CROWN LANDS.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14761, 3 September 1913, Page 7

CROWN LANDS.

■'■■■« VANISHING AREAS. CONCERN FOR THE FUTURE. (SrECIAL TO "TUE TRESS.") WELLINGTON, September 2. In the annual report of the Lands and Surrey department the Undersecretary of the Department devotes special attention to the problem of the vanishing ture&s of Crown lands available for settlement vow and in the future. The area opened for selection during the year, he &ays, aggregated under au tenures 337,503 acres, made up by the different districts as> follows.— Auckland ... 74,304 Hawke's Bay ... 40,1/7 Tarauaki ... 24,018 "Wellington. ... 9,tJi9 Nelson ... 3,341 Alarlborough ... 11,<3G Westiaiui ... 5,300 Csntorbury ... 117,038 Ot.igo ... " ... 2/.G47 Southland ... 23,!>83 Total ... 337,503 A total of 114,124 acres was opened on the optional system, 160,1)45 aei'v* on renewable lease, 43,004 acres a* small grazing runs, and ouiy 93-15 acrcv as pastoral runs. The area openethis year shows a falling off from las;, year's total, but this is accounted foi to a large extent by the withdrawal oi pastoral runs, totalling 217.743 acre*., the disposal of which is being hek over pending proposed legislation wit:, a view to improving the tenure. St. far as settlement lands are concerned this falling off occurred during tin first nine months of the year, as foi that period the area offered was 107,991 acres, whilst the figures for the las quarter aJono were 218.184 acres. This increase in the area opened during thi last three months of the year wa: mainly duo to extra assistance having been provided for the necessary survey work, and to tho carrying out oi instructions in July last that land suitable for settlement should be sur voyed and made available as early a- , possible. The future demand for lands, the re port continues, cannot bo adeouate': met from the areas at present belong ing to the State. There are now om\ some 4,5C0,0C0 acres remaining _ fo subdivision and settlement,. When however, it is realised that the first class land in this 4.500,000 acres is no' more than 100.000 acres, it will easil. be understood that little provision car be made out of this area for the srnal settler or tho settler who desires a small holding. "During past years tho lands have beon dealt with by the Dc partment," continues the report, "an we have now reached the stage who only the small quantity of gocd lan* referred to above remains. Of courf< the second and lower grade lands wi" be treated and opened in suitable held ings, according to the nature of tin oountrv, but it should be understock that the expense of providing access will be greater in proportion thahitherto, owing to the ro'ifrher charac ter of the lands. Naturally, therefore future anminl reports will give figurr showing a diminishinc; acreage of so 4 tlement lands taken from the ordinary Crown lands of the Dominion. The Crown lands selected durircsr tV year und-c"- -ill tenures t-otel'ed 9(53.95*-' ncros by 2159 selectors. Thcrprine^pn , selections were mirier the occi'patiowith right of purchase fuid rPnewsiVn Irasp tenures. As an indication of tin popularity of the former tenure. .i' Tti ; g>i+. br«'mentioned +hat out of an aw of 114 831 feres dispo?fd of in 3P 1 hoWinys under the opt^'^ l 33R hoViinas 102. 917 pet" wero taken nn tiTvVr the orpupatiowith a right to -nurchase tenure.