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The experiment of establishing what would practically be a special settlement oil a small scale in that high and isolated latitude will be watched with a considerable amount of interest. Arrears. —lt is satisfactory to be able to report that, notwithstanding the depressed condition of the agricultural and pastoral interests, the arrears of rent compare favourably with those of last year—viz.: For 1894, 412 selectors for £3,023; and, for 1895, 258 selectors for £1,811. But this result has only been brought about by the most unremitting attention. The following is a summary of Crown lands surveyed, under survey, open for application before survey, or as pastoral runs : —■ Southland County— Acres. Surveyed rural lands, mostly second-class open country, in areas from 20 to 1,500 acres ... ... ... ..'. ... 50,000 Village homestead sections, mostly first-class land, in areas from 1 to 20 acres ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,860 Town lands ... ... ... ... ... ... 390 Five small grazing-runs, mostly hilly, and carrying fairly good tussock and other grasses ... ... ... ... ... 15,400 Unsurveyed land, now being prepared for settlement, mostly forest country, but with good soil ... ... ... ... 41,300 Wallace County— Surveyed rural lands, mostly second-class and partly open country, in areas from 50 to 1,900 acres ... ... ... ... 19,000 " Land for Settlements Act, 1892" (Merrivale)... ... ... 10,000 Village homestead sections, mostly first-class bush-lands, in areas from 1 to 20 acres ... ... ... ... ... 750 Town lands ... ... ... ... ... ... 130 Seven small grazing-runs, mostly hilly open country, carrying tussock and other grasses ... ... ... ... ... 10,800 - • Lake County— Surveyed rural lands, second class, in areas from 80 to 100 acres 1,600 Town lands ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 Fiord County— Ten pastoral runs, high,rugged country, chiefly on West Coast ... 760,000 Stewart Island County— Surveyed rural lands, second-class forest-country, in areas varying from 30 to 300 acres ... ... ... ... ... 2,360 Unsurveyed land, but open for application, mostly second-class forestcountry ... ... ... ... ... ... 143,900 Total... ... ... ... ... ...1,057,502 G. W. Williams, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

APPENDIX No. 2.—SUKVEYS. EXTEACTS FEOM THE EEPOETS OF CHIEF SUEVEYOES.

AUCKLAND. Minor Triangulate on.- —The comparatively small area of 98 square miles shown in the table has been covered by minor triangulation, and this has been completed by two officers—Messrs. L. Cussen and J. I. Philips. Mr. L. Cussen had to carry a series of small triangles over portion of the land known as the Aotea Eohe Potae, for the purpose of checking the Native Land Court surveys along the Mokau from the west coast, including the Awakino section surveys, and extending into the Taranaki District, and to the Ohura South; whilst the trigonometrical work done by Mr. Philips was carried out as a check upon the roads laid out by him over the Waimana and other districts near Opotiki, and also to serve as a check upon the section work done by authorised surveyors. The mean cost was only o'6sd. per acre. Bural and Suburban Surveys. —The area of this class of survey completed during the year is 116,667 acres, and this area has been subdivided into 725 sections, which gives the small average for each section of 160 acres ; so that though the output has been nearly 29,000 acres less than last year, yet the number of sections surveyed has been increased from 626 to 725, or an increase of 99 sections. This has necessarily raised the cost of survey per acre to a mean of l-655., or slightly more than last year. Nearly all these surveys have been in densely-wooded and broken country, and the past year has also been unusually wet. Of the total area given above, some 533 sections, of an area of 76,451 acres, were surveyed by the staff! at a mean cost per acre of P555.; whilst authorised surveyors, at schedule rates, surveyed 192 sections, of an area of 40,216 acres, the mean per acre being 1:835., or. slightly in excess of that, done by the staff, Town Section Surveys. —-Only nineteen lots have been surveyed under this heading, at Opotiki and Onehunga, with a total area of 39 acres, and costing nearly £1 19s. per lot.