A GOOD YEARS WORK.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1594, 14 June 1887, Page 4

A GOOD YEARS WORK.

The annual report of the Crown Lands Department was laid on the table of the House of Representatives last week. Mr M’Kerrow reports that the main effort of the Lands Department in this, as in the last few years, has been directed, not to raising revenue by cash sales of Crown lands, but to the promotion of the occupation of the country by a population bolding the land on residential and improvement conditions. This year is remarkable for the greater development of this feature in respect of the encouragement offered to settlers, and on the fact that the number of selectors is much greater than that of any former year, and more than double the ,psual average. The number of selectors’for the twelve months is 2424, absorbing 345,000 acres as against an average ot 878 selectors, and 121,267 acres for.snch of (he previous eight years, beginning with 1879. The increase is mainly due to the Special Settlement and Village systems ;■ the latter inbro especially having originated in the endeavour to draft the unemployed from the large towns to the country. A statement of the year’s operations shows the following results From land sold on immediate payments £36,653 was realised ; from land sold on deferred paymen', £67,290; from agricultural leases on goldfields, £1934; from perpetual leases, £6091 ,* from small grazing runs, £3805; from pastoril rents, £170,595 ; and from miscellaneous, £19,820 ; making a total of £306,208, , With regard to tho homestead system Mr M'Kerrow, states (hat “ blocks hav* been opened for selection in Auckland, Qtsgp, and Southland districts, andithit during the yeiair 27 selections, covering 4117 acres, were made in Auckland, and, 22,in I UI >go, covering 2860lacres. The rents frpm the Grown lands held ion pastoral' lease or license have come in very well upbi the whole for the year, but th re is a Bum t of.,pea,rly.,£3opo^.outstanding in Otago* which the lessees in default have not been able io pay as yet, oh account of the great expense of the rabbit pest and the diminished carrying capacity* of the country from the s.imeciinse. Part of this money will most likely never be recovered, as several of the back-lying runs have been abandoned, and it is on, these brack mountainous rims that the nbbil difficulty is moat felt, for the cost of clearing highlying countryof small carrying capacity is often found to be more than the thing is worth. By giving long leases at nominal rents, and in other ways, the Land Department gives ev.ery encouragement ’ to the lessees to cbpe with this great‘evil, which; although Held in check fiver the older infested districts, is unfortiinate'y reported to be extending lie ravages by the back country from Otago ioto Canterbury.