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Pastoral Huns, Otago Land District. Number of pastoral runs held at 30th September, 1905 .. .. .. 224 Area held ~ ~ .. .. .. .. 4,499,629 acres. r Schedide showing Number of Pastoral-run Leases expiring from Year to Year. y- Number of Total Area. Leases expiring. Acres. 1907 .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 163,264 1908 .. .. .. .. .. .. 8 67,672 1909 . ... .. .. .. .. ..110 110,575 1910 .. .. .. .. .. .. 35 1,269.606 1911 .. .. .. .. .. .. 24 437,032 1912 .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 195,037 1913 .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 161,326 1914 .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 25,511 1915 .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 253,887 1916 .. .. .. .. .. .. 11 402,075 1917 .. .. .. .. .. .. 15 295,282 1918 .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 329.499 1919 .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 204,842 1920 .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 89.134 1921 .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 191,430 1922 .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 107,836 1923 .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 66,389 1924 .. .. .. .. ..... 1 3,258 1925 .. .. .. .. .. .. . 1 5,794 1926 .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 99,290 1927 .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 20,890 224 4,499,629 Acres. Area resumable .. .. .. . . .. 297,287 Area not resumable .. .. .. .. .. .. 4,202,342 ; ' 4,499,629 The question of the resumption of runs and the cutting out of them all the low-lying land, leaving only the comparatively high snow-covered country to be leased for pastoral purposes, requires to be dealt with very carefully, because once lands are left or given up by the runholder as too high or too barren for profitable use, the question of the rabbit-nuisance has to be faced. It is a self-evident fact that whilst persons are without land, and estates have to be purchased (oftentimes at a high figure) to meet this continued cry for land, it is absolutely necessary that all available land should be withdrawn from runs for closer-settlement purposes and opened for selection. Yet, at the same time, it is evident that every area so asked to be resumed must be very carefully inspected, and if it is not really fit for close settlement, either by reason of being of inferior quality or of too high an altitude, or other valid and good reasons, then it should be left with the run in order to make it workable. It is imperative, in dealing with pastoral runs in high country, that a sufficient area of low country be also given to each lessee in order that the higher lands may be utilised to the best advantage. " The Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905." Whilst discussing the general question of the great demand for land by all classes of the community, it may not be inappropriate to insert at this stage a paragraph upon the intentions of the Government as to the securing of land for settlement by taking advantage of the power given to them to purchase Native land under section 20 of the above-named Act. The Government having decided to resume the purchase of Native lands under the provisions of the Act, and to place the initiation of such purchases under the Minister of Lands, the Commissioners of Crown Lands for the respective land districts affected were requested to furnish details of the various blocks suitable for acquisition and subdivision for settlement purposes, as a preliminary to negotiations by the Hon. Minister for Native Affairs for extensive purchases by the Crown from owners who were willing to sell. Reports as to the quality and area -of the blocks deemed suitable for this purpose, together with estimates as to their values, &c, have accordingly been supplied by the Commissioners, and copies of the same duly transmitted to the Native Minister. These reports deal with the following lands : —

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