C— h

Rebates of Rent. Under the operatiou of " The Crown Tenants' Rent Rebate Act, 1900," 630 lessees of ordinary Crown lands were granted rebates to the amount of £271 4s. 9d. for prompt payment of rents, and 155 land-for-settlement tenants received rebates amounting to £674 Is. 7d. under the provisions of " The Land for Settlements Consolidation Act, 1900 " Arrears of Rent. On ordinary Crown lands thirty-two lessees are in arrear, to the amount of £162 lis. 4d., which figures show a decrease of twenty lessees in arrear and of £40 14s. lid. in amount. Twenty-two lessees under the land-for-settlements tenures are in arrear to the amount of £915, being a decrease of seven lessees and £332 7s. i Forfeituees and Sueeenders. During the year the leases of twenty-three lessees of ordinary Crown lands were forfeited for noncompliance with the conditions of lease, the area involved being 11,556 acres ; four leases were surrendered, the area of which was 5,600, two pastoral runs containing 5,300 acres being included. Feeehold Titles issued. Under the provisions of the Land Acts, 1885 and 1892, sixty-four certificates of the completion of the purchase of lands have been issued by the Receiver of Land Revenue. These receipts are commonly called provisional titles, and are registered under the Land Transfer Act. The tenures under which the lands were acquired were as follows :— „ , , Area. Selectors. . Acres. Deferred payment .. .. .. .. ..11 1,031 Perpetual lease .. .. .. .. .. ..11 729 Occupation with right of purchase .. . . . . .. 5 1,076 Cash under " Land Act, 1892," Part 111 .. .. 4 544 Auction, &c. .. .. .. .. . . .. 32 585 Land for settlements .. .. . . . . .. 1 1 64 3,966 Exchanges to Lease in Peepetuity. Sixteen exchanges from other tenures to lease in perpetuity have been effected during the year, the area affected being 2,915 acres, comprising lands previously held under deferred payment, perpetual lease, Mining Districts Land Occupation Act, and miscellaneous licenses. Teansfers. No less than 111 transfers of leases and licenses under the various tenures were completed in the course of the year, the total area conveyed being 239,576 acres. The transfers included thirty-eight lease in perpetuity; area, 4,886 acres: eight land for settlements; area, 2,440 acres: twenty occupation with right of purchase ; area, 5,000 acres : eighteen perpetual lease ; area, 2,724 acres : ten pastoralrun licenses ; area, 211,264 acres : three small-grazing-run leases ; area, 10,747 acres : and several minor leases of small areas. Transmissions. Transmissions to executors or administrators in the estates of ten deceased lessees were approved by the Land Board, the area affected being 1,472 acres. Rangers' Inspections. On the mainland 808 inspections of selectors' holdings have been made, of an area of 96,426 acres, the improvements required being £36,112, while the value of those effected is £68,461. The Ranger reports that, with the exception of some roadwork during the summer, the selectors are chiefly] employed in the improvement and working of their own holdings. Besides these statutory inspections, the Ranger has made 400 inspections and reports to the office in connection with Land Board and departmental business. The Ranger at Stewart Island reports having inspected the holdings of the twenty-six lessees upon the island at various times during the year, the area inspected being 3,548 acres; the required improvements are £1,801 Is. 4d., and the value of improvements effected £3,097 10s. He adds that during the year the amount of improvements effected has been small, which is chiefly accounted for by the fact that nearly all of the tenants were obliged to take work at the local sawmills, the road contracts, or to engage in the fishing industry. The Crown tenants on the whole seem to be contented, and to consider their future prospects good. He has as far as possible kept watch over the fauna and flora on the island. No destruction of bush has taken place, and no killing of game occurred. The imported game animals seem to be now well established, but the native game birds become yearly more scarce. The Forest Ranger has made a number of inspections and valuations of sawmilling-timber upon Crown land being dealt with by the Land Board, and in connection with applications for the purchase of timber remaining upon former sawmill-workings.

45