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1887. NEW ZEALAND.

CROWN LANDS DEPARTMENT. (REPORT UPON THE), FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1887.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Secretary for Crown Lands to the Hon. the Minister of Lands. Sir,— General Crown Lands Office, Wellington 27th May, 1887. I have the honour to forward the annual report and returns of the Crown Lands Department for the twelve months ended the 31st March, 1887. I have, Ac, James McKerrow, The Hon. J. Ballance, Minister of Lands. Secretary for Crown Lands.

BEPOBT. The main effort of the Land Department in this, as in the last few years, has been directed, not to raising revenue by cash sales of the Crown lands, but to the promotion of the occupation of the country by a population holding 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 in the fact that the number of selectors is much greater than that of any former year, and more than double the usual average. Thus, the number of selectors for the twelve months is 2 424 absorbing 245,000 acres, as against an average of 878 selectors and 121,257 acres for each of the previous eight years, beginning with 1879. The increase is mainly due to the special-settle-ment and village-homestead systems; the latter, more especially, having originated in the endeavour to draft the unemployed from the large towns to the country. The special inducements which were offered in dealing with that class will be detailed further on. In accordance with the rule observed in former annual reports, a general statement of the year s operations will now be given before remarking on the several heads. Land sold on immediate payments— . A li P Purchasers. Scrip. Cash received. Town 46 139 1091 £ s. d. £ s. d. Village small farm ... 227 227 65, lgs 11Q 36 653 6 0 Suburban 430 1 16 741 Eural 32,633 1 36 243 j Lands sold on deferred payments — Acres. Selectors. Rm-al ... ... 50,527 557 ) Instalments from these and Nine special settlements... 43,873 455- from former selections still Village small farm ... 585 112 J current ... ... 67,290 0 0 Agricultural leases on goldfields— 475 acres, leased to 14 selectors—rents from these and former selections current from former years ... ••■ ••• ••■ J'93* 1 1 Perpetual leases — . 49 475 acres, leased to 249 selectors—rents from these and from selections 'of former years ... ... ••• , ••• - 6 >091 1 1 Small areas under section 161 of " The Land Act, 1885 "— 854 acres to 23 selectors ... •■• ••• ■•• dy u u Village homestead settlement — 28,700 acres to 896 selectors Homestead — 6,977 acres to 49 selectors Small grazing runs— n 105 857 acres to 68 selectors—rents from these and from former selections a,Wo a 0 I—o. 1.