year ending 31st March, 1906.

c—l.

Statement showing the Blocks of Land which have been proclaimed under "The Government Loans to Local Bodies Act Amendment Act, 1891," and "The Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1901," &c. — continued.

120

Gaz Name of Blook. | 1 No. Page. ' . ___ retted. Date. Survi Valuation of Block. Works | Est A™ ated To Total required to „.„,?_,, Mar. 31, Vans r?.' t0 ope l,„'r ch ™ " 19 * or " ««&». "_?*• iilooK - borrowed. 1907. lau7 ' J I „ lyor-General's Report. Expenditure. H likurangi No, 2 .. .. 4,115 82 1663 luiarua 7,750 90 j Jj^j jiberal .. .. .. 2,800 83 1388 iangapoike.. .. .. 14,627 24 521 langatoro, Block I .. .. 1,700 38. 857 langatoro Ia No. 1 .. .. 5,017 60 1537 loanui .. .. ..24,865 59 1620 lotu .. .. .. 33,045 23 479 fgapaeruru .. I 44 816 I 86 19U Jgapaeruru No. 2 .. f **<° xo ] 20 ; 548 Juhaka North .. .. 9,549 80 : 1365 Tuhaka No. 2 .. .. 777 68 1324 JuhakaNo. 3 .. .. 4,138 24 ] 522 'ohui .. .. .. 4,306 90 i 1521 tuahine .. .. .. 4,800 61 j 1291 tuakituri .. .. .. 4,855 46 jj*jjjl ?ahora No. 2 South .. .. 43,037 24 522 i- „,,„ (41 1042 amakl 3 ' 443 {83 2222. 'auwharetoi .. .. 9,404 68 1324 ?uahu .. .. ..16,759 67 1859 Tmutaoroa .. ..' .. 1,461 49 939 Vaiau .. .. ..I 8,961 23 412 Vaitahaia .. .. ..14,380 52 1619 Vhakapaupakihi .. ..14,379 52 1619 Vhakarara, Section 14, Blook 508 16 342 XIII Vharekopae-Tahora No. 2 .. 14,401 24 522 Voodville .. .. .. 254 49 939 [awke's Bay L, lnd Dist :kict. 16 Nov., 1894 £ 3,217 £ £ £ s. d. £ a. d. Road-works I 520 497 .. 497 5 5 21 Oct., 1897 2,695 1,000 639 97 4 3 736 10 7 20 Oct., 1892 28 Feb., 1901 3 May, 1900 29 June, 1905 23 July, 1903 18 Mar., 1892 1 Dec, 1898 15 Mar., 1900 13 Oct., 1892 7 Sept., 1893 28 Feb., 1901 11 Nov., 1892 16 Aug., 1894 2,500 8,260 1,329 32,104 14,000 16,773 126,370 400 400 .. 400 0 0 1,834 1,828 i 6 0 0 1,833 18 2 425 425 .. 424 19 5 1,348 109 616 12 2 725 13 5 3,108 1,001 844 7 9 1,845 0 10 2,475 2,475 .. 2,475 0 0 11,000 11,000 .. 11,000 0 0 4,632 486 5,351 3,655 2,225 568 568 .. 568 0 0 58 58 .. 58 0 0 1,034 1,031 .. 1,030 18 5 538 538 .. 538 0 0 840 824 .. 824 1 9 21 June, 1894 4,624 364 364 .. 364 0 0 28 Feb, 1901 4 May, 1905 14 Sept., 1905 7 Sept., 1893 27 Aug., 1903 22 June, 1893 30 Mar., 1893 23 July, 1903 23 July, 1903 1 Mar., 1894 16,139 148,345 4,304 3,440 1,601 1,738 10 4 3,340 0 0 4,975 6,288 956 5,621 8,462 12,498 406 1,175 1,169 .. 1,169 0 0 2,352 1,179 1,107 11 5 2,286 5 2 100 100 .. 100 0 0 1,405 1,137 45 10 0 1,182 14 6 2,990 1,217 922 4 7 2,139 4 4 1,798 1,798 .. 1,797 18 8 38 38 .. 38 0 0 28 Feb., 1901 22 June, 1893 11,869 286 1,440 1,432 .. 1,431 18 0 25 25 .. 25 0 0 Totals .. .. 294,147 294,147 !244,066 i 44,579 31,453 5.378 0 6 36,831 8 8 44,579 31,453 Wellington La lND Dist \ Ahuahu ■ .. JICT. 28,999 61 1682 30 Aug., 1907 15,115 Roads and Bridges Dtio Road-works 7,250 Awarua 1b .. Clifton No. 1 Dannevirke Centennial East Puketoi Gladstone .. Hall Hautapu, Blocks XI, XIV, XV Hautapu No. 2 Hautapu-Ruahine Hautapu-Ruahine No. 2 Horopito Kaiparoro .. Kaiparoro No. 2 Kaitangata Kaitieke Kaiwaka, Blocks IV, VIII, XI Kakariki Kawhatau Makotuku, Block III Malton Farm Homestead Manganui and Ruapehu Mangoira-Coal Creek Marton No. 3 Maungakaretu Mecalickstone Momahaki.. Momahaki Village Settlement Mount Baker Mowhanau Village Settlement Ngamatea-Maungakaretu Ngaurukehu North-east Puketoi Ohinewairua Ohinewairua, Block XIII 18,291 4,650 11,022 83,500 7,597 3,175 6,108 6,856 19,804 16,771 400 9,409 400 7,105 45,500 4,789 5,000 5,700 1,608 1,208 7,350 6,500 9,078 508 6,011 526 824 8,291 380 8,315 1,092 13,300 7,462 876 104 28 19 23 24 19 92 65 74 87 72 60 30 89 12 4 23 94 1 80 46 74 79 7 19 72 7 15 7 4 4 15 11 4 2723 539 340 479 482 340 1567 1272 1297 1841 1505 1245 773 1863 283 56 413 1951 4 1637 958 1297 2162 273 339 1274 181 336 255 55 55 336 242 55-6 23 Nov., 1905 31 Mar., 1892 16 Mar., 1893 18 Mar., 1892 28 Mar., 1894 16 Mar., 1893 24 Nov., 1892 24 Aug., 1894 22 Sept., 1892 28 Nov., 1895 2 Oct., 1894 15 Aug., 1895 1 April, 1897 5 Dec, 1895 14 Feb., 1895 10 Jan., 1901 30 Mar., 1893 21 Dec, 1894 7 Jan., 1904 8 Oct., 1894 21 June, 1894 22 Sept., 1892 8 Oct., 1903 1 Feb., 1906 16 Mar., 1893 15 Sept., 1892 25 Jan., 1894 18 Feb., 1892 29 Jan., 1903 10 Jan., 1901 10 Jan., 1901 18 Feb., 1892 28 Jan., 1897 10 Jan., 1901 16,132 4,081 5,233 83,500 5,822 4,871 5,469 8,860 22,154 11,152 850 6,414 150 4,215 41,700 1,768 5,786 6,588 1,860 944 6,337 8,204 8,050 571 4,834 440 6,311 8,710 5,320 6,491 1,092 16,455 7,491 2,734 6,610 1,163 2,494 19,375 1,899 794 1,573 1,714 6,931 4,192 100 1,174 50 884 11,375 598 1,562 1,425 402 302 1,838 2,031 2,270 254 1,503 156 1,360 2,487 380 2,078 409 3,990 1,865 481 1,163 2,494 19,375 1,898 794 1,567 1,714 6,932 4,192 ! 767 19 4 767 19 4 1,163 0 0 2,493 19 10 19,375 0 0 1,898 8 3 794 0 0 1,567 0 0 1,713 15 10 6,931 12 3 4,192 0 0 1,174 50 884 7,883 598 1,562 1,425 402 302 1,838 2,030 2,270 3,01013 10 1,174 0 0 50 0 0 884 0 0 10,893 5 10 598 0 0 1,562 0 0 1,425 0 0 402 0 0 302 0 0 1,838 0 0 2,030 0 0 2,270 0 0 192 7 8 1,503 0 .0 156 0 0 1,360 0 0 2,487 0 0 378 7 9 2,078 0 0 408 19 2 3,990 0 0 1,864 1 3 481 0 0 1,503 156 1,360 2,487 378 2,078 409 3,990 1,864 481 192 "7 8 Carried forward 1358,485 |335,204 92,969 175,253 [3,971 0 10 79,223 17 2 * The figures give the totals to the nearest lound for the year ending 31st March, 1906.

121

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Statement showing the Blocks of Land which have been proclaimed under "The Government Loans to Local Bodies Act Amendment Act, 1891," and "The Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1901," &c.— continued.

16—C. 1,

iurveyor-i ieneral leporl Expenditure. Name of Block. Area of Block. No. Page. Date. Valua- *£*f te E8 C r ed ''??* o r P rup d suc o h p'°p° sed B1 ° Ck - »•&• bor?owed. To Mar. 31, 1906. * From m„»„, April 1, T ° tal 1906, to „ to ,,, March 31, Mb _% M - 1907. lm - Welli •tgton Land D ISTRIOT— continued. Brought forward Ohinewairua-Pukeokahu Omahine, Block I .. Onslow Oraukura Oroua-Coal Creek Palmerston North Knights of Labour Pohangina Pohonuiatane Acres. 1358,485 9,785 455 2,405 4,456 5,630 10,995 4 8 34 78 15 28 56 152 640 1803 336 539 10 Jan., 1901 2 Feb., 1893 28 April, 1892 21 Sept. 1899 18 Feb., 1892 31 Mar., 1892 £ 335,204 9,330 341 1,327 6,691 6,178 12,222 Road-works £ 92,969 2,935 114 601 1,114 1,050 2,749 £ 75,253 2,342 114 600 1,114 1,050 2,749 £ s. d. 3,971 0 10 583 15 6 £ s. d. 79,223 17 2 2,925 15 5 114 0 0 600 0 0 1,114 0 0 1,050 0 0 2,749 0 0 4,722 27,754 28 19 j 87 110 92 49 85 28 28 28 1 539 340 1841 283 1933 1433 2649 539 539 539 .3,4 31 Mar., 1892 16 Mar., 1893 28 Nov., 1895 13 Feb., 1896 19 Dec, 1895 25 June, 1903 11 Oct., 1906 31 Mar., 1892 31 Mar., 1892 31 Mar., 1892 7 Jan., 1904 4,250 26,476 1 11,957 1,181 6,959 1,181 6,958 1,181 0 0 6,958 6 0 2,844* 0 0 Pukeokahu 11,379 2,844 2,844 Puketoi-Aohanga Raupiu Ruatiti Salisbury and Delaware Sommerville Stirling Taihape Village Settlement Extension Taonui-Maraetaua-Pukewhakapu 1,277 3,080 18,500 13,392 8,566 4,770 117 1,027 2,457 13,875 14,257 9,085 6,678 278 319 385 4,625 3,348 2,142 1,193 117 319 260 3,348 2,142 1,192 117 12415 2 319 0 0 385 0 0 3,348 0 0 2,142 0 0 1,192 0 0 117 0 0 9,799 49 1 85 15 I 17 19 72 1186 2486 560 677 340 1522 25 May, 1905 27 Oct., 1904 14 Feb., 1907 21 Feb., 1907 16 Mar., 1833 16 Aug., 1900 13 July, 1893 8,893 2,450 Tapui Settlement 1,267 l 1,724 474 Tararua Tauakira Te Mara .. .. | 3,993 20,736 3,549 of 18,700 1,470 1,545 5,622 2,614 2,200 14,201 20,900 3,900 6,222 2,608 4,592 16,551 998 2,592 998 2,592 998 0 0 2,592 0 0 j 56 1092 2,384 436 428 427 16 3 Te Ngaue Te Ruanui Tiriraukawa-Hautapu Tupapanui Umutoi Upper Makohine Waimarino Waiwera Wanganui .. Wellington Fruit-growers' Association 54 4 4 65 28 24 15 23 19 72 1106 55 56 2090 539 564 336 413 340 1274 16 July, 1896 10 Jan., 1901 10 Jan., 1901 2 Aug., 1906 31 Mar., 1892 7 April, 1898 18 Feb., 1892 30 Mar., 1893 16 Mar., 1893 15 Sept., 1892 1,286 4,256 5,250 2,614 1,675 15,851 16,880 4,101 6,046 8,543 367 386 1,686 653 550 3,230 7,837 1,460 1,556 1,304 367 386 1,686 367 0 0 386 0 0 1,686 0 0 550 3,215 7,836 1,460 1,556 1,313 15 "o 0 550 0 0 3,229 19 11 7,835 10 6 1,460 0 0 1,556 0 0 1,313 0 0 Totals 586,394 562,279 150,624 123,971 |4,694 11 6 128,664 5 3 Nelson Lan: J DlSTRIi :t. Big Bush .. 14,309 73 | 2229 2230 2815 2323 2862 2638 2423 2424 2122 1946 2423 569 80 649 2425 2423 1523 12,13 2638 2528 2424 2528 2862 2528 22S7 592 2639 .649 3150 2950 2723 | 23 Aug., 1906 4,469 939 11,457 4,029 828 1,658 6,152 7,652 6,220 Road-works 715 Brewerton Brighton Heaphy Hope Inangahua Kongahu Maruia Maruia North 3,757 29,124 13,030 3,311 3,184 15,794 22,554 19,311 107 86 109 99 90 90 90 60 (90 i 15 d? 90 90 90 2 99 95 90 95 109 95 75 14 ( 99 I 17 104 112 104 7 Dec, 1905 28 Sept., 1905 14 Dec, 1905 16 Nov., 1905 19 Oct., 1905 19 Oct., 1905 19 Oct., 1905 19 July, 1906 19 Oct., 1905 14 Feb., 1907 18 Jan., 1906 1 Mar., 1906 19 Oct., 1905 19 Oct., 1905 11 Nov., 1892 10 Jan., 1907 16 Nov., 1905 2 Nov., 1905 19 Oct., 1905 2 Nov., 1905 14 Dec, 1905 2 Nov., 1905 30 Aug., 1906 22 Feb., 1906 16 Nov., 1905 1 Mar., 1906 13 Dec, 1906 21 Dec, 1905 23 Nov., 1905 197 3,348 1,344 248 781 2,735 3,164 3,110 157 15 7 121 11 6 472 1 11 157 15 7 121 11 6 472 1 11 892' 2 2 11 19 0 892 2 2 11 19 0 Matiri Matiri East 11,711 9,361 I 4,420 I 2,819 (Roads and) I Bridges } Road-works 1,547 506 3 10 259 4 3 506 3 10 701 259 4 3 Mokihinui Mount Arthur Mount Arthur No. 2.. Murchison Village Settlement Oparara Orikaka Otumahana 7,944 4,350 14,464 31 19,635 20,052 20,824 5,233 7,707 9,685 3,841 2,109 2,935 1,087 4,345 249 7,076 5,184 6,069 1,538 2,473 2,700 1,106 537 1,133 326 1,086 62 2,699 2.506 2,603 623 549 726 96 116 109 0 5 109 0 5 Owen Owen East .. Rainy River.. Spooner Range Tadmor 29 416 17 7 221 13 3 12 2 0 416 17 7 251 3 1 12 2 0 108 "9 7 108' 9 7 Totaranui 7,546 j 2,037 566 Totaranui No. 3 Wareatea Westport 1,990 829 2,276 497 326 791 100 163 332 228 12 0 22812 0 Totals 273,982 89,593 31,576 29 3,517 13 1 3,547 2 11 < T] le figures give thi totals ;o the nearest po' ind for thi year ending 31st March, 11

C—l.

Statement showing the Blocks of Land which have been proclaimed under "The Government Loans to Local Bodies Act Amendment Act, 1891," and "The Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1901," &c.— continued.

122

Name of Block. Ga Area of Block. No. Page. Ga retted. Valuation of Block. Surveyor-General's Report. Works ES, S t6d required to d™,™,,,! open up such pr t ° p b s e ed B1 ° ck - borrowed. T ° A F prTl TotaI Mar. 31, S'li' t0 19 ° 6 ' Marth'si, Mar „$ «• 1907. UU7 ' Expenditure. Date. !arlborough I lAND DlS' ;rict. Acres. 4,481 11 June, 1903 1 April, 1897 18 Nov., 1897 6 April, 1899 10 Aug., 1899 20 Dec, 1898 4 April, 1901 6 Mar., 1902 9 Jan., 1902 £ 1,617 Road-works £ 404 £ £ s. d. 69 9 1 £ s. d. 69 9 1 Bartlett's Creek Hundalee Kaitao Pine Valley Puhipuhi Stag and Spey Tinline Waipapa 38,329 9,436 19,744 24,800 12,246 1,650 49,410 46 ( 30 1 97 30 68 91 34 18 2 1357 773 2081 729 1477 2022 821 527 4 J 24,540 5,676 7,452 16,675 11,148 805 17,662 7,500 2,500 1,863 4,169 2,787 201 1,766 7,500 2,000 1,189 4,169 2,787 201 1,764 7,500 0 0 2,000 0 0 1,188 15 7 4,169 0 0 2,787 0 0 200 18 6 1,764 0 0 * Totals |160,096 85,575 21,190 19,610 69 9 1 19,679 3 2 Mount Bonar .. Waitaha Westland La: [D DlST! tICT. 747 4,270 73 52 2226 1160 23 Aug., 1906 I 23 May, 1901 250 5,362 Road-works 100 1,341 1,342 1,34110 6 Totals 5,017 5,612 1,441 1,342 ; 1,341 10 6 Ruapuna Waimate Reserve No. 1126 .. Waimate Reserve No. 1128 .. Waimate Reserve No. 1178 Cantbbbuey L .nd Dist: LICT. 847 634 516 157 80 1640 j 8 Nov., 1894 72 1273 15 Sept., 1892 72 1273 15 Sept., 1892 72 1273 15 Sept., 1892 1,270 6,269 7,268 2,193 Road-works 106 300 25 25 75 300 25 25 75 0 0 300 0 0 25 0 0 25 0 0 Totals 2,154 17,000 456 425 425 0 0 Blaokstone Catlin's (Blocks IV, V, VI, VII) Catlin's, Block II Gimmerburn Glenomaru, Blocks III, IV, V, VII, IX, X Glenomaru, Block VI Lauder-Blackstone Lauder-Tiger Hill Lower Wanaka Maniototo Maniototo No. 2 Maniototo No. 3 Otago Lani DlSTRII :. 22,535 8,580 10 16 233 530 7 Feb., 1895 23 Feb., 1905 24,748 3,828 Road-works 500 1,057 500 1,057 500 0 0 1,056 17 9 196 8,682 13 24 ( 95 I 13 62 24 24 34 24 10 12 I 15 1 23 10 79 246 481 1606 246 1211 481 481 714 481 233 284 336 479 234 1774 23 Feb., 1893 29 Mar., 1894 8 Dec, 1892 23 Feb., 1893 10 Aug., 1893 29 Mar., 1894 29 Mar., 1894 10 May, 1894 29 Mar., 1894 7 Feb., 1895 14 Feb., 1895 18 Feb., 1892 18 Mar., 1892 7 Feb., 1895 3 Nov., 1898 196 6,152 50 1,032 50 1,032 50 0 0 v 1,032 0 0 1 1,495 ] 946 237 237 237 0 0 25 3,809 28,823 3,368 277 6,916 6,295 80 3,608 22,112 1,250 245 5,911 6,001 25 476 1,000 101 104 907 300 25 476 1,000 101 100 600 300 25 0 0 476 0 0 1,000 0 0 101 0 0 100 0 0 600 0 0 300 0 0 Maruwenua 49,116 172246 7,000 7,000 7,000 0 0 Naseby, No. 2 Naseby, Maniototo, and Gimmerburn 2,444 5,277 2,038 3,677 313 910 313 910 313 0 0 910 0 0 Rankleburn, Block VI Swinburn Tahaukupu Tautuku, Blook I 544 1,790 2,817 3,850 ( 102 I 13 40 13 77 ( 102 \ 102 1 13 15 1744 246 656 245 1346 1742 1745 246 336 29 Dec, 1892 23 Feb., 1893 18 May, 1893 23 Feb., 1893 6 Oct., 1892 29 Dec, 1892 29 Dec, 1892 23 Feb., 1893 .18 Feb., 1892 1 409 1,610 2,256 2,800 136 288 675 555 136 288 675 555 136 0 0 288 0 0 675 0 0 555 0 0 Tuapeka West, Blocks I, II, III, IV, VII, VIII 1 2,545 1,681 11,225 367 367 367 0 0 Woodlands, Blocks II, V, VI, VIII Woodlands, Blocks VII,' X, XI 13,400 4,950 4,950 4,950 0 0 1,693 74 1297 22 Sept., 1892 1,384 307 307 307 0 0 Totals 174,477 |174,403 21,290 i'20,979 |20,978 17 9 Southland Laj SD DlST] IICT. Ickers Uton No. 2 .. lillend 351 •2,722 856 68 21 112 I 7 I 39 81 72 1327 831 2950 149 1021 2182 1273 7 Sept., 1893 22 Mar., 1906 21 Dec, 1905 30 Jan., 1896 27 April, 1905 7 Sept., 1905 15 Sept., 1892 702 1,269 433 Road-works 220 317 108 217 216 16 3 -lokonui 404 1 253 95 85 85 7 10 rlokonui No. 2 nvercargill Hundred, Block XXIII liillburn, Monowai, and Alton jongwood 1,181 1,403 30,745 2,830 83 16 1389 529 20 Oot., 1892 23 Feb., 1905 714 1,840 23,059 1,322 I , 152 400 8,000 330 382 8,000 151 17 2 17 12 0 151 17 2 400 0 0 8,000 0 0 , Carried forward 40,492 29,592 9,622 8,684 169 9 2 8,854 1 8 * The flgur is give. the tota] Is to the nearest lound for ihe year ending list March, 1906.

123

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Statement showing the Blocks of Land which have been proclaimed under "The Government Loans to Local Bodies Act Amendment Act, 1891," and "The Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1901," &c.— continued.

Table 39.— Summary of Work done for other Departments and for Local Bodies during the Year ended 31st March, 1907.

lurvi )yor-i leneral [eporl Ixpeni rure. Name of Block. Area of Block. No. Page. Date. ValuaI tion of I Block. Works Estimated required to „„„„„„'.,,, open up such pr ° 0 p ' b 8 e ed M ° ok - borrowed. To From Ma Qn fi 31 ' 19"6. to la , ub ' March 31, 1907. Total to March 31, 1907. Sout: [land Land D: [STRICT—i •.ontinued. £ £ s. d. 8,684 I 169 9 2 8 i Anr\ ! i £ S. 8,854 1 i Af\r\ n Brought forward Longwood, Blocks XVI and I Lora Mabel Mokoreta Otapiri Oteramika Paterson, Block I .. Waiau, Blocks XIII and XIV, Waiau Survey District Waikawa Waikawa No. 1 Waikawa, Block II .. Waikawa-Otara Waikawa-Otara Extension J Acres. 40,492 5,659 2,913 343 7,400 616 6,253 633 r 5,472 90 73 73 23 73 71 23 83 1529 1884 1883 411 1883 1377 411 2221 11 Nov., 1892 3 Aug., 1905 3 Aug., 1905 30 Mar., 1893 3 Aug., 1905 21 Sept., 1893 30 Mar., 1893 14 Sept., 1905 £ 29,592 2,829 1,330 231 3,700 313 2,006 317 2,070 I_ ■• . i Road-works " • £ 9,622 1,400 332 58 1,850 78 625 158 732 £ 8,684 1,400 1,400 ; .. 1 58 "o 0 493 £ a. d. 8,854 1 3 1,400 0 0 58 0 0 492 13 2 69 6 10 265 16 1 158 0 0 732 0 11 1,400 0 58s' 0 a 245 158 4 493 69 6 10 245 21 5 6 492 13 69 6 1 265 16 " 158 4 727 13 5 158 0 732 0 1 6,000 1,194 307 31,000 1,647 of 3,466 2,023 23 84 90 23 412 2260 1901 411 30 Mar., 1893 21 Sept., 1905 21 Oct., 1897 30 Mar., 1893 i 3,000 663 643 15,500 1,500 331 186 7,750 1,500 .. 1 107 0 4 57 4 8 1,500 1,500 0 0 107 0 4 57 4 8 7,749 12 5 1,500 0 107 0 57 4 7,750 .. 7 7,750 7,749 12 { 67 1919 11 Aug., 1904 664 199 Winton 77 2019 24 Aug., 1905 1,515 379 326 53 1 6 j 326 379 0 0 379 0 Totals 1111,952 64,373 25,200 |20,560 1,263 1 5 21,822 15 8 SUMM, .BY. mckland Land District 'aranaki „ lawke's Bay Vellington „ kelson „ Marlborough Vestland „ 'anterbury )tago louthland 955,452 539,251 294,147 586,394 273,982 160,096 5,017 2,154 174,477 111,952 8,102,922 530,967 359,332 244,066 562,279 89,593 85,575 5,612 17,000 174,403 64,373 164,869 127,596 44,579 150,624 31,576 21,190 1,441 456 21,290 25,200 106,127 101,7801 31,453 123,970 29 19,610 1,342 425 20,979 20,560 15,628 15 7 16,819 3 1 5,378 0 6 4,694 11 6 3,517 13 1 69 9 1 121,753 7 4 117,599 5 8 36,831 8 8 128,664 5 3 3,547 211 19,679 3 2 1,341 10 6 425 0 0 i 20,978 17 9 21,822 15 8 1,263 1 5 Totals [472,642 16 11 ;2,133,200 588,821 426,275 47,370 14 3 * The figures give t] le totals to the nearest pound for rhe year ending list March, 1906.

District in which Work was executed. Cost. District in which Work was executed. Cost. Brought forward £ a. d. 18,188 11 8 479 9 0 881 14 11 1,964 5 6 1,099 17 2 339 12 10 ,uckland lawke's Bay 'aranaki Vellington lelson £ a. d. 3,659 18 11 1,552 7 1 3,386 2 7 7,718 15 10 1,871 7 3 '■ Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago Southland Carried forward £18,188 11 8 Total .. £22,953 11 1

c—i.

Table 40. —Crown Grants, Certificates of Title, Leases, and other Instruments of Title from the Crown prepared from 1st April, 1906, to 31st March, 1907.

Table 41. —Summary showing Payments to Local Bodies during the Twelve Months ended 31st March, 1907, from "Thirds" of Deferred-payment, Perpetual-lease, Occupation-with-right-of-purchase, and Lease-in-perpetuity Lands, and "Fourths" of Small Grazing-runs.

124

Number. Cost. District. In Duplicate. ' In Triplicate. In Quadruplicate Total Copies. Singly. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington .. Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury .. Otago Southland .. 6 ioo 143 5 37 84 30 34 66 99 40 354 61 57 329 27 17 28 19 169 28 188 20 79 110 90 48 137 102 83 2,106 273 487 1,601 609 304 700 599 705 508 £ s. d. 210 12 0 37 6 0 10 16 5 195 2 0 45 13 6 19 19 4 126 9 0 44 18 6 35 5 0 62 10 0 ' 1 "2 12 Totals .. 121 538 1,089 857 7,892 788 11 9

District. 0) CC ffi O _ » _ +j _ O c3 U. ■*-■ " Thirds," Deferredpayment, Perpetuallease, with-right-of-purchase, and Lease-in-perpetuity Lands. " Fourths," Small Grazingruns. Total Payments. Lenj jth, Loi rality, Description, authorised by Li ci a E o Bridges. And Particulars of Work md Board. SI o 1-3 ■H Jj %2 Culverts. Maintenance. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki.. Wellington Nelson .. Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago Southland 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 £ s. d, 5,957 12 C 4,583 2 e 2,111 10 S 6,069 18 4 1,081 5 ( 1,510 8 i 542 5 i 641 5 1( 1,367 6 ( 1,026 0 ! £ s. d.| I 138 13 10 I 572 19 8 1 ! 15 4 7 t 141 2 7 ) 33 11 5 [ 966 11 1 £ s. d. 6,096 5 10 5,156 2 2 2,126 14 9 6,211 0 11 1,114 16 5 2,476 19 5 542 5 8 1,165 9 1 2,938 5 2 1,236 4 7 Ch. 626 315 194 42 Ch. 2,461 1 "20| Ch. 2,912 3,073 131 1,050 235 817 £ s. d. 342 14 8 312 2 11 8 7 7, 99 14 7 23 16 2 100 0 0 £ s. d. 277 14 0 29 11 2 9 13 0 59 14 0 18 3 6 £ s. d. 2,582 9 10 1,6S2 15 5 1,010 2 6 1,930 7 2 845 1 5 1,896 7 11 3,611 11 9 937 16 5 947 13 3 695 19 3 "80 ) ) 524 3 3 )1,570 19 2 1 210 4 3 "l2 15 904| 2,866J 1,922 722 7 11 30 14 0 42 11 1 10 3 6 262 18 4 88 12 7 "20 Totals 124,890 14 2 4,173 9 10; 129,064 4 0 |l,197| 2,588 13,917* 1,682 8 11 756 10 1 16,170 4 11

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125

Table 41. —Statement showing Payments to Local Bodies during the Twelve Months ended 31st March, 1907, from "Thirds" of Deferred-payment, Perpetual-lease, Occupation-with-right-of-purchase, and Lease-in-perpetuity Lands, and " Fourths" of Small Grazing-runs.

Local Bodies. "Thirds," Deferredpayment, Perpetual-lease, with-nght-of-purchase, and Lease-in-per-petuity Lands. Length, ] locality, Description, and Particulars of Work authorised by Land Board. "Fourths," Small Grazingruns. Total Payments. .HO .60 ja o s a w'l p 'rr s 3 g S ®2 w£ || Bridges. Culverts. ______ 3 STATEI :ENT No. 1.--auc: :la: ri). £ s. d. 7 13 9 5 19 2 194 14 1 1,265 1 11 44 12 2 14 2 2 12 1 258 0 3 567 11 11 33 1 0 17 6 4 84 18 5 3 6 0 12 7 8 35 1 3 313 8 1 27 15 8 60 11 10 274 7 6 22 11 4 7 5 3 5 12 7 2 15 10 57 18 11 125 15 1 3 0 0 13 18 4 3 5 11 756 3 0 211 18 6 90 6 0 21 15 1 113 7 11 16 0 6 5 7 9 31 7 5 22 10 5 12 9 0 17 10 7 15 2 6 62 19 11 16 15 1 8 19 10 51 12 2 78 19 4 532 16 0 327 10 8 112 3 10 £ a. d. £ s. d. 7 13 9 5 19 2 194 14 1 1,318 7 4 44 12 2 14 2 2 12 1 258 0 3 567 11 11 33 1 0 17 6 4 84 18 5 3 6 0 12 7 8 35 1 3 313 8 1 27 15 8 60 11 10 274 7 6 22 11 4 7 5 3 5 12 7 2 15 10 57 18 11 125 15 1 3 0 3 13 18 4 3 5 11 756 3 0 211 18 6 92 4 9 21 15 1 163 7 3 16 0 6 5 7 9 31 7 5 22 10 5 12 9 0 17 10 7 15 2 6 62 19 11 16 15 1 8 19 10 51 12 2 78 19 4 566 6 4 327 10 8 112 3 10 Ch. Ch. Ch. 14 £ s. d. £ a. d. £ a. d. AlbertlandNth. R.B. AlbertlandSth.R.B. Awakino County .. Bay of Islands C.C. Coromandel C.C. .. East Taupo County Great Barrier Island Hobson C.C. Hokianga C.C. HuntlyR.B. Hunua R.B. Kawhia C.C. Katikati R.B. KirikiriroaR.B. Manukau County .. Mangonui C.C. Mareretu R.B. Marua R.B. Maunu R.B. Mauku R.B. Matakohe R.B. Mangatawhiri R.B. Opaheke R.B. Opotiki C.C. Otamatea C.C. Otonga R.B. Parua R.B. Puhoi R.B. Raglan C.C. Rodney C.C. Rotorua County .. Ruarangi R.B. Tauranga C.C. Tauhoa R.B. Warkworth R.B. .. Waipipi R.B. Waipu North R.B. Waikiekie R.B. .. WaitoaR.B. Waiuku R.B. Waitemata C.C. .. Whangaroa C.C. .. Whareora R.B. West Taupo County Whangamarino R.B. Whakatane C.C. .. Whangarei C.C. Waitomo C.C. 53 5 5 173 60 180 55 io 997 5 432 98 595 80 32 6 1373 4 103 87 25 305 32 115 2 10 16 110 132 10 1 3 19 8 44 12 2 9 16 4 5 13 0 20 2 3 26 0 0 10 14 9 0 11 6 107 16 2 3 0 0 14 18 8 4 19 10 80 12 0 IP, 15 0 3 4 0 1 10 2 2 3 8 0 16 4 5 19 2 130 11 7 33 13 5 1 4 2 2 12 1 30 6 1 340 4 0 2 5 10 6 13 6 84 18 5 3 6 0 7 9 9 35 1 3 114 19 10 21 14 9 21 6 7 77 17 7 4 5 6 2 3 8 5 12 7 2 15 10 35 7 4 21 13 1 2 3 8 13 18 4 3 5 11 576 6 9 133 18 4 57 5 7 0 17 6 163 7 3 0 9 9 16 1 12 9 8 13 13 0 10 11 0 17 10 7 12 10 0 62 2 3 16 15 1 2 3 7 65 14 47 147 108 21 49 27 i.5 9 3 13 4 17 17 1 5 14 0 1 18 9 49 19 4 6 13 4 3 5 16 14 3 37 1 is 0 10 6 ii 3 15 0 33 i6 4 21 32 6 183 112 50 3 io 6 2 2 6 1 13 8 17 10 11 68 1 3 159 19 1 172 6 0 89 2 2 53 50 43 12 11 Totals 5,957 12 0 138 13 10 6,096 5 10 626 2461 2912 342 14 8 277 14 0 2,582 9 10 STATEM! :nt No. 2.—haw: !E'S BAY. Waipawa C.C. .. 1,964 4 1 Hawke's Bay C.C. .. 191 7 1 Cook C.C i 845 3 5 Wairoa C.C. .. 695 14 6 Waiapu C.C. .. 469 9 1 Weber C.C. .. I 64 5 1 Woodville C.C. .. : 13 4 9 Opotiki C.C. .. | 194 1 11 Waimata R.B. .. 10 9 Norsewood R.B. .. 130 3 9 Te Arai R.B. .. J 1 11 4 Patutahi R.B. .. I 19 8 Porangab.au R.B. .. ! 117 1 Ngatapa R.B. 18 7 11 5 0 '331 7 7 191 13 4 i 30 19 6 4 7 8 1- 18 0 1,965 12 8 i .. 202 12 1 60 1,176 11 0 i 255 887 7 10 5C0 8 7 68 12 9 13 4 9 194 1 11 '.. 10 9 130 3 9 1 11 4 .-. 19 8 13 5 1 24 , 89 I .. 1857 .. 387 .. 432 31 8 .. 141 , 71 17 11 166 19 10 52 2 8 16 i6 7 2 13 16 3 8 11 6 3 1,114 1 7 37 5 6 320 14 2 51 14 9 16 18 3 3 14 2 !! 4 4 ii 11 10 9 120 19 4 1 11 4 19 8 13 5 11 Totals .. 4,583 2 6 572 19 8 5,156 2 2 315 3073 312 2 11 29 11 2 1,682 15 5

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Table 41. —Showing Payments to Local Bodies, &c.— continued.

Local Bodies. " Thirds," Deferredpayment, "'RTmrtha" Perpetual-lease, a"",, ' Occupation- P _?" with-right-of- G purchase, and ; *•»"•■ Lease-in-per-petuity Lands. j I Total Payments. Length, Locality, Description, and Particulars of Work authorised by Land Board. SIS , M r_\ A .2 £.9 iO MainSit ||3 |s Bridge*. Culverts. ; J"*^ rn£ Sl2 fl tl « W STATE [ENT No. 3. -TAl ;ana: I. £ s. d. Clifton C.C. ..! 1,118 13 0 Egmont C.C. .. 1 6 11 Hawera C.C. .. 249 5 7 Manganui R.B. .. j 109 15 3 Moa R.B. .. I 57 13 9 Motoroa R.B. .. I 12 15 4 Oakura R.B. .. I 61 7 0 Okato R.B. .. 34 17 6 Patea East R.B. .. , 19 8 2 Patea West R.B. .. 3 16 5 Stratford C.C. .. i 255 11 11 Tatarainaka R.B. .. ! 86 9 3 Wairoa R.B. .. 57 14 10 Waiwakaiho R.B. .. , 42 15 3 £ s. d. 10 14 10 £ s. d. 1,129 7 10 1 6 11 249 10 7 109 15 3 57 13 9 12 15 4 61 7 0 34 17 6 23 12 11 3 16 5 255 11 11 86 9 3 57 14 10 42 15 3 Ch. j Ch. Ch. 71 i 25 Ch. 71 £ a. d. 8 7 7 £ s. d. 3 12 10 £ s. d. 683 0 6 0 5 0 6 0 2 76 17 5 'k 42 10 11 12 15 4 53 7 0 34 17 6 23 12 11 io 10 4 4 9 " " 20 3 is 12 10 10 18 57 14 10 42 15 3 " .. Totals .. ! 2,111 10 2 15 4 7 15 4 7 2,126 14 9 20 131 8 7 7 9 13 0 jl,040 2 6 Also interest on loans i, £722 4s. Od. STATEM1 3NT No. 4.— WELLING' Iketahuna C.C. .. 219 7 9 'eatherston C.C. .. 51 12 7 lorowhenua C.C. .. 256 13 3 lunterville T.B. .. 1 1 18 0 Cairanga C.C. .. 32 2 4 Liwitea C.C. .. 630 2 0 jevin B.C. .. 51 8 7 lasterton C.C. .. 46 6 1 lauriceville C.C. .. i 40 13 7 8 17 0 'ahiatua C.C. .. 437 4 10 'etoneB.O. .. 61 5 6 'ohangina C.C. .. 625 17 10 tangitikei C.C. .. 2,578 18 10 12 11 7 'aihapeB.C. .. 4 2 4 j !e Horo R.B. .. 90 9 7 Ipper Wangaehu 154 8 8 Vaimarino C.C. .. 270 16 5 58 10 0 VairarapaSo'thC.C. 1 307 9 11 9 14 5 Vaitotara C.C. .. 74 7 7 9 18 4 Waitotara - Moma- ! 134 12 8 41 11 3 haki R.B. 219 7 9 51 12 7 256 18 3 1 18 0 32 2 4 630 2 0 51 8 7 46 6 1 49 10 7 437 4 10 61 5 6 625 17 10 2,591 10 5 4 2 4 90 9 7 154 8 8 38 .. 'ON. 19 25 5 7 11 1 10 0 4 19 3 39 1 3 35 13 4 1 18 0 54 57 I 293 13 7 17 15 11 i i .'. 45 17 5 10 21 io 0 4 12 6 269 15 6 61 5 6 195 17 0 402 12 7 60 433 70 6 0 25 10 'o 4 20il 7 129 1 4 329 6 5 317 4 4 84 5 11 176 3 11 155 .. ' 315 3 20 18 0 0 6 6 8 3 16 7 25 2 9 267 17 1 165 9 3 .. i Totals .. j 6,069 18 4 j 141 2 7 6,211 0 11 194 [1056 99 14 7 I 59 14 0 1,930 7 2 Note.—The payments of " thirds" and "four r-ths " include tb ie amoi tints ui ider " Dertificates of Hypothecatic on." STATE IMENT No. 5 I.—Nil 5LSOI 5 17 8 4 13 0 13 0 11 10 15 3 7 12 10 39 6 0 95 19 3 101 0 11 39 2 1 478 11 1 70 8 6 8 0 1 4 12 1 8 15 .i. 3ollingwood C.C. .. 81 10 7 Fakaka C.C. .. 115 9 1 inangahua C.C. .. 114 1 10 Buller C.C. .. 39 2 1 Vaimea C.C. .. 595 8 1 33 11 5 Riwaka R.B. .. 93 17 2 Jtoke R.B. .. 18 6 1 Dovedale R.B. .. 6 5 1 JpperMoutereR.B. 17 5 0 81 10 7 115 9 1 114 1 10 39 2 1 628 19 6 93 17 2 18 6 1 6 5 1 17 5 0 40 "' : 20 10 '2 94 44 10 1 56 Totals .. 1,081 5 0 33 11 5 1,114 16 5 42 235 845 1 5 1,081 5 0 33 11 5 23 16 2 18 3 6 Vairau R.B. 'elorus R.B. •icton R.B. ■watere R.B. Caikoura C.C. lounds County (No Local Body) 151 13 2 339 2 4 165 19 11 statem: 262 15 2 30' 12 8 8 15 9 202 6 6 437 2 1 24 19 .4 INT No. 6.—: 414 8 4 379 14 7 174 15 8 202 6 6 923 12 3 ' 382 2 1 :arl: lORi 80 iUGH 150 i 230 45 62 130 200 351 18 0 250 0 0 125 16 0 164 11 10 872 0 0 132 2 1 486 io 2 357 2 9 100 0 0 Totals 100 0 0 1,896 7 11 1,510 8 4 966 11 1 2,476 19 5 80. 817

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Table 41. —Showing Payments to Local Bodies, &c. — continued.

Local Bodies. "Thirds," Deferredi payment, Per- „_ ,, ., petual-lease, Fourths," Occupation- Small with-right-of- I Grazingpurchase, and , runs. Lease-in-per-petuity Lands. I Length, Locality, Description authorised by 1 Total . a Payments. , eb > $P .2 §"3 SS q Bridges. «| &£ _ I * ■ £ mi; iocality, Description, and Particu authorised by Land Board. n, and Particulars of Work Laud Board. CnlTOrt »- j tenant. lars 01 01-1 STATEMENT No. 7. -WEI ITLAND. Vestland C.C. rrey C.C. Totals £ s. d. .. 339 14 4 .. ! 202 11 4 .. 542 5 8 £ s. d. £ s. d. 339 14 4 202 11 8 542 5 8 Ch. Ch. Ch. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. .. 1 .. .. 1,212 15 11 2,390 15 10 3,611 11 9 542 5 8 statem: INT No. 8.—I ant: IRB RY. Anama R.B. T.B. .. Coldstream R.B. .. Ellesmere R.B. Geraldine R.B. Hampstead T.B. .. Levels C.C. Mackenzie C.C. Mount Hutt R.B. .. Mount Peel R.B. .. Mount Somers R.B. Oxford R.B. Rakaia R.B. Rangitata R.B. Springs R.B. South Rakaia R.B. Temuka R.B. Upper Ashburton R.B. Waimate CC. Waipara R.B. 27 12 0 9 3 0 19 14 7 3 14 6 33 4 7 0 19 4 6 16 8 64 2 11 10 7 8 4 19 4 4 15 8 81 5 5 67 6 8 109 18 6 2 18 2 6 8 4 44 5 0 81 13 5 24 4 8 51 16 8 9 3 0 19 14 7 3 14 6 33 4 7 0 19 4 6 16 8 207 17 10 10 7 8 4 19 4 24 19 2 122 18 7 67 6 8 109 18 6 2 18 2 6 8 4 44 5 0 81 13 5 i "l 168 I * • I i io o 4 io 0 34 179 "2 4 143 ii 11 • • I I 95 2 i7 4 205 14 6 20 3 6 41 13 2 • • I .. 5 0 0 55 0 11 46 18 4 132 16 6 1 15 0 81 2 0 2 6 6 2 7 7 1 io 2 34 i 24 if) 6 1 14 0 •• 13i 219J 0 15 0 28 io 3 46 10 2 17 19 10 44 0 3 294 i 0 17 19 10 338 7 3 27 686 17 10 158 0 3 .. Totals 641 5 10 524 3 3 1,165 9 1 904|j 722 7 11 10 3 6 937 16 5 stat: SMENT No. 9.—O: rAGO. Taieri C.C. Maniototo C.C. Vincent C.C. Waitaki C.C. Waihemo C.C. Waikouaiti C.C. Clutha C.C. Bruce CO. TuapekaCC Lake C.C. Southland 0 0. 67 4 10 786 9 11 28 13 0 15 15 6 53 3 10 8 9 0 277 2 6 24 10 9 64 17 8 89 8 5 1 10 7 252 1 4 592 19 9 137 16 3 119 3 4 83 8 6 280 7 8 6 12 0 319 6 2 1,379 9 8 166 9 3 134 18 10 136 12 4 238 16 8 283 14 6 24 10 9 163 8 0 39 8 5 1 10 7 ■• i 119 2093 ; 168ji 10 I 172 260 9 29 i 0 1 7 0 5 8 11 213 14 5 31 0 5 32 0 6 122 15 2 83 18 4 116 12 4 81 8 5 299 12 1 24 10 9 168 10 6 18 5 2 98K) 4 1 is •• 53 2 12 ii 7 Totals 2,938 5 2 1 , 12 1,367 6 0 1,570 19 2 2866^ 30 14 0 262 18 4 947 13 3 statem: !NT No. 10.SOU' 'HL. lND. Southland C.C. .. Southland CO. on t_ account Tuturau R.B. Wallace C.C. Lake C.C. Stewart Island CO. Invercargill R.B. .. 310 8 7 95 11 11 2 9 1 35 16 10 312 12 8 131 8 9 io 260J 101 .. 2 6 6 119 0 8 124 0 1 518 8 3 28 18 9 23 14 6 49 3 4 171 18 4 690 6 7 28 18 9 23 14 6 49 3 4 20 1605 5 j 33 9 9 74 9 11 9 1 4 11 16 2 403 0 5 14 7 23 14 6 24 19 0 ai Totils 1,026 0 4 210 4 3 1,236 4 7 20 15 1922 42 11 1 88 12 7 695 19 3 By Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—1907.

NORTH ISLAND (TE IKA-A-MAUI) NEW ZEALAND Showing Land Transactions, 1906-07.

SOUTH ISLAND (TE WAI-POUNAMU) NEW ZEALAND Showing Land Transactions, 1906-07.

NORTH ISLAND (TE IKA-A-MAUI) NEW ZEALAND SHOWING THE LAND-TENURE, 1906-07.

SOUTH ISLAND (TE WAI-POUNAMU) NEW ZEALAND SHOWING THE LAND-TENURE, 1906-07.