NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 247, 20 October 1886, Page 1

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Some interesting statistics regarding land settlement have been furnished by the Minister of Lands. It happens that during the past six months the number of persons who were placed in possession of Crown landa was double that of any corresponding period in the annals of the colony. Between the Ist of April and 30th Sept. last, 1,148 eettlers were located en 96,250 acres, divided as follows : Deferred payment, 249 settlers on 20,829 acres ; ordinary perpetual lease, 100 settlers on 20,000 acres ; email areas, 23 settlers on 9,786 acres; ordinary village settlements, 88 settlers on 571 acres; village homestead, 324 settlers on 8,719 acres ; ordinary homestead, 16 settlers on 2,350 acres; Special Settlement Association, 348 Hottlers, on 37,802 acres, allotted in six settlements. The Minister of L&ads will not pay a visit to Auckland until the end of the year.

The Government have received information from the Burveyor whom they despatched to .Big Bay a few days ago to the effect that he has made a start to complete the laying-off of the track from Jackson Bay to Big Bay, for the construction of which a sum of £2,000 has been voted. The track is to be made by contract. The surveyor has received instructions to give facilities to tho^e prospectors who wi.-h to work at load work occasionally, and it is his intention to lot as many small contracts us 1 possible.

An announcement waa mado recently that the Oceanic Company had intimated to the contracting colonies that a considerable train in time could be made if the mail steamers wore to leave the colonies a day earlier, in order to catch the regular Saturday steamer of tho Cunard Hue, for the conveyance of the mails across tho Atlanti*. Sir Julius Vogel hag now intimated the intention of his Government to fall in with this arrangement if it meets with the approval of the commercial community aud our partner in the contract. Ho has forwarded the following telegram to the Chamber of Commerce, which will be considered at a meeting to-morrow :

"'Fiisco Eervice.—To ensure our mails reaching New York in timo for the Saturday fast boat for Qaeenstown, I purpose asking the Postmaster-General Now South Wales to agree to the steamers leaving a day earlier from Sydney, oo Wednesday, and from Auckland on Monday. Mails would reach London three or four days sooner than at present. Kindly favour mo with your views on proposed change. (Signed)

"Julius Vooel."

Leaving hero on Monday.^the steamer can make certain of catching the Sunday 2.15 train from San Francisco, which will ensure the delivery of the mails in time for the Cunard steamer on Saturday. Reckoning twenty dafs from Auckland to San Francisco, six days across the American continent, and eight daya from hew York to -Liverpool, we get a delivery of 34 daya. We believe that thia time can be relied upon, and it will Kroatly add to the efficiency of thia magnificent eervice.