LAND SETTLEMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8485, 12 July 1907, Page 5

LAND SETTLEMENT.

INTERESTING FACTS AND FIGURES. The annual report of the Department of Lands presented to Parliament, yesterday afternoon, shows that the total area under all classes of land tenure opened during the past year amounted to 640.262 acres, or 871 acres less than last year. The figures for the several districts were — District. Acres. Auckland 165,894 Hawke's Bay 42,581 Taranaki 49,489 Wellington 29,889 Nelson ... ... 48,038 Marlborough 3,104 Westland 8,259 Canterbury 26,238 Otago 114.483 Southland 152,287 Total 640,262 Here it may be interesting to set forth the position of New Zealand this year with regard to Crown lands. In last year's report a total area of 3,489,100 acres was shown as still available for settlement, and the position at present, the report shows, is as follows: — Acres. Available as per last return 3,489,100 Deduct land selected ... 958,652 Leaving balance of ... 2,530,448 Area being prepared selection 1,141,191 Making total of ... 3,671,639 Deduct area pastoral runs open for selection ... 1,382,917 Leaving net balance ... 2,288,722 At first sight, the report continues, the position is not, assuring, but if to the above balance of 2,288,722 acres is added the area of native lands now being purchased under the Act of 1905 —which totals for the whole of the North Island something over 321.744 acres —it will leave an available balance of 2,610,466 acres. The acreage of lands being prepared for settlement at February Ist of-this year are set forth in the subjoined table: — Auckland 815,056 Hawke's Bay 135,239 Taranaki " 32,086 Wellington 50,000 Nelson 76,650 Westland 32,160 Total 1,141,191 The receipts from all sources give the very satisfactory total of £578,223, or £27,981 in excess of last year's receipts. Divided under the two headings of "Territorial" and "Non-territorial" the results are, from sources scheduled as territorial, £250,900. The principal contributors were —Otago, £89,633; Wellington, Hawke's Bay, £61,461; Marlborough,. £32,985; Southland, £27,244; Taranaki, £27,046: Nelson, £27,937; and Westland, £15,323. For the coming year, 1907-8, it is estimated that £256,000 will be received from territorial services, and £310,200 from non-territorial, or a total estimated revenue of £566,200. During the year 11,601 tenants were granted rebates of rent, the total remissions amounting to £24,663. Referring to purchase of native lands, on which subject a special report will be presented to Parliament, it is stated that the Native Minister is negotiating for some 205,016 acres in the Auckland district, 7,954 acres in Hawke's Bay, and in Taranaki and Wellington. Sirtda 1891 the Crown has purchased 2,800,330 acres of Maori-owned land. Under the Lands for Settlement Act ten additional estates have been opened for selection during the past year, and a portion of an estate acquired previously but not then opened, making a total area for selection of 189,633 acres, the number of new selectors for the year being 198, and the area selected 105,239 acres, yielding a rental of £22,513. In the two months since the close of the financial year an additional 11,452 acres have been allotted. Up to the present date soma 149 estates have been acquried of a total area of 1,017,588 acres, which are occupied by 3,869 selectors, who with their families, number over 12,000 persons. During the preceding twelve months 11,237 acres of land was gazetted under the Scenery Preservation Acts, making a total of 25,802 acres since 1904. The expenditure for the year amounted to £9,411, which includes £8,096 3s 6d paid as compensation foreland t?.ken. Under the Workers' Dwellings Act the Land Boards of the Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago Land Districts were handed over the following completed dwellings, viz.: —Auckland, Ellerslie and Otahuhu, 20; Wellington, Petone, 25; Christchurch, Sydenham, 12; Dunedin, Windle, 14; bei-g a total of seventyone dwellings, fifty-two of which were let at date of compilation of the report. The gross expenditure of the department for the year amounted to £752,750.