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WELLINGTON The subjoined summary shows the land transactions for the year ending the 31st March, 1908 :—

Lands open for Sale or Selection. The total area of Crown land offered during the year was 126,375 acres, which, added to the area standing open on the Ist April, 1907—viz., 7,129 acres —made a total area of 133,504 acres available for selection. Of the area of 126,375 acres placed in the market during the year, 101,800 acres were offered for the first time. Only one lot, comprising an area of 200 acre 3, was offered subject to the provisions of " The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903." The principal operations during the year were as follows : The Tapui Block, 636 acres ; North Waimarino Block, 23,967 acres ; and Retaruke Blocks, 31,142 acres, were opened for selection on optional system. A run of 45,000 acres in the Rangipo North Block, and Mana Island, 525 acres, were offered for lease by public auction for terms of twenty-one and fourteen years respectively. The Nireaha and Hukanui Village Settlements, comprising an area of 672 acres, and Tapui Village, 35 acres, were opened for application. A successful auction sale was hi Id at Raetihi of the Ninia, Ohakune, and Raurimu Townships ; and in Wellington of freehold allotments in Cuba and Wallace Streets. Four workers' dwellings in Coromandel Street, Wellington, were offered and leased under " The Workers' Dwellings Act, 1905." The demand for some of the lands offered was very keen, particularly for one section offered in Tararua Survey District, for which there were 520 applications, and for sections in North Waimarino Block, for some of which the applications considerably exceeded 200 ; also for village lots in Hukanui and Nireaha Settlements, for some of which the applications ranged up to the number of 145. The total number of land applications received during the year was 2,419. Expiring Small-Grazing-Run and Pastoral Leases. During the year renewed leases for further terms of twenty-one years were granted to the lessees of twelve small grazing-runs, comprising an area of 13,050 acres ; and renewals of leases of sixteen small grazing-runs, comprising an area of 13,014 acres, have been offered to the present lessees under section 209 of " The Land Act, 1885." Renewals have not been granted in the cases of two small grazing-runs, comprising an area of 1,693 acres, which have consequently reverted to the Crown. As the lessees of eleven pastoral runs, comprising an area of 23,352 acres, mostly sand-drift on the west coast, will expire in February next, new leases were offered by public auction, all of which, with the exception of one, were disposed of

Number Cash received on Nature and Tenure of Lands selected. of Area selected. Past and Current Selectors. Transactions. a. B. p. ' £ s. d. Town lands sold for cash ... ... ... ... 113 32 1 6 j) Suburban lands sold for cash ... ... ... 14 39 1 34 f 9,352 15 11 Rural lands sold for cash ... ... ... ... 6 348 1 12 .' Perpetual leases maiie freehold ... ... ... ... ... 2,690 3 8 Occupation with right of purchase made freehold ... ... ... 19,232 14 9 Deferred-payment instalments ... ... ... , ... ... 5 0 0 Perpetual leases... ... ... ... ... 206 15 6 Occupation with right of purchase ... ... ... 65 53,596 8 12 10,761 8 6 Lease in Derpetuitv ... ... ... ... 10 6,441 0 8| 5,377 4 10 Renewable lease ' ... ... ... ... 1 200 0 0 5 0 0 Village settlement— Cash... ... ... ... ... ' ... 1 1 0 38 4 0 0 Lease in peruetuity ... ... ... 25 712 1 7 1,719 7 2 Renewable lease ' ... .... ... ... 2 2 0 24 0 5 0 Village-homestead special settlements ... ... ... ... 414 16 6 Special-settlement associations —Lease in perpetuity ... ... ... 4,927 12 6 Improved-farm settlements ... ... ... ... ... 2,235 7 2 Small grazing-runs ... ... ... ... 12 13,068 2 0 1,975 12 10 Pastoral runs ... ... ... ... ... 10 19,982 2 0 2,436 14 5 [mproved farms made freehold ... ... ... ... ... 1,632 12 2 Miscellaneous leases and licenses ... ... ... 44 45,824 1 1 1,548 10 3 Miscellaneous ... ... ... *10,920 13 0 Workers' dwellings, Coromandel Street ... 4 0 0 32 54 18 2 Land for Settlements Acts— Lease in perpetuity ... ... 8 203 3 22 13,276 1 3 Workers'dwellings, Petone ... ... ... 12 10 8 553 13 4 Small grazing-runs ... ... ... 1,732 7 6 Miscellaneous leases ... ... ... 1 2 10 1,165 17 3 Miscellaneous... ... ... ... ... 4,190 3 8 Nature and Tenure of Lands selected. Totals ... ... ... ... 328 140,456 0 39 96,419 15 4 * Inoludes £111 paid under section 10, (7), of "The Land Laws Amendment Act, 1907."