VII

C.—l

Revenue. The revenue collected by the Receivers of Land Revenue for the year totals £893,058, and is greater by £108,215 than the previous year's receipts. The territorial revenue included in this sum is £247,803, which is slightly less than the amount under this heading in the previous year. Table F appended gives the amount collected in each land district: —

Table F.—Revenue received during the Year ended 31st March, 1912.

Rebates of Rent. If rents are paid within thirty days of the date upon which they are due, the Land Act and the Land for Settlements Act provide for a discount to the tenant. Upon ordinary Crown lands and national-endowment lands 10,629 tenants received such discounts, amounting to £12,425 12s. lid., and on Cheviot Estate and land-for-settlementa holdings 1,728 tenants obtained discounts-to the extent of £25,569 os. 9d., making the total rebates £37,994 13s. Bd. Payments of " Thirds " and " Fourths " to Local Bodies. Section 145 of the Land Act, 1908, enacts that a certain proportion of the rents received from the letting of the lands are to be paid to the local authorities for road-making purposes. During the past year the amount handed to the local bodies under this authority totalled £33.365 19s. Id. Timber and Flax Royalties. The " halves" of timber and flax royalties paid to local bodies under the authority of section 319 of the Land Act, 1(108. amounted to £13,822 11s. Lands purchased and dealt with under the Land for Settlements Act. Six estates, containing 76,451 acres, were subdivided and placed in the market during the year, five being in the Canterbury Land District and one in the Otago Land District. Practically the whole of this area was disposed of on the day of opening, indicating that there is still a keen demand for improved land situated in a favourable locality. Up to the 31st March last an area of 1,342,760 acres had been acquired and opened for selection. The area actually held under lease was 1,231,253 acres, by 5,060 selectors, paying an annual rental of £297,117. Improvements to the value of £2,tW4,184 had been effected, and the total receipts amounted to £2,373,058. The subjoined table gives in a brief form the principal purposes for which these settlements are being utilized, and the present position of each. A perusal of this table will show, from the varied purposes for which the lands are utilized, that the purchase and disposition of areas under the Land for Settlements Ah provides land for all classes of the community.

Territorial Non-territorial Revenue. Revenue. lotal Revenue I District. Territorial Revenue. N 'fon-territoria Revenue. 11 T, otal Revem I Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington . . Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury .. Otago ■Southland .. £ 68,833 31,465 16,793 29,840 9,586 11.236 5,680 23,554 31,726 19.090 £ 101,748 85,150 29.438 80,997 25,815 28,916 17,207 149.017 89,393 37,574 I £ 170,581 116,615 46.231 110,837 35.401 40.152 22,887 172.571 121,119 56,664 I Totals 247,803 i 645,255 893,058