The Daily Telegraph. SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 1884.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4090, 30 August 1884, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 1884.

A very interesting return was laid before the Wasto Lauds Board yesterday by tho Commissioner of Crown Lands, showing the expenditure in the purchase _of land and in opening it up for settlement in Blocks VI. and IX., Woodville survey district, Blocks IX., XII., and XIV., Tahoraite survey district, and the Kumeroa Village settlement. The return was accompanied by maps. From the return we learn that the cost of the purchase of the land from the natives, including incidental expenses, was at the rate of 3s Gd per acre for 20,305 acres, or £3553. The cost of road works, including exploration and supervision, amounted to £6476 ; surveys, triangulation and section, £2482 ; office expenses, Crown Lands Ranger, advertising, kc, £1250; grants from tho sale of deferred payment lands to the Kumeroa and Woodville Road Boards £0308, making a grand total of £20,069. The return, we should have stated, embraces a period extending from June 12, ISBO, to August 1, 1884. Thus we see that as far as tho Crown is concerned tho 20,305 acres cost very nearly £1 per acre before the land was disposed of for settlement. The return next shows the revenue brought in by the sale of this land:—2so2 acres were sold for cash, and realised £3302; 15,000 acres were taken upon deferred payments, producing £18,923; 810 acres remain on hand unsold, valued at £1299; 1993 acres have been reserved for educational and other purposes, valued at £2889 ; and Crown grant and other fees brought in about £220, bringing up the total to £2G,733, less one land order under the Forest Trees Planting Act, of £318. The balance of profit is thus shown to be at the rate of 6s 8d per acre. Through the blocks named twenty-four miles of roads have been cleared of bush 66 feet in width and formed, with either one or two ditches as the nature of the country required, and in some places culverts and cart bridges have been erected. The return is eminently calculated to disabuse any idea that might have been entertained as to the profits of the Crown from the purchase of land from the natives, and its preparation and sale for settlement. It will be noticed that nothing is charged for interest on the original outlay, nor is any account taken of the long and, in many instances, costly negotiations with the natives for the" purchase of the land. Had these items been included it might easily be shown that there had been an absolute loss on the transaction. This much at least may be gathered from the return, that the upset prices of the land when sold to the public had been most carefully considered, and that those prices were not more than sufficient to cover the bare expenditure of fitting the blocks for settlement.