ANNUAL REPORT

Hokitika Guardian, 28 August 1930, Page 2

ANNUAL REPORT

. LAND SELECTION. WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT. WELLINGTON, August 23. The.year 1930-31 promises to be.,a brisk one from the land selection' pbint of-view, according to the annual report of ; the Ctowu Lands Department. A number of purchased estates will be offered and arrangments are being made for the opening of large areas of Crown lands at present lying idle in Various districts. The demand for certain classes of land may be affected to some extent by the fall in the prices of primary products, but already there are y signp of an improved demand for the poorer classes of Crown land. Since the inception of the scheme for advances for development purposes the work of making all suitable lands remaining in the hands of the Crown available for disposal is being speeded up a great deal. Survey parties have beer, increased where required, ' and road location. and engineering works put in hand where extensive loading is \ • > y' . ' (preliminary work ;in; connection VilipiSkntif. development:/' is- described mv-ijijie /report. .The South / Auckland CQtnjniitee barrmd out a number of i»ithe . ehd of th© ,yfe!avi included a considerable area of pumice land to the e’qst- and ’south' of the Guthrie Settlement, a number of blocks of Crown land, totalling about 17,000 acres, in the'Jving. Country, and large areas of unoccupied Crown land in the Tauranga district. Arrangements will he made to carry out inspections of fur-

ther areas. At the clrwe of the year arrangements were in hand for the appointment of a third committee to operate •in South Auckland, also committee* for the Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki,' Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough,- Westland, Otago and Sputhland districts. - These committees will - be engaged, in/ a ..thorough investigation of "the possibilities of increasing settle* merit throughoiit the Dominion With regard generally, to undeveloped areas and 1 -particularly these comprising pumice land. Thei report states that it is not proposed that all blocks suitable for settlement 'shall he either "wholly or /partially .developed by- the ; Crown prior to their,'.being offered for . selection; It is intended to throw open a large number of sections to meet the immediate-dematidarid tri give; applicants >ftn- opportunity ;- of testate am'asset by their, own labour> A-It is 'pointed out that tile new’ , system of advances for land development will not be confined entirely to -set:*; tiers/taking up new areus, as Crown tenants in occupation of land coming uiider the designation of undeveloped are also eligible to apply for development advances up to £1250. The rate of/-interest is fixed at G per cent and no advances will he made for the purchase of stock, operations being confined solely to advances for development purposes. At March 31, thirty-eight applications for advances totalling £23,335 had been received, but none had been finally dealt with at that date. It is anticipated that the number of applications . will increase very considerably as undeveloped sections are taken up from time to time, and the benefits of the fin-, ancial facilities are understood. , f

LAST YEAR’S SELECTIONS. During the year, 402,900 acres were taken up on various tenures, the number of selections being 2091. These figures inclUde ' 728, sections, comprising altogether ah area of 88,859 acres taken" - ‘tip under miscellaneous leases and licenses, . so that the selections of permanent tenfifesy numbered 1362 seotiqns, ' covering'- a - total area of 314,04 T. acres: No specially noteworthy blocks|bf ordinary Crown land were offeret£/fOP, selection during the year, but thirteen settlements, with ninetytwo holdings, 'totalling 17,434 acres, were offered; und©,- the Land for Settlements Act.The Department’s receipts for the year, excluding Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement AcOounx. receipts, total/ £1,275,106, a decrease of £15,750. ■ A sum of £359,906 was derived from ordinary Crown land, £61)0,854 from lands held under the Land f° r Set-, tlementp Act, £141,606 from National Endowment and £130,922 from Education Endowment, Cash received on conversion of leaseholds to freehold tenures has shown a decrease of approximately £3OOO, although the actual number of purchasers shows a small increase.

Crown tenants to the number of 435 forfeited their holdings, which aggregated 229,220 acres, of an annual rental of £12,875. It is remarked .that, the acreage forfeited appears large, hut it includes 115,000 acreta of pastoral runs.