SETTLING THE LAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 64, 4 August 1914, Page 6

SETTLING THE LAND.

KKUOKI) OS- Ti:ii VKAR. EFFECT 01-' UXT LAWS. Tn his annual r< f.n-t, pn-Mmtod to Parliament on Tii. v In the llight Hon. \Y. F. .Ma, I ~ i.u'. (Jnder-Ke'cro-tary for Lands (Alt. .Mackenzie) writes first, of al. «s ;!»■• privileges conferred by ihi: igi,iuii put on the statute IJool: lu (!:- present (jOvernir.enl on <vi'l-tin of tile Crown., crubling tiiem to •;:;*« Hie freclio'l of their lands. Following were | icchases of the freehold under ili- oa. visions of the Land Laws Amvmlv. :;i, Act«, 1912 anil 11)13, up to March al, 1014. (Roods and pi relies are omiU.-,l ;u tile area figures, and shillings aii;l in the money figures):—

In addition (says Mr Mackenzie) many tenants arc acquiring the freehold by means of the deferred-payment gystem, and at the close of the year 221 tenants, holdin" H 2.407 acres, were paving for the freehold under this system by. yearly instalments amounting to £2940. It is expected that these privileges and conces-ions wiill be largely taken advantage of, by the tenants during the current year. PASTORAL RUNS. Tile pastoral run tenure was consider" ably improved by the provisions of Part 111. of the Act mentioned. Tenants holding land under this enure now have, in ease* wlo-re the runs are subdivided for e'oser settlement, ;l V'ght to select one of the subdivisions, if a run is not sulid'vidcd before reletting, the licensee is entitled to a new 'lease of the whole run. A new departure ill regard to these runs i" the pro-vision relating to residence. The Land Board now has the power under .Siction- 54 of the Act, in offering runs for selection, to impose residence conditions whenever it is deemed advisable. 'Pastoral tenants have every inducement given them to expend their capital in improving and bettering tii" land they hold to bring it up to its full carrying capacity. LAXIK -SELECTED. The area opened for selection during the year under al; tenures was 474-iSfi !'<■'res, being an increase of about 137.000 acres over the ai'ea oifered during the preceding twelve months. This area includes sixteen settlement "states subdivided and c.lTered for'selection on the renewable lease I enure. Every effort is being made by the Department to rondel ivai'ah' ■ for selection tile remaining Crown lends.

During t!i- yec.r an area of f>oo,:i"ii aires of Crown land was .selected under all tenures by -20.11 persons. Under renewable lease the total selections were covering an are.i of 2!;i.4'h> aens, of wnich 148.27.'l aci'es was :-e----tleinent, and, made up princinally of the sixteen land-fer-Scttlemclit c-l:il.-, opened lor select ion. . XATMNWL KN'DOWMKVr. J he area with;i: the National Endow, ment at the c!o. e of tile year 8.007,000 acre-, " which ' (i,."ii'i.():!4 acres was he d under ease, oi* liecn- -1 . producing an annual lvnUil of £!l<.),(iOo! The gross ainnint received during the year from the reiita'-- of tV' lease* an.l from royalties in ii- peel, oi timber and coal was £11)3.271, to be distributed in accordance with the statut i: ■ |'revisions governing the endowment. RENTS. - In the abates granted for nromoi payment of rent, 20,047 tenants participated, the total amount 'being £4.'i X)-)'). At the close of the year the rental remaining postponed amounted to i'liUS", owing by I0!> tenants. LAND REVEXCE.

During the year the revenue received was £1,01)0,4!)(>. The amount collected in each land district was as follows: £ Auckland 19:i.:i4S Uawke'.s Hay ]f>:!,2:!o Taranaki <i1.272 Wellington Hi 0,430 X'elson ;W.:i2:i Marlborough 44.774 Westland 19,881 Canterbury 200.055 Otago ..." 130,110 ■Southland 5!>,0U8 Total £1.0(Hi,49(> Analysing the revenue under the various sources, the following figures arc of interest: — £ Cash >a'cs and purchase of freeholds 200,0(18 Deferred-payment instalments I I'erpcttiai-lease rents 2,1.15 < n'oupat ion-with-'-right-of-pir-clase rents . . 09,(i11s l.casc-in-perpetuit/ rents .... 2:5-4,01) Kcu'.'wabie-lcase rents 121,040 Sma'l-grazing-run rents 51.352 Pastoral-run rents 70,827 Educational and other endowments ]o(i.r>:;i Other leases and licenses and ini-ecllaneou- receipts 12(1.47-1 Total £1.000.490 It will be observed that £2OO,WIS was received from ca--h sales and from the conversions of leaseholds into 'freehold-. also £11.004 from instalments on account of freeholds being acquired und'T the deferred-payment system. ESTATES SETTLED. Siuceii e-talo--. comprising lol.dlO a4l'es. were miide available for selection during tile \ear. in 214 farms or holding-. Th«re was a keen demand for all llie cMute>. with tile exceplion of those within the Sinth'and di-trict. The number of a]i|ilie:v e,n- re.-eive,! anionnled to :iooo.

... of ';irTenure. Aval Uec've.l. Ordinary Crown Acrci. £ lands— Deferred P ;; * uicnt 1 .OSS l.l/i Perpetual le : 121 1S 1 Lease in perpetuitj "■17 89,792 88 51.' Tota's -;»S 00,002 80.5111 Lands for Sett'emcnts— Deferred p^yment 10 34 1,401 Lease in P'-T petiuty •12 4 576 15,380 Reiie.wablt least; 47 15,140 11,902 Total j 99 19,757 28,744 ' Grand totals (US 110,7fi0 118,204