LAND FOR SETTLEMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12602, 4 March 1903, Page 5

LAND FOR SETTLEMENT.

(Fnojt Ode Own Coheespondext.) / WELLINGTON, March 3. The Lands Department has been very aotive during tho pa6t two months, and since 31st December last hn area of 2,168,555 acres has been open for selection in various part 3 of tho colony under various tenures. The chief tenuro with the small settler is what is known as the optional system (cash occupation with right of purchase or leaso in perpetuity), under which an area_ of. 21:2,225 acrcs has been opened for selection. Tho department is pursuing the policy of restricting the tenure to lease in perpetuity wherever possible, and has offered 31,546 acres under that tenure alone. Small grazing runs furnish an appreciable part of the total area—namoly, 106,934 acres, —and very largo areas have been offered ,on lease, including pastoral runs in Lake, Southland, and Wallace Counties (seven and 14 years' lease), 93,280 acrra; vast-oral runs in.Otago district (10 to 14 years'lrase), 120,456 acres; pastoral runs in Canterbury (10, 13, and 14 years' lease), 623,240 acres; pastoral runs in Westlaml County (10 years' lease), 539,640 acres; pastoral runs in Marlborough land district (21 years' lease), 192,144 acres; in Rotorua, East and West Taupo. and Clifton Counties' (21 years' lease), 144,213 acres. The total areas opened in the various land districts during the two months are:—Auckland, 457.766 acres; Hawkc's Bay, 39,965 Rere.?; Wellington, 1858 acres; Marlborough, 211.812 acres; Nelson, 11,517 acres; Westland, 539,640 acres; Canterbury, 650,556 acres: Otago, 143.452 acres; Southland, 112,187 acres. The arra opened in lnnd district included 15,581 acrcs,in Kawhia North and South and Maungamanccro on lease in perpetuity only. Only 62 aerc-s out of the total opened for selection were offered for'cash only.