LANDS DEPARTMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 November 1933, Page 11

LANDS DEPARTMENT

AID TO SETTLERS. [special to “stab.”] WELLINGTON, November 7. Receipts from rentals and other payments have been fairly well maintained during the year, states the Under Secretary for Lands, in the Department’s annual report. The first consideration has been he adds, to keep the tenant' on the farm and maintain his property as well as can be reasonably expected, while at the same time requiring him carefully to budget his expenditure and to contribute to the State, a fair share of the revenue produced from his farm.

A great drop in land revenue is revealed in the report. The gross receipts in 1929 were £1,290,856, but last year they were £742,820. The arrears of rent now amount to £1,010,979, but during the year, re-' bates for prompt payment -were granted to 14,018 Crown tenants. Excellent progress has been made in the development of various blocks of Crown land, although only one new scheme was commenced during the year. There are twelve development schemes in operation, nine being in the Auckland Land District, and one. each in Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, and Nelson districts. The total expenditure to March last was £200,963, exclusive of funds spent on surveys, reading etc. Developed allottments disposed of, 42 in number, will produce an annual rent or interest of £2,058.

The Department has also assisted 405 settlers to purchase stock and make improvements, the amounts actually advanced being £112,369. Land selections under all tenures during the year aggregated 1354, of 280,518 acres, the actual new areas taken up, totalling 46,710 acres.