C—l.

Table B.—Return showing Selections during the Year, &c. —continued.

Improved-farm Settlements opened under the Lands Improvement and Native Lands Acquisition Act. The total area now held is 73,126 acres, for which there are 595 selectors, who have received advances to the total amount of £64,299 7s. 6d., but whose improvements are valued at £186,897 4s. sd. Those situated in the Auckland District have not made much advance. In the Ohura country, Taranaki, the Commissioner of Crown Lands says in his report, " The improved-farm settlements established in this portion of the district have made excellent progress, and will undoubtedly prove a great success." In the Wellington Land District this class of settlement has made excellent progress, but, as the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Wellington, remarks in his report, " The most of the smaller farming tenures, including improved-farm settlements, &c, are gradually coming under the general provisions of the Land Act, and following dairying wherever possible." In last year's report a hope was expressed of opening additional areas under this system for workers who had been engaged upon the North Island Main Trunk line. Owing, however, to the very valuable nature of the milling-timber upon most of the areas suitable for settlement, it was decided to open smaller areas under the village-homestead conditions of " The Land Act, 1908." This is more particularly referred to in the next paragraph. Village Settlements. Under the provisions of " The Land Act, 1908," areas adjoining the North Island Main Trunk line were opened during the year, the applications being confined to workers on the railway, and with the preference to married men. It was considered that areas from 1 acre to 10, 20, or 30 acres would stand a better chance of being thoroughly cultivated than larger areas. One hundred and nine men availed themselves of this class of settlement, selecting 690 acres. There are at present 2,170 persons holding 42,401 acres under village settlement conditions, but these figures do not include those selectors who selected land under that system but who were permitted to exchange into other tenures.

3

Tenure. ; Sclectic ms during the Year. Net Area held at 31st March, 1909. i Number of , Selectors. Arc!u Number. Area. Ordinary Crown Lands —continued. Village-homestead special settlement Special-settlement associations Improved-farm special settlements Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs .. .. ... Pastoral licenses in mining districts under special regulations Miscellaneous leases 2 43 52 443 A. R. P. 3,555 0 0 151,980 3 37 9,118 1 15 91,488 3 22 612 662 595 250 451 200 3,184 A. R. P. 13,601 1 10 115,731 2 22 73,126 2 6 459,696 1 20 6,772,210 3 37 37,332 2 11 607,230 1 14 Totals 1,702 530,710 0 16 18,590 11,419,159 1 32 Cheviot Estate, — Lease in perpetuity Village homestead Grazing-farms .. .. .. . . Pastoral runs Miscellaneous leases 118 92 49 1 52 24,387 2 2 2,480 1 0 45,782 0 7 1,642 0 0 1,293 0 24 3 12 3 20 Totals 3 12 3 20 312 75,584 3 33 Land for Settlements, — Cash lands Lease in perpetuity Renewable lease Village lease in perpetuity ... .. .. ,, renewable lease .. .. Special-settlement associations .. .. Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs .. Miscellaneous leases 21 228 2 47 0 10 93,294 0 20 9 2 16 3,663 373 46 2 11 112 2 204 676,370 2 18 155,972 3 7 438 1 28 9 2 16 2,114 1 9 211,004 0 33 953 2 38 6,777 0 2 37 2,347 2 33 Totals 288 95,698 1 39 4,413 1,053,640 2 31 National Endowment Lands, — Renewable lease .. .. ■ ■ • • • • ,, village settlement Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs .. • • • • ■ • Pastoral licenses in mining districts under special regulations Miscellaneous leases.. 383 57 8 30 31 101 123,770 2 4 468 0 20 25,434 0 0 69,957 2 16 5,624 2 38 64,844 3 24 412 70 423 221 124 333 128,260 1 1 574 1 33 1,129,732 2 13 4,265,916 0 34 22,156 1 39 163,001 1 28 * Totals 610 290,099 3 22 1,583 5,709,641 1 28 Thermal springs, Rotorua 306 6,057 0 2 Grand totals 2,603 916,521 1 17 25,204 18,264,083 2 6