LAND SETTLEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1846, 4 September 1913, Page 5

LAND SETTLEMENT.

—:—cDEMAND STILL UNSATISFIED. REPORT FOR THE YEAR. Tho annual report of the Under-Sec-retary for Lands, just presented to Parliament, contains some interesting facts about land settlement. The area opened for selection during the year aggregated under all tenures 337,503 acres. Of this 114,124 acres were opened on the optional system, 166,945 011 renewable lease, 43,604 as small grazing runs, and only 9345 as pastoral runs.' The area opened this year shows a falling-off from last year's total, but this is accounted for to a large extent by the withdrawal of pastoral runs totalling 217,743 acres, tho disposal of which is being held oyer pending proposed legislation with, a view to improving tho tenure. So far as settlement lands are concerned, .this falling-off occurred during the first uino months of tho year, as for that period the area offered was 107,992 acres, whilst tho figures for tho last quarter alone were 218,184 atires. This increase in tlio area opened during the last three months of the yeaT was mainly due to extra assistance liaving been provided for tho necessary survey _ work, and to tho carrying-'out of your instructions in July last that lands suitable for settlement should be surveyed and made available, as early as possible. • Little Good Land Left. The future demand for land cannot be adequately mot from the areas at present belonging to tlio. State. From the tables published it will be observed that there are only some 4,500,000 acres remaining for subdivision and settlement. When, however, it is realised that tlie first-class land in this 4,500,000 acres is not more than 100,000 acres it will easily bo understood that little provision can bo mado out of this area for tho small settler or tho settler who desires a r.mall holding. During past years tlie better-class lands liavo been dealt with by tho Department, and wo have now readied the stage when, only tho small quantity of good land referred to above remains. Of course, tho second- and lower-grade lands will bo treated and opened in suitable holdings according to tho nature of the country, but it should bo understood that the expense of providing access will bo greater ill proportion than hitherto, owing to the rougher character of the lands. Naturally,.therefore, future annual reports will give figures showing a diminishing acreage of settlement lands taken from, tho ordinary Crown lands of "tlie Dominion. Lands Selected. The Crown lands selected during the year under all tenures totalled 968,925 acres by 2159 selectors. Tho principal selections were under the oceupation-with-right-of-purchaso and renewable-lease tenures. As an indication of the popularity of tho former tonuro, it might be mentioned that out of an area of 114,834 acres disposed of in 391 holdings under the optional system, 336 holdings, aggregating 102,217 acres, were taken up under tho occupation-with-right-of-pur-chaso tenure. Of the selections under renewable lease.tho 301 holdings under tho Land for Settlements Act, aggregating 130,961 acres, were tho most important. During tho year nineteen new ostates were subdivided into 242 farms or holdings, aggregating an area of 128,138 acres, and offered for selection. Two of the estates wero situated in the Hawke's Bay district, fourteen in Canterbury, two in Otago, and one in Southland. National-endowment Area. Tho total area of national-endowment land held under leaso or license at tho close of the year was 6,324,608 acres, at a yearly rental of £89,559. Tho area within this endowment is now 8,551,250 acres, in terms of Section 258 of the Laud Act, 1908. This area is constantly being added to by selections of ordinary Crown land under the re.newable-leaso tenure, and by conversions from tlio • other tenures to renewable leaso. ' Improved-farm Settlements. Tho area of Crown land that has been dealt with under this system of landsettlement is' 115.941 acres. Of this area, 8169 acres has been acquired in feo-simple by 94 settlers under the right of purchase conferred by their leases. Tho balance—viz., 107,772 acres —is at present held by 803 settlers. Tho reports of the various Commissioners of Crown Lands go to show that very satisfactory progress is being made on the settlements recently established, many of the settlers having commenced dairying operations, tho Government supplying stock where necessary upon suitable terms of repayment.