LANDS OF THE COLONY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13959, 19 July 1907, Page 8

LANDS OF THE COLONY.

STATISTICS CONCERNING FREEHOLDERS. (Fnou Our Own- Correspondent.) . WELLINGTON, July 18. Some interesting statistics relating to t,lio value of tho area of tho freehold land in t.lic eoiony wore laid on tbo table by tho Minister of Lands to-day. The return shoivs that last year tlvero were 126,009 freehold owners with land of ii. .total unimproved value of £100,232.247; in 1902 there were 115,713 owners (£70,524,604); and in 1892 there were 91,501 omiors (£54,4#,175), Tlio latest,, return (that for last year) shows 370 owners possessing land of aii unimproved value of between £20,000 ami £50,000. and 85 owners whose holdings range, in Value from £50,000 to £100,000; 22 owners ranging from £100,000 to £200,000; whilst there are four owners whoso holdings are valued at £200,000 or over, tho total value of these four estates being £1,026,029. • Another tabic dealing with country lands only—l,hat is, those exclusive of land in boroughs and townships—shows that the most numerous class of freeholders in the colony arc those possessing between 100 and 200 acres each. . They number 8740, their total 'area, -being 1,216,619 acres, of a. total unimproved value of £6,763,126. There are 81 owners possessing between 10;000 and 15,000 acres, 48 holding from 15,000 to 20,000 acres, 40 with from 20,000 to 30,000 acres, 14 with from 30,000 to 40,000 acres, eight with from 40,000 to 50,000 acres, eight withJrom 50,000 to .75,000 acrcs, and four with from 75,000 to'loo,ooo acres.' Above this area, thero is one owner whose area, amounts to 223,243 acres, ot an unimproved value of £240,642," and a. ■ capital value of '£331,985. Tho above figures all relate to lands which aro tho freehold of companies and European individuals, land owned by the Grown, Natives, ehurchea, educational and 1 local bodies,' and eooieties not being included.

Tho return also includes the following table of the .total capital and unimproved values of all lands (of all descriptions) in tho colony for various years since 1878:— Total r Total Capital Unimproved Yc&i'. V&luc. Value. 1878 £ 99,566,679 ... £ 62,573,868 1882 101,000,000 ... Xcr given. 1685 113,270,649 ... Not given." 1888 111,137,714 ... £ 75,497.379 1891 122,225,029 ... 75,787,895 1897 138,591,347 ... 84,401,244 1902 ... 154,816,132 ... 't 94,847,727 1906 ... ... 218,422,552 ... 137,168,548