CROWN LANDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 741, 14 August 1929, Page 10

CROWN LANDS

SATISFACTORY YEAR 1 REVIEW FOR PARLIAMENT . (THE SUNS Parliamentary Rsportny‘ PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Tues. ‘ A very satisfactory position during; the year ended March 31 last is shown in the. annual report on the: settlement of Crown lands presented' in the House of Representatives to—day by the Minister of Lands, the Hon. G. \V. Forbes. ‘, The farming season was good ztnd' tho prospects for this year are. once' more bright. Selections of Crown andf settlement lands during the year to- , tullcd approximately 462,000 acres] states the report. Tenants on the' books of the department, undé'i‘ nlli tenures, now number 30.702, occupy-f ing a. total area. of over 19.500.000< acres. Over 3,400,000 Ll('l‘€S of this total is represented by pastoral runs. ; the bull; of which is situated in thel Marlborough. Canterbury. Utago and: Southlzmd districts, while 1.522,000 i acres of the purchased estates are‘ held under l’éuse under provisions of, the Land for Settlements -\C[. " Receipts from rents, ctc.. show a? slight increase over last year's rev-i turns, \vhilc arrears have decreased? considerably. Applications are still? coming to hand from tenants \vhuj hold lands under occupation with thel right of purchase licences, and who! have, for various reasons, been un—l able to Conipleu: the purchase of theirl land during the term of the original! licence. for extensions of the term. ; A considerable number of applica- . tions has been received from lcssccs‘ of rural education reserves for per-q mission to surrender their existingi leases and to receive in exchange new lenses for :1 term of 21 years with‘ a perpetual right of renew-. 11 forfur-‘ thcr terms, and with full compensa—l tion {on improvements. E An are-a. of approximately 813,000! acres of educational endowments,‘ under the administration of the various land boards, is leased to some! 4,043 tenants who pay 0. total annual; rental of £131,098. ; NEW LEASES SOUGHT 3 A considerable number of applied—i tions has been received from various? lessees to surrender their existing} leases and obtain in exchange there-i for new lenses perpetually renewable-I for terms of :21 years with full protection at the end of each renewed} lease for the. then value of unex-l hausted improvements effected byl them. i In the case of Crown areas heldl under permanent, tenures the follow-i ing forfeitures and surrenders oc- ‘ curred during the veurz—Forfeitures,l 370, 156,304 acres, £8,696 annual ren-l tal; surrenders 172, 190.278 acres.‘ £7,843 :mnuzil rental; totals, 5-12,; 340,582, $16,539. . Tho total forfeitures and surren—l dcrs represent 1.819 per cent. of the? number of se‘.lers holding permanent leases and licences. ' The total area. of 346.582 acres involved appears large, but it includes approximateh' 167,000 acres of pastoral run country. For-feiture-s and surrenders of miscellaneous and temporary leases numbered 482, cruieringr a. total area. of 02,093 acres. . _ ‘ Receipts have been well maintained,‘ the total from all sources (excluding, of course. Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account receipts) being £1,290,856, an increase of £19,035 on last year’s figures. The sum of £341,694 was derived from ordinary Crown lands, £647,632 from lands held under the Land for Set- 1 tlements Act (including Hutt Valley} ‘ settlement and Cheviot estate), £135,859 from National Endowment, and £131,400 from Education Endowment. Cash received on the conversion of leuseholds to freehold tenures has shown an increase of approximately £41,000. Of 317 conversions to freehold dur--ling the your 249 were in North Island districts. POSTFONED RENTS Postponements ot‘ payment of rent were granted to 140 tenants during the year involving a. sum of £13,823. At March 31, £125,406 remained post—poned on account of 919 tenants, as against £147,592 on account of 1,099 tenants at Alarch 31, 1928. Rents in arrear at h-larch 31 _amounted to £156,209, a. decrease of £41,710 on last year’s figures. For the prompt payment of rent, 19,966 Crown tenants were granted the usual rebate. These rebates amounted to £56,980. The work of the various committees set up under the provisions of the Deteriorated Lands Act, 1925, has practically been completed. The total number of applications for relief received from settlers in the various dis—tricts was 1,864, of which 1,82? had been dealt with at IVlarch 31 last. In 1,455 cases reductions amounting to £503,843 have been made in capital values involving :3. reduction of £23,739 in the annual rents and interest payable. Mortgages have been reduced by some £51,262, some 60 cases having been dealt with under this heading. Advances totalling £24,335 have been authorised in suitable cases for the purchase of fencing ’lnaterials. lime and inanures, while remissions of rent have been granted on a. liberal basis, on conditions providing that an equivalent amount is expended on improvements.

The recommendations of the various committees have been given effect to wherever possible, and the assistance granted in terms of the Act has proved of. great benefit in enabling the settlers concerned to make good progress with the task of bringing their holdings back into full production.

AUCKLAND DISTRICT

SIGNS OF PROSPERITY PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Tuesday. Farming in all its branches prospered in the Auckland land district during last year according to the annual report of 311‘. K. )I. Graham, Commissioner of Crown Lands, which was included in the annual Crown Lands settlement report presented in. the House of Representatives today. There was an increase in Crown lands revenue over last year's figures, despite concessions, ar; sinentioned last. year, says the report. An urea 05 6,933 acres of pumice land in the Rota--ruu. district was opened for selection. Of this area. 2,704 acres were taken up by nine selectors, and since then one holding of 380 acres. has been surrendered and a ncwv selection made of two sections, comprising 1,251 acres. The position as at March 31, 1929. is that there are still nine selectors cov—ering a total area. of 3,566 acres.

The number of applications dealt with during the year was 92, resulting in reductions in capital values amounting to £47,349 and in annual rent to £1362. There are 18 further applications yet remaining to be dealt with by the Revaluation Committee. The total area. opened for selection during the year unmounted to 58,973 acres, While 43,118 acres were taken up by 199 selectors, representing an increase over last year of 62 selectors and 21,547 acres of land.

During the year 12 meetings of the Land Board were held, occupying 42 days. and 1,702 cases were dealt with, comprising chiefly applications for land, transfer of leases and licences. Applications for advances and relief under the Discharged Soldiers' Settle—ment Act. as well as a. considerable number of miscellaneous cases of ordinary revenue for the year, amountefl to £130,390, being an increase on last year‘s figures. of £12,563. It is particularly pleasing to note this increase in spite of the {not that substantial concessions have been granted to set—tlers during the year by way of remissions, postponements and revaluations.