LAND SETTLEMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 76, 16 August 1912, Page 7

LAND SETTLEMENT.

AXNU4L pEPgj^r'^' area diminish^U« ,Tiip work of lands lias been prosecuted; vnU)-!j>%>r, 'and shows satisfactory' {Stales ■ the, anual report of 'tlio'Laiwteliiiiil .Survey Department). 'The \ selection during the year' •<ler all tenures 065.093 acres.'' : J#'UhS' amount, an area of 143.$.V : aeres v \?as available for selection the o.jltioiial, system, being 20.2(10 a eves '/ gr'ivHer tljan in the previous year. tinder'Me*t.fe'npwable lease system the arqa 182,79!) acres, an -inertias?, acres over that in the previpus} 7) > The number of selections, tlur.iugvljhe year was 2459, and the -*reat ;t.aJse»r*ip 2.635.329 acres. Excluding 'prtstoratrun •holdings and miscellaneous••Jl-Sls*sr (-which concern lands leased' jfoK'-flioflt ,pririii<s) from the above figures, the lands' taken up on settlement conditions al'riouiitt'il to 472.090 acres by 1503 selectors'," " / l The Crown tenants n6w of the Department numberVA"t(6s- : ' session of an area of 19 f 39i ! 23i , acres.^J The area of Crown land settlement remaining for fjllif,i;y.'4al at March 31, 1912, was approximately 4,272,375 . acres. This does ■ not include an area of 1.242.473 acres open tion in the Land Guide. The. total auea available is therefore 5.515.208 acres, and this, at the same rate of settlement, will last only a few more years. The greater portion of this area must be classified'ias. second and third-class land; that which can be considered as first-class will not exceed a quarter of a million acres. The revenue collected by the Receivers of Land Revenue for the year totivla £893.058, and is greater by £108,215 than the previous year's receipts. i Six estates, containing 70,451 acres, were subdivided and placed in the market during the year, five being in the Canterbury land district and one in t!ie Otago land district. Practically ihe whole of this area was disposed of on the day of opening, indicating that there is still a keen demand for improved lind" situated in a favorable locality. L T p : to ■March 31 last an area of 1.342.700 aures had been acquired and opened for selection. The area actually held uijder lease was 1.231,253 acres, by 5000 selectors. paying an annual rental of £297)117. Improvement* to the value of £2.084.184 had been effected. and the total receipts amounted to £2.373,058.