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Transfers, Forfeitures, and Surrenders. Transfers were registered and completed of ninety-nine leases in perpetuity, comprising an area of 13,720 acres and 27 perches, and of eight small grazing-runs with of 14,666 acres 8 roods 31 perches. In some of the settlements which have acquii ourable reputation, the prices paid by the incoming tenants appear to show a large amount for goodwill alone, apart from the value of improvements, &<-... effected by the previous tenants. A surrender was accepted, at the request of the tenant, of a lease in perpetuity oi 162 acres (which has since been reselected) ; and two leases in-perpetuity of quarter-acre township allotments were forfeited for breach of conditions. Coxihtiox op Establish io 11 Settlements. The detail reports received from the ''''< »wn Lands Rangers upon the forty-eight settlements within the district continue to emphasize th itory results already disclosed cone-ruing the working of the land-for-si ttlene nts system. So far as compliance with the statutory requirements of the leases is cone rued, it may be said at once that the percentage of defaulters is very small indeed, and only in very rare cases does the default prove to b ofaserion ityofthi ■ those in which the lessees fail to bring their improvements up to the requi tint within the statutory period ; but the lessees nearly always show th< mselves anxious to effect co on as possible. It is noticeable also that as tenants' eire b permit, existing buildi nlarged or replaced by new buildings of an impi ttention is paid to tree-planting, as a whole the gee t of the settlements is found to i nrably mdd with the surrouni h<nd properties. As regards th'- cultivation conditions of the 1< tle-s- well observed. A very large amount. a< by the tenants in cleaning and improving their lands, which The twi which have b of much newly sown p id judicious relaxation of the cultivation conditions will be n list the h as, es in regrassing these lands. Probably tin- severest sufferers from tie- ■ ed Morice and Kinloch Settlements, near Little River, Banks Peninsul very unfavourable circumstances at the beginning of their career as Crown may be found to n consideration to enable th r their difficulti The general condition of the small suburban settlements near Christchurch and Timaru continues satisfactory, and many very comfortable little homes have b i upon then.. Amongst the ats on the workmen's homes a!!' tments, it is found thai sities of their employment sometimes compel them to remove for a. I lOther locality, and in such - inant will seek for leave of absence with permission to sublet, so as to retain, tin- home to which he hopes to return ; this, however, is a tendency that 'dug. as it is no part of the settlements policy that Crown tenants should in their turn become landlords, save under special circumstances and for strictly limited periods. Appended are notes upon the condition of the various settlements :— 1. Pareora No. 1 Settlement (near St. Andrew's, Waimate County).—Established January, 1894. Area purchased, 620 acres 2 roods 13 perches. Then- are twenty-eight holdings occupied, and the population is 110 souls residing in houses. During th son 147 ai ingraincrops, 95 acres in green and root crops, and 317 i ores in cultivated grasses; and the stock included 179 head of cattle, 41 h< 165 pigs. Th lue of improvement I is £1,144 ss. 2d., and the value effected £2,958 Os. 6d. The tenants an all complyin otorily, and hi Wished good homes on their small an. 2. Studholme Junction Settlement (near Studholme Junction, Waimate County).—Established January, 1894. Area purchased, 109 acres and 7pi robes. There are four sections occupied, and the number of souls is ten. residing in two houses, the other two sections being held by settlers living close by. The area under cultivation last season consisted of 43 acres in grain-crops, and 52 acres were in cultivated grasses. The stock comprised 26 head of cattle, 12 In 6 pigs. The v lue of improvements required is £214 7s. 10d., and the value effected £586 2s. The holdings are in good order, and the conditions satisfactorily fulfilled. 3. Kapua Settlement (near Waimate, V County).—Established March. 1894. Area purchased, 574 acres 1 rood 22 perches. Twelve set c occupied, each having a separate dwellinghouse, and the total number of souls is forty-three. The stock on tin- settlement consist of 149 head of cattle, 33 horses, and 40 pigs ; and the cultivated area comprised 205 acres in grain-crops, 42 acres in green or root crops, and 301 acres in artificial grasses. The value of improvements required is £977 Bs. 9<1., and the value effected £1,918 ss. Tin- set I in a satisfactory condition, the tenants apparently doing well, and most of them supplying milk to an adjacent creamery-. 4. Rosebrook Settlement (near Timaru, Levels County).—Established June, 1895. Area purchased, 600 acres 1 rood 8 perches. There are fourteen sections occupied, thirteen dwellinghou and a resident population of sixty-nine souls. During the past season the crops grown included 193 acres in grain, and 71 acres in green and root crops, and 285 acres were in cultivated grasses ; the stock carried were 54 sheep, 102 head of cattle, 68 horses, and 68 pigs. The value of improvements required is £1,061 16s. 4d., and the value effected £2,396 3s. 6d. The holdings are in good order, and the crops have been fairly satisfactory, but the tenants have suffered from shortage of water, as there has not been sufficient rainfall to fill the dams during the past two years. 5. Otaio Settlement (near St. Andrew's, Waimate County). — Established June, 1895. The area purchased was 373 acres 3 roods 14 perches, on which there are nine settlers, with eight dwellinghouses, inhabited by forty souls. The stock on the settlement comprise 120 sheep, 54 cattle, 23 horses,