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APPENDICES.

APPENDIX No. I.—ADMINISTBATION.

EXTRACTS FEOM THE EEPORTS OF THE COMMISSIONEES OF CEOWN LANDS ON SETTLEMENT OPEBATIONS DDEING THE TWELVE MONTHS ENDED THE 31st MAECH, 1896. AUCKLAND. I HBBEWITH furnish a review of the land operations carried on in this district for the past year, which again brings in evidence the fact that, owing to causes which I shall presently emphasize, the area selected under every species of tenure is less than that shown in my report of last year, being only a total area of 80,301 acres, though the actual revenue received is £2,275 in excess of that received for 1894-95, whilst the separate number of items in the summary of transactions are 136 more than last year. Thus the area is less, but the settlers or selectors are more in number, with a less average area of individual holding. At the commencement I stated that I should presently emphasize the cause which in my opinion has led to the total area selected being less than in previous years. The main cause, I think, is owing to the " mining boom," which has now been in continuous operation for the past year, and large sums of money, which would have been used for settlement purposes in taking up new lands, have been diverted and invested in the goldfields. In several cases lands were applied for, and when the survey was completed and lands opened for selection, the applicants had gone into mining speculations instead, and were unwilling or uuable to select. 1 append a summary of land transactions in tabular form, as being the most effective way of grouping the selections to enable the particulars to be easily grasped :—

Summary of Land Transactions during the Year 1895-96.

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Transactions during the Year. Area held on 31st March, 1896. Revenue. received during the Year. Class of Selection. Number. Area. Number. Area. Gash — Town Suburban Eural 14 4 83 A. 81 43 8,742 B. P. 1 17 0 14 3 37 a. B. p. £ s. d. Total cash Deferred payment holders ... Perpetual-lease holders Perpetual-lease, freehold Occupation, right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Agricultural leases ... Mining district occupation licences Village homestead special settlement Lands for settlement, lease in perpetuity Special settlement — Deferred payment Perpetual lease Lease in perpetuity Improved farm special settlement Homesteads Small grazing-runs ... Pastoral runs Miscellaneous leases Timber sold Eotorua leases Other sources 101 1 22 167 82 8,867 1 28 50 0 0 8,120 0 24 27,831 2 9 17,062 3 28 412 836 56,146" 1 37 223,027 3 37 6,355 0 7 1,814 7 7 5,158 7 5 3,896 19 2 2,293 12 6 1,936 12 1 699 383 26 17 130,936 0 1 75,298 2 6 1,575 2 27 864 1 6 17 864 1 6 13014 6 208 8,612 2 24 262 6 6 60 6,524 3 9 60 6,524 3 9 634 5 2 40 6 91 42 3,900 0 21 280 2 34 23,001 1 38 4,555 2 0 760 17 11 11 10 9 252 17 11 36 13 4,95o" 1 38 1,680 0 0 46 14 12 57 5,542 2 10 68,849 0 0 121,711 0 0 4,401 3 37 402' 1 1 123 10 10 15 2,194 1 26 2,659,089ft. 155 1 26 I 3,421 12 5 38 112 637 0 3 795 1 10 2,268 14 6 Total, areas, &c. „ timber 552 80,301 1 34 2,659,089ft. 3,061 735,865 3 10 30,518 12