CROWN LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 633, 9 October 1909, Page 6

CROWN LANDS.

A YEAR'S OPERATIONS. SOME INTERESTING FIGITRES. Tho Lands report, presented- to Parliament yesterday, states that' tho output of Crown lands for the past year, has been largely in excess of its predecessor, and comprises a grand total: of 2,654,086 acres. Of 393,846 acres of ordinary Crown lands, opened under, tho renewable lease tenure, 306,113 acres were national endowment lands, whilst about 83,000 acres were opened under renewable lease because they were within proclaimed mining districts, and the respective wardens would not agree to their being opened under the optional system. Then,. again, 2185. acres were opened under renewable lease because they were found to be coal-bearing lands. On March 31, 1909, the Department had under survey and being prepared for opening for settlement no loss an area than 1,016,682 acres, made up as follows: —Ordinary Crown lands (optional system), 372,911 acres; national en-

dowment .(renewable lease),. 317,672 acres; NaLand Boards, Native land settlement,32G.oG9 acres; 'total, 1,046,682. ' ■ '.The, number of selectors who took up land 1 during-the past . year. exceeds the total num- '? er . ,°,f:^t; years-selectors by. 378, the figures forthis,,-year. being, 2603, and-: tho area selected under.,.all. conditions 916,521'acrcs. "Including town,, suburban, and .rural lands offered by auction or: opened liiider tho optional system, the. selectors who have, paid cash number 350, and tno total area selected by these amounts to, 4-,129 acres. Of this area 7672 acres are vj.V e F conditional purchase tenure, the condition, being that the improvements ,so . set down must be completed within seven years. In the area of .42,129. lucres i? also' included, an areaiof 31,880 acres of Crown- vras transferred to-the Otekaike'. Estate and was dealt with, ; as ;part. of- that', estate tender land for settlement ; conditions.' ' Occupation-with-right-of-purchase selectors numbered 5 382, selecting 123,116 acres, whilst renewable lease'selectors of national'endowment lands numbered 440, occupying 124,238 acres/ The 1 land'for settlement selectors' numbered 288, selecting 95,698 acres. .

Areas adjoining' tho North' Island Main Trunk lino were opened during the year, the applications being confined to workers on the railway with preference to married men. One hundred' and. nine men availed themselves of this class of settlement, selecting .690 acres. The total amount received as revenue from oil sources amounts to ; £096,375, or £37,581 more than last year, and has exceeded the estimated •revenue''for'this year by £32,713.'-' !■' Eebatea; of ront -under differen Acts amounted' to £28,882 15s. lid. During the- year the Department ■ purchased from Maori owners 8936 acres, at a . cost 0f£0974. It is.proposed: to continue purchasing suitable lands 'direct from .the Maori -Land Boards whenever the Maori'owners'are wishful to sell. An area/of ]28,017 acres has been reserved and gazetted during the year for granting to landless Natives in tho South' Island, and warrants for the issue of certificates of title to 295' Natives have been executed. Tho area proclaimed as reserved for scenery preservation during the year amounted to 5545 acres, .the expenditure for the period being £5765 ss. 2d. ■ . The net expenditure of the Department during the year n-as £971,922.165.'