LAND SETTLEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 865, 11 July 1910, Page 10

LAND SETTLEMENT.

WELLINGTON DISTRICT. Tho annual report presented to Parliament for the Wellington land district states that the year just closed shows no diminution in tho demand either for Crown lands that may be in a virgin state or thoso more or loss improved that may bo acquired under the Land for Settlements Acts. Would-be settlers all seem to recognise that whatever the State offers in the way of land inspires confidence, showing that the solo object is bona-fidf! settlement and the providing of holdings for those without them. Hence tho rush for all tho Crown lands that are advertised for selection. Unfortunately the available ordinary Crown lands suitable for settlement ovory year is diminishing in quantity, and is, in this district, mainly confined to the balancr, of thu "Waimarino Block, of about 70,000 acres, over a third of which (excluding the 35,18-1 acres opened this year) it is hoped to place on tho market this coming season. There will, of course, be. other isolated areas, but unless further Native or private lancla am acquired the present supply will be exhausted in a very few years.

The total area of Crown land offered publicly during the year was Wfi'Sl acres, exclusive of 13,866 acres offered under improved-farm conditions, which, added to tho area standing open on April 1, 1909, via., 2490 acres, made a total of 69,154 acres available for selection. Of the area of 66,064 acres placed in tho market, 58,508 acres was offered for the first time. The total area, of land selected under all tenures, including the improved farms referred to in tho last paragraph, but excluding renewals of small grazing run leases, was 08,717 acres.

Tho number of new selectors under all tenures during the year was 3S)!;', being an increase of fifteen over last year's figures. After deducting lorfcitures, surrenders, titles, etc., from last year's total, the addition of this year's' figures makes n grand total of 3631 tenants on the books. ,

In conformity with the Government's directions to place married unemployed persons on tho land, preferably those whose services had been dispensed with through the Civil Service retrenchment, as well as men who had previously been working on the North Island Jiain Trunk Railway construction works, it was decided to set aside for ,this purpose an area of about 13,900 acres, lying westerly of Raurimu, Owhaiigo, Kakahi, and Piriaka, situated on the North Island Main Trunk Railway line, and subdivided into 102 sections, each 200 acres or under. Tho land was balloted for in October last; 590 persons lodged formal applications for tho. 102 lots, but as the ballot gave preference to unemployed married persons, there were very few sections available except for this cless. As then; is a considerable amount of milling timber on main of these holdings, which it is desired to conserve, the settlors coming in 4 to ihe number of seventeen families, who are in residence, wore confined to tiio open or scrub sections, and have made improvements to the value of £2(3-1. Sixteen other settlers are, however, employed on road works in tlin settlement, the improved farm settlers having the preference in regard to employment. Notwithstanding the fact that retrenched civil servants had a certain amount of preference, only some thirtylive applied, whilst some of those successful declined to take up their sections, and at tho present there are only four retrenched civil servants- on tho settlement. Of the 102 successful applicantSj twenty-nine, for various reasons, cither declined to take up or would not comply with the preliminary conditions. These vacant sections are being allotted or balloted for chiefly amongst men with families who were unsuccessful originally, and who are now resident along the railway line. A little later on, as thn sections being milled by tho Railway Department become cleared, they will be opened. Tho Commissioner has every confidence ia tho settlement being a success eventually.

The total amount expended on improvements over that actually required by law in the Wellington district was £•263,977. '

The reports of the Crown land rangers were satisfactory. There were eleven forfeitures and eight surrenders, of a total area of 3142 acres. A number of tho surrenders were made so that new leases with increased areas could bo obtained.

On March 31, 1910, tho sum of £11,625 2s. Id. was iu tho Receiver of Land Revenue's deposit account at credit of various local bodies in the Wellington laud district. An effort is being made to reduce this , amount. I'oi prompt payment of their rental, rebates amounting to £2,441 were granted to 2285 settlors on ordinary Crown lands, and on land for settlement estates an amount of £1278 was granted to 265 tenants. Compared witli last year's figures, this year's statistics show that the tenants of both ordinary Crown land and land for settlement estates aro taking fuller advantage of the. concession granted them in being up to timo with their payments.

During tlio year six village homustead sottlers applied for and obtained conversions of their, leases to renewable leases, thus securing the benefit of lower rentals; and four lessees in tho Tawaha Settlement exchanged their leases in

perpetuity for renewable, leases with similar advantage. Six settlers in village settlements and one cm ordinary Oou-n lands availed themselves of tlio right, conferred by Section 177 of the Land Act, 1903, and purchased the fee .simple of their leases in perpetuity. The area thus made freehold was 340 acres, the price paid being £763. The number of transfers completed during the year was L'GO, of an area of -13,311 acres in ordinary Crown lands; and twenty-three, of an area of 402G awes, on land for settlement estates.