ANNUAL REPORT ON CROWN LANDS.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 112, 25 July 1885, Page 7

ANNUAL REPORT ON CROWN LANDS.

Thib report of the Crown Lands Department is one <»f the most important and inti-restim* of the many papeis annually lai I bt'furfl Purliaiiiout La>t y :ir there was sol 1 lor ca-h about 6 ,000 iH-ros of rural land fur about £■ :s,fiu» us against about 145,w00 l<ii a .nit £16(1,000 in the previous year. \Y<« only tfive roun I number-. About 7 ',2;io o ii acres were soft} on neferre I p.yuuMit«s as against nearly 13(1,000 an-'S in tiie previous year. Tiie ivy mi' fr>>m deferred payment land lust year Vi* <tbout £.SS,(;O ), instead of about £-*f>,3o\J f<»r lrt>3 84. Thes.- a.m<>.ntr* mclii le instalment* on previous purch tsi's, a? well as deposits on new purelites. The pastoral rents hive consi lerably increased. In 18 384 from Ij. 148.(171 aep-s, hold in 1555 leases, wi- drew £125,604. In 1884-85, from 1 1 384,603, held in 1232 leases, we got £ 1 68,300. The total land revenue from all sources, including rents and royalties of all sorts, was about £357,550, as against £395,000 for the previous year. Mr McKerrow (the se.;.), states that the falling off in sales of land is not due to any want of purchasers. He assures us that, " whenever the opportunity has been given of buying good accessible land it has been readily availed of ; the real reason is that th« choice of suitable lan I has been very much curtailed, partly by former selections, partly from want of roads to open up what is left, and in a very considerable degree by the extensive areas, withheld from disposal, either on cash sale, or settlement conditions, in connection with railway proposals. Another reason for the paucity of sales is that several of the Land Boards, with ■whom by law the power of sale rests have virtually decided not to sell any rural lands for cash, except, perhaps, some odd sections, or fragments of blocks to complete a property. Further, the educational, harbour, and other endowments, have absorbed large bocks, wMch, although in most cases prepared '; for sale and sold by the Land Department, do not appear in the returns." "With regard to the deferred payment selectors the difficulty appears to be the question of arrears. Tiie very ease with vhich men can obtain land under this system is a drawback, because it induces men " to take up land who, either from lack of means or knowledge, or perhaps both, fail of success." Still the number of forfeitures appears comparatively small. The plan of allowing selectors, after a certain time, to capitalise their unpaid payments and pay interest on them at £5 per cent, introduced by Mr l\olleston in 1882, is recognised as a great boon to them. 3H3 selectors, holding 51,572 acres, availed themselves of this privilege last year. On the 31st March there were 4227 selectors, holding 578,4 8 acres. Of these 1190, holding 240,883 acres, were in arrears to the tune of £32,481 16s 61, or an average indebtedness of £27 6s each But it appears that three- fourths of those in arrears are only so for the six months' payment in advance, due on the Ist January last, and that since the 3 1st March the number in default Las in a-

terially diminished. Mr McKorrow says that it has become a "sort of understanding with several of the Land Boards that if the instalment is paid •taring the currency of the fix for which it is due, no serious notice will bo taken I of the default." The table attached to the report states that these 42*27- man have already paid about £816,000 on account of their 578,428 acres, so that £82,000 odd of arreats is not a very serious matter. At the close of 1883-84 there were 991 eeleotors in arrears to the amount of £23,898 6s 3d, or an average of £24 each. The perpetual lease system, pure and simple, continues to succeed, while it gives perfect security of tenure and of improvements, and allows of transfer, the cardinal principle is maintained that the land is never sold, and aggregation of leaseholds must stop nt the maximum of 600 acres. During the year 122 persons hate leased 26,711 acres, at an average rent of Is 5d per acre, or a capital value of £1 2s. During the two yeara the system has been in operation 298 leases have been issued and 61,068 acres taken up. During the year 85 settlers took up 9 deferred payment areas 499 acres, or a mean of about six acres each. This class of sertlement has been very successful during the past few years in establishing several hundreds of the better class of labourers And their families in homes of their own in circumstances of comparative ease and comfort. Within a short space of time under the special settlement scheme 80 associations, representing about 2000 members, have applied for 303,900 acres, but as several selected either the same land or land not; yet in possession of the Cown, the actual results so far are that the applications of 12 associations have been accepted, absorbing 93,200 acres. No member is allowed to have a greater area than 150 acres, and the average selection is not to exceed 100 acres in each settlement. While the principle of association enables persons of like tastes to live together, and who, no doubt, feel confidence in each other, yet care has been taken to bring the settlers, after the first yearly payments in direct communication individually with the Land Department, so that each may feel sure of his land on fulfilment of conditions, irrespective of any failure of the association or of its members. There were no sales of pastoral leases during the year of any importance ; for although 101 runs, aggregating 728,653 acres, were disposed of, they were mostly in back high-lying 1 country, anl only realised a rent of £4978, or ;ibon& l£d an acre. The amount received from run rents is nearly £43,000 more than the sun received .ast year. During the year land orders to the value of £8019 6s 6 I have been issue I under the Forest Trees Planting Encouragement Act 1871 and 1872 in favour of 12 landowners w.io uad planted on their estates 762 acres 1 rood 15 perches in terms the regulations. Up to the 3 1st M.irch 1885, 77 lan I orders j of a value of £17,216 have been issued, representing an area planted of 4304 acrjs, an 1 there are several applications for laud orders now before the departm 'nt for consideration. Fully threefourths both of land orders issued and planted belong to Canterbury. In the report on Thermal Springs our iocal hot springs are thus referred to :—: — At Te Aroha thi re are hot springs on a reserve of do \n ian If, which ha\e been much resorted to since a bathhouse was erected two years ago. The cost of buildings, fencing, and tiee-planting has • een £900 j and the Domain Boar 1, in whose charge the baths and grounds are vested, estimate that a further sum of £2300 is necessary for further extension of bathhouses, waiting-rooms cold-water supply, and other accessories, and for the proper laying- out and adorning the grounds, which cover twenty acres. On , tiie opening of the railway from Morrinsville to Te Aroha next sumirer, there will then be direct rail communication with Auckland, and a great increase, no doubt, in the number of visitors to the '< hot springs of Te Aroha.