REPORT OF THE REGISTRARGENERAL OF LAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4506, 30 August 1875, Page 6

REPORT OF THE REGISTRARGENERAL OF LAND.

• The following report for the year ended June 30, 1875, has been presented to both Houses of Parliament, by command of his Excellency:— Office of Registrar-General of Land, Christchurch, 20th July, 1875. Sib, —I have the honor to lay before you the result of the working of the Land Transfer Act for the year ending the 30th June, 1875. The revenue for the year, exclusive of Assurance Fund, has been £11,727, the expenditure about £B9OO. The receipts for the ensuing year may be " estimated at £13,000, the expenditure at about £9500. ' The departinent has for the last two years been more than self-supporting. The returns appended show a large increase of business during the past year. _ With the view of instituting a comparison between the working of the land transfer system in New Zealand and in the Australian colonies, my predecessor, by the aid of the Government, collected information. The Australian returns are for the year ending December, 1873, as against those of New Zealand for the year ending 30th June, 1875. The comparison is nevertheless, in point of time, somewhat unfair to New Zealand, on account of the longer period during which the system has been in operation in the other colonies, which more than compensates for the difference in the dates of the returns. Taking this into account, relatively to population the business returns for this colony compare favorably with those of other colonies, whilst for economy of administration the comparison is very favorable to New Zealand. The contrary might have been expected, seeing that in each of the Australian colonies the business is conducted from one centre, whilst in New Zealand it is found necessary to maintain ten district registrys. It is probable that this, although at first sight a disadvantage, has by the faciEties afforded been conducive to the rapid extension of business, and thus more than compensated in revenue for the additional expenditure incurred. Notwithstanding some exceptional difficulties, chiefly in relation to native lands (but which have now for the most part been removed), the land transfer system has, I believe, here as elsewhere, answered all reasonable expectations, and may be justly claimed as an important reform in the practice of ancing. Those who ignore the difference in point of responsibility between this and other systems of registration, occasionally take exception to the strictness of practice which it is found necessary to enforce in matters of survey and otherwise. "When it is considered that registration under the Land Transfer Act involves absolute responsibility for titlo, it will be soon that a vigilant regard for accuracy is the only principle on which such a system can be conducted. It is not claimed for the land transfer system that it renders possible the abandonment of the ordinary safeguards of business, or the evasion of restrictions imposed by law on dealings with real property. Its merits as a system of conveyancing consists mainly in this : that it divests the subject of complications and technicalities, and "brings it within the range of ordinary business. capacity. How effectually this is done is' evidenced by the fact that a large and increasing proportion of the dealings with land under the Land Transfer Act is conducted with perfect facility by persons without any professional knowledge or experience. Exclusive of solicitors, there are upwards of fifty licensed landbrokers practising under the Act. With regard to the cost of dealing with land, the reduction of which is one great object of the land transfer system, it may be observed that the office fees have been fixed on as low a Bcale as is consistent with the due maintenance of the department, being in some' instances lower than in the Australian colonies. There is reason, however, to believe that the attempt to regulate business charges under the Act has been only partially successful. The Government is, I presume, fully informed as to the unreliable character of the public surveys in many parts of the colony. Much evil has been . predicted to the land transfer system from this source, and it cannot be denied that there exists a serious liability to complications of the nature suggested, though, I think, by no means to the extent anticipated. The tendency is practically towards the settlement of such questions on the basis of occupation. - In connection with this subject, I may observe that the absence in this colony of a department corresponding to that of SurveyorGeneral in other colonies, has always been felt as a disadvantage by this department in dealing with questions of survey, and in deciding on the qualifications of persons applying to be licensed as surveyors under the Act.

I append returns—(A) Of the business transacted under the Act during the past year; (B) of the fees received during the same period ; (C) of amounts secured by mortgage under the Land Transfer Act during the past year, and remaining bo secured pn the 30th June last ; and (D) comparative summary before alluded to. DEEDS REGISTRY. The falling off in the receipts of this department which was anticipated in consequence of the introduction of the Land Transfer Act has so far not been realised. The receipts for the year ending 30th June, 1875, were ,£15,840, being in excess of those for the preceding year. The expenditure for the past year was about £BBOO. The receipts of the Deeds Registry Department for the ensuing year may be estimated at £16,000, the expenditure at £9230. I am not aware of anything further which calls for special notice in relation to either of the departments. —I have, &c, Geo. B. Davy, Registrar-General of Land. The Hon. the Minister of Justice, Wellington.