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Inspections. —One hundred and thirteen holdings, 13,547 acres, were inspected. Value of improvements required, £4,125; improvements effected, £7,343, considerably in excess of the legal requirement. In the matter of residence there were thirty-two defaulters, but many of these, under mining districts land occupation and village-settlement conditions, have had to temporarily leave their homes on account of the closing of the coal-mines in the Mokihinui district. Coal-mines. —The output of coal from the Westport Coal Company's mines at Coalbrookdale and Millerton, near Westport, has largely increased, the total output for the past year being 433,572 tons, on which royalty amounting to £9,481 has been received by this office. Arrears. —The arrears amount to £1,643 6s. lid., but £1,616 13s. lOd. of this is due on coal and mineral leases, the total amount of arrears on settlement holdings being only the very small sum of £26 13s. Id., and, as there are 1,319 Crown tenants in the district, this may be considered very satisfactory. Bevenue. —The gross revenue for the year from all sources, including endowments, amounted to £21,103 175., showing an increase of £1,970 2s. Bd. on the previous year. Prospective Settlement. —lt is proposed to throw open for selection shortly, under the optional clauses of the Land Act, some 40,000 acres of unsurveyed lands spread over various parts of the district, the bulk of the land being in the Sherry, Eainy Eiver (Motupiko), and Inangahua Valleys; also about 2,000 acres of surveyed sections in the Orowaiti and Granity Creek districts. It is also intended to shortly offer for sale by auction the village allotments of Omau, Birchfield, and Manu, and about 130 sections on the reclaimed land in the Town of Westport. There is at the present time a good demand for land in this district, and from the numerous inquiries made by intending applicants I think it fair to assume that a good proportion of these lands will be taken up. W. G. Murray, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

MAELBOEOUGH. The following tabie will show in a concise form the land transactions of the past year : —■

Summary of Land taken up.— 95,588 acres was disposed of, the number of settlers being fiftynine. , Occupation ivith Bight of Purchase.— Five new selections wer.e taken up during the year, the area beino- 1,344 acres. There are now thirty-nine selectors under this heading, with an area of 11,488 acres.' Lease in Perpetuity.— -Eleven settlers selected 2,139 acres. There were also six exchanges from other tenures, comprising 3,267 acres. The total number of selectors is now 189, with an area of 89,569 acres. Occupation Leases under the Mining Districts Land Occupation Act. —One settler took up 28 acres, making a total in occupation of nineteen holders and 1,161 acres.

Transac , iious during the Year. Area under Lease at 31et March, 1902. Revenue received during System. ear. Number. Area. Number. A tea. Gash Deferred payment Perpetual lease Occupation with right of pur- ' chase Lease in perpetuity ... Occupation lease under Mining Districts Land Occupation Act Village settlement — Deferred payment... Perpetual lease Lease in perpetuity Special settlement... Small grazing-runs* ... Pastoral runs Miscellaneous leases... Miscellaneous fees, &c. Land for settlements — Lease in perpetuity Small grazing-runs Miscellaneous 6 A. R. P. 1,336 3 8 8 11 39 A. 360 1,796 11,488 B. P. 3 37 2 7 2 3^ £ s. d. 748 7 6 35 6 9 46 18 1 453 0 0 5 1,344 2 o' 11 1 2,139 0 0 28 0 0 189 19 89,569 1,161 0 2.3 0 0 2,191 16 7 30 3 4 2 1 8 14 1031 80 90 20 10 152 234 156,437 944,998 34,150 2 20 0 0 2 35 0 24 2 16 0 0 1 25 2 11 6 15 0 26 3 0 18 6 6 2,066 18 2 4,213 3 10 837 6 10 79 19 5 13 3 IS 55,185 2 0 14,280 0 0 3,770 0 0 1 5 4 935 0 0 3,655 2 0 12,914 2 0 138 9 1335,684 16,147 13,168 1 12 0 0 3 25 5,898 15 3 1,285 18 2 736 17 8 Totals 59 95,588 3 8 721 1,305,379 3 27 18,672 17 7 * Five small-grazing run land for-si f Three small-grazing-run land-for-jttlement holders are included in the 13 settlement holders are included in the H Drdinary small-grazi: )3 ordinary small-gra ig-run holders, sing-run holders.