LANDS DEPARTMENT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3154, 4 August 1917, Page 3

LANDS DEPARTMENT

ANNUAL REVIEW AREA AVAILABLE FOR SELECTION The annual report on the Lands and Survey Department, laid upon tho table of the House on Thursday by the Prime Minister, stated that during the year an area of 425,119 acres of land waa offered for selection under' the various tenures provided by tlio Lnnd Act, land for Settlements Act, and Education Eeservee Acts. In addition the Crown also dealt with an area of 2709 acres comprised in endowments other than eduoa-, tion and national endowments, tho administration of which is carried out by the Department acting under special statutory .authority. Under tho optional system an area of 32.1T0 acres was advertised, and practically all selected. Under renewable lease an area of 39,6. r )7 acres ivas offered, 9374 acres being settlement land, of which the lessees have tho right to" acquire the freeliSld; 28,3:14 acres national endowment; 2513 acres ordinary Crown land supposed to contain metals or minerals; and 1396 acres of Cheviot Estate: Pastoral runs offered comprised 311,803 acres, and an area of 12,033 acres was offered as small grazing-runs. In addition to the above, a total area of 27G,2!iD acres of Crown, settlement, national endowment, and Cheviot Estate lands, comprising 529 holdings, was set apart for selection 'by discharged soldiers under tho ordinary tenures of the liand ii'ct and the Land for Settlements Act, and the special tenures "of tho Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act. Lands fo be Opened. It is estimated that a total area of 547,500 acres, comprising' 179S holdings, will bo available for selection during the coming' year. The area is distributed as follows:—

Of tliis area all lands which nro considered suitable for settlement by discharged soldiers will bo set apart accordingly. Lands Selected. The total selections during the year under all tenures covered a gross urea of ],010,152 acres by 205'.) selectors. Thcso figures include, however, 135 purchases of small town and suburban sections aggregating 18J acres, offered for sa.le.nt auction. Tho selections made by discharged soldiers nro also included in the figures quoted. Freeholds Acquired. During the year there were, purchased outright for cash 81 acres of town lands for I'G'i'iG, 100 awes of suburban lands for .MS, and 523S acres of rural lands for Ji11,1i99.. I'lio leaseholds and deferred-payment holdiii"* converted to freeholds during tho year covered an area of IT'J.OjM acres, .in 758 holdings, tho total purchase pnoo being J22WGO. Tho holdings converted to freehold under the Land Laws Amendment Acts of 1012 1913, and 1914, and included in tho gross total given before comprised an area of 76,119 acres, in 401 holdings, the purchase price being £131,109. Tine now brings tho total freeholds under three enactments to 3(9,092 acre,, in I'M holdings; purchase price, .£618,281. Tho revenue received during tho year was JE1.241.,3G(5. The net expenditure was .£193,106, or «fi85,786 less than the estimated requirements. National Endowment. The area of national endowment land in tho. Dominion, at March 31. W", jtaa '

[8,709,055 acres.. Of this area G,620,«l acres was held under lease or license, providing an annual rental of .£1131031. The gross amount received from this endowment during the year was »ei20,319. Sand-dune Reclamation. The continuation of the war having made it necessary to limit, expenditureon public works, fuuds were available only for maintenance work in connection with eand-dune reclamation on the coast at the mouth of the Rangitibci River. Arrangements are being made to have the experimental work temporarily looked after by a resident in the neighbourhood. No operations were earned out at the Waikato Heads. At Sugarloaf Hilt (near Cromwell, in Central Otogo) tho Vincent County Coun. cil, with departmental assistance and advice, planted with marram grass a small area from which drifting sand was becoming a great nuisance to neighbouring settlers. At the conclusion of the war it ia hoped to be able to undertake sand-dune reclamation, on a larger scale.

No. of Area. Lnnd 'listrict. holdings. Acres. ■•VucKlaiKl 590 !)l),050 Hawke's Bay 123 73,98;! Tnviuiaki 113 !!0,998 Wellington 268 5/M9 MiU'lborotigli SS 4,b03 Nelson 2(ifi 71,191 Westiand W) 12,507 Canterbury 79 192,007 ObiBo 137 52,218 Southland S2 U.538