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The volume of business transacted is not nearly so much as last year, the sales for cash having fallen off and the sell ctkms under th fturi sb« ing only about half the number. Had the land . doubt th re been very much larger but towards the end of 1907 every available section was taken up. and there were no m w lands ready to offer. The revenue pmper last y £25.528, which would have been maintained had there been more sales for cash, these always being a fluctuating quantity. Crown Lands offered for Selection and disposed o*. The area open for selection on the Slst March, 1907, wi s 54,590 acres, and 11,033 acres were offered dmiM the year m of 65,623 acres available. Out of this, 52 selections were made, comprising an area of 44,969 acres, and 3.755 acres will be returned next year. An area of 9-11 acres was withdrawn for reoflering under "The National Endowment Act 1907 and 3888 acres wen- also withdrawn to b.- reoffered under "The Lane] Laws Amendment Act, 1907. lhis leaves 3,800 acres open for application al the close of the year. The only land off red for the firs, time w« re sev< n allotments m the Ohura and Heao Survey Districts, comprising an area of 1.859 acn s, which were keenly eomp. ted for. The remainder of the se<tions offered were turf, itrd holdings in various parts of the district. _ The remaining sections in the Huinga Settlement, near Toko, three m number, were taken up, but one was abandoned for no appan ... reason. Applications have already bi i n made for it. Five reserves were offered for lease by public auction, and all were taken up. Two sections totalling 3 acres, wen- sold as sit s for dairy factories—one at Nihomho and the other at Aria—under the provisions of section 62 of " The Land Laws Amendment Act 1907. _ The land offered for cash by public auction consisted of eighteen allotments in the lown ol iManaia, eleven being disposed of at upset prices. There has been such a steady demand for land durmg the year that there is now practically none open for selection. Principal Systems of Tenure. These are confined to the occupation with right of purchase and leases in perpetuity, and when lands were offered under the optional conditions the preference was given to the former tenure, as the following figures will show: Occupation with right of purchase, 45 selections, area 42,150 acres ; lease in perpetuity, 1 selection, area 755 acres; cash, nil. Conditions and Progress oi Settlement. The evidence of substantial progress over the whole of the Taranaki District has been very marked during the past year. The report of the Ranger for the central and southern part of the district disit ttood urOftjress is being made, and with very few exceptions the improvements effected are x, the holdings inspected being 330, having a total area of 121,188 The required improvements by the Act were valued at £48,014; the improvements actually effected were 1 1 . f -PQ7 The Ranaer for the northern and more lately settled part of the district reports having visited 406 holdings, Comprising an area of 140,241 acres. The requirements of the Act were improvements to the value of £22,597, and the value of improvements actually effected was 274,411. He remarks that th- non-fulfilment of required improvements is generally due to the scarcity.ud high cost of •hour H-also reports the first cattle-sale at on He 19th Apiff, when 800 head were so d. Three schools and several post and telephone offices have been opened during the year, and a doctor is now resident at Mangaroa. Rebates of Rent. Durine the year 800 tenants holding under lease-m-perp. tuity and oceupation-with-right-of-pur-chase conditions of the Land Acts were grant d 10 per cent, rebate on the,,- annual instalments, amounting to £985 2s 4d., and thirty-two land-for-settlements tenants n ceived a rebate of 10 per cent., equal to £250 18s. 2d. These figures show an increase of twenty-five selectors and £191. Arrears of Rent. Excluding the current instalment, the number of tenants in arreai-was sixty-one as compared with fifty-five last year ; but the amount owing was £323, as against £465, a decrease of £142. Tabng nto onsideration the current instalment, a substantial decease is shown both in nuniber of tenants in arrear and the amount owing-vi*., 182 selectors, £1,487 ; last year, 229 selectors fI.JiJJ It is, however! only by constant attention and oi, sort to legal proceedings that this fairly sat,,factory position can be maintained. Forfeitures and Surrenders. Twenty-one holdings under ordinary conditions of the Land Acts were resumed .luring the- year -two less than the prfevi tly for non-improvement. In some of tin se cases the for--tv the _ usual hardshipsi of .ion to the so, ' bihtytoobtoHiaßSWtanc . bushfalling The difficulty in obtaining th °M» Wchsbieoiie most pronounce.: v , no I n possessed of suffi pital to work their holdings, and there has Ken too much