The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 1895.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 197, 19 August 1895, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 1895.

For the causa that lacks assistance, For the -vrcong that nseds resistance, For tie fatara in tho distaneo. And tho good that wo can £0.

That a vast amount of work in pushing on the settlement of the country is being carried out through the agency of the Lands abd Surveys Department, directed by the Hon. John McKenzie, Minister of Lands, is understood in a general way by the public; but it is only when we get the year's report of the Department that we are able to assess at its full value the importance of these operations. The report for 1894-95, issued under the supervision of Mr S. Percy Smith, F.R.G.S., Surveyor-General, has now reached us, and its bulk, amounting to nearly 200 foolscap pages, with many valuable maps and tabulated statements, impresses one at once with the admirable and efficient character of the organisation which is entrusted with this important administrative department of the public service.

With regard to land settlement, the policy of the Government has now had time to develop, and it is encouraging to find that the demand tor land is only restricted by the amount of good accessible land which the Government have to offer. The Surveyor General in his report, directs special attention to this, and states : "The decrease in the number of selectors is due in a great measure to the want of accessible lands, settlement having in most distiicts extended beyond the roads— and also to the scarcity of really good lands. The recent acquisition by the Crown, however, of some good lands, and the extension of roads to these, will enable the Department to offer during the coming season some desirable blocks, which it is believed many people are waiting for." Notwithstanding this limitation, there were during the year 1,015,577 acres of land taken up by 2,547 selectors. It is also gratifying to observe that the average size of /arm allotments taken up during the year was 31 acres less than the average (or last year. Excluding town, pastoral and miscellaneous leases, the average holding taken up during the year was 16 r acres.

The great majority of the selection 5 were made under the systems of perpetual lease and lease in perpetuity, settlers evidently appreciating the value of systems tbat give them, at the low rate of 4 per cent., the capital which, under the cash system, would be locked up in the land, to work their farms with. But the system enabling Special Settlement Associations to take up blocks together, is also meeting the requirements of a number of settlers. There were ten applications of this character during the year, representing 262 members. With regard to this system the Surveyor-General reports: " The system has been the means of selecting a considerable area of country, and is so far successful where the position and character of the land admits of a living being made off small areas ; but it is to be learcd that some of the more recent selections have not been made with wisdom, and it may be found that the mean area of 200 acres is too small to allow ef profitable occupation when the rough nature of the country, the expense of road making and inaccessibility of the lands, are considered. The selection of the blocks is left to the associations themselves, and they are supposed to send out delegates to make choice of suitable land. Those selections within the association blocks which have been forfeited and re-offered have been in nearly all cases selected again."

With respect lo the improved-fafm settlements, the Surveyor-General tells us, "judging from the number of applications, the provisions of the Act, and regulations made thereunder, will be taken advantage of to an extent limited only by the land suitable, and the funds which can be applied." The eighteen Dciv settlements proclaimed under this system are as follows:—In Auckland, 4; in Taranaki, 5; in Hawke's Bay, 1 ; in Wellington, 3 ; in Otago, 3; and in Southland, 2. Total area, 21,202 acres, allotted to 193 settlers. In Auckland, three blocks, containing about 3,000 acres, have been allotted to 29 settlers, of whom 27 have actually settled. The settlers on the various blocks throughout the colony have felled 4,048 acres, and grassed 1,469 acres. The amount paid to the selectors up to the 31st of March was £5,698, and the value of improvements on the land was estimated at These lands are let on lease in perpetuity at a 4-per-cent. rental, or on an occupation with right of purchase at a 5-per-cent. rental, both being based on the value of the land, together with the cost of clearing, road ing, grassing or other expenses advanced Dy the Government, added.

The Cheviot Estate, the first undertaking by the Government in the way of acquiring private lands tor settlement, which may -be regarded as having reached a state of development that enables a fair judgment to be formed of its success or failure, shows (esults which, while disarming hostile critics, must be extremely gratifying to the Government, in view of ihe magnitude of the underiaking and the many predictions of failure which were confidently ventured by those who were opposed to ir. We learn on the authority of the Surveyor-General thai

including the cost of roading, etc., the actual cost of the portion of the estate which is still owned, by the State is For this the annual rental is about ,£14,140. He adds : " It will probably require a further sum to put the roads and bridges in fairiy good condition. If this be added to the present cost as above, the rent roll is 5 per cent, per annum." Furthermore, "at the time of writing this, there is only one tenant—a village settler—whose rent of 5s has not been paid." When it is known that in addition to settling this large block of land, 64^ miles of dray road and eight bridges were constructed to improve the property, besides improvements at Port Robinson, it must be generally admitted that the settlement of the Cheviot Estate, from every point of view, has been a very remarkable achievement.

There are many other points of interest in this valuable report, which we may notice on a subsequent occasion.