From Parliamentary Papers.

Manawatu Herald, 30 August 1894, Page 3

From Parliamentary Papers.

• ♦— -The Report of the Lands Department rather crushes those members who supported the Confiscation Bill, as instead of there being but little land available the Report admits the Crown has eleven million acres, four millions baing suitable for settlement or pastoral purposes ! Then again, the Maoris hold over ten million acres of which eight millions have passed the Native Land Court. On the 81st March there were 13,948 selectors recorded on the books, 12,000 of whom required to have their holdings inspected. 19 officers are constantly employed on this duty. These were 227 selections or purchases for pastoral purposes during the year, covering 898,945 acres. There were 27 small grazing run 3 forfeited covering an area of 64,495 acres. The rents in arrears due to the Crown showed 3,104 selectors owing £32,205. Under "The Selectors" Land Revaluation Act, 1892," the total, reductions ill capital value amounted

to £i 6&,885 ana the total loss in reiitals to £2,448. The total area of State forests k i, 141, 778 acres. $he total cost of field-work in connection with lfest gear's Survey work was £64,767. The cost per j acre of section work has been Is 3.8 d. Having regard to the character of the country the price, the Report says, is creditable to the surveyors employed* and will bear favourable comparison with that of any other coloby where the Sonttifcioiis ate at all similar. The most important exploration of the year has been that mado by Messrs Mackenzie, Pillans and Earnshaw in the country south-west of Lake Manipouri during which they discovered a practicable route from that lake to the head of Dusky Sound, & route which, in the Mot far distant future, will play ab importatit part in the tourists' line of travel. The total area, sectionised last year was 556,555 acres in 2,482 sections. tfhe surveyors have to thank the several improvements in the measuring apparatus now used for the accuracy of their work, which could not be accomplished with the old surveyors* chain { which is now obsdletej and likely in a few yda"rs to become a mere Curiosity; t The invention of the steel band and the steel wire has marked an epoch in the history of surveying. The department had on hand 1,278,000 acres of land either under survey or which was awaiting survey for settlement and other purposes. The permanent staff of surveyors number 48 officers, besides which 62 authorised surveyors were also em- 1 ployed. j