Land Settlement.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 698, 20 October 1909, Page 6

Land Settlement.

The annual report of the Lands Department shows that the output of Crown lands for the past year comprised 2,(544,080 acres. Of 394,845 acres of ordinary Crown lands opened under the renewable tenure, 30(3,113 acres were national endowment lands, while 8,300 acres were opened under renewable lease because they were within proclaimed ruining districts, and the respective wardens would not agree to their being opened under the optional system. The number of selectors who took up land during the year was 2,603, an increase of 378 on the previous year, and the area selected 916,521 acres. The selectors who paid cash numbered 350, and the total area concerned was 42,129 acres. Of this area, 7,672 acres are held under conditional purchase tenure, the condition being . that improvements must be completed within seveh years. In the area 42,129 acres is also included an area of 31,800 acres of Crown lands which was transferred to the Otekaike Estate, and was dealt with as part of that estate under lands for settlement conditions. Occupation with the right of purchase selectors numbered 382, and the area selected was 123,116 acres. Lands for settlement selectors numbered 288, and the area concerned was 95,698 acres. There are now 595 selectors holding 73,126 acres of improved farm settlements under the Lands Improvement and Native Lands Acquisition Act. These settlers have received advances amounting to £64,299, but their improvements are valued at £186,807.