LAND SETTLEMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2006, 4 August 1892, Page 19

LAND SETTLEMENT.

THE DEPARTMENTAL REPORT. The annual report of Mr Percy Smith, secretary for Crown lauds and surveyor-general, contuius a large amount of information as to the piogress of settlement aud surveys. The number of selectors, and the areas selected, classified under the four principal systems of tenure were :— Cash, 581 selectors, 40,930 acres; deferred payment, 24<3 selectors, 40.619 acres ; perpetual lease, 1036 selectors, 287,661- acres; pastoral, 206 selectors, 1,004,416 acres. The perpetual lease has gradually and steadily become the favourite- tenure to tho exclusion of the once, popular deferred payment. • The average area of holdings, taking only the rural l.imU, is 274 acres. ; that for the previous year being 263 ucres, and for 1118 1 0 128 acres. Tho increase in the area of selection is likely to continue, as the land which remains to bo dealt with, except in a few instances, is rather more suited for pastoral th.-in agricultural pursuits. Excluding pastoral tenants, but including small grazing run lessees, tho number of selectors and purchasers is 72 more than for the previous year, but in addition 455 individuals had formed special settlement associations, and 15 blocks, containing 99,254 acres hf«« been proclaimed up to March 31. Other 1286 persons have applied under the special settlement conditions for an average area of 180 acres each, but these do not appear in this year's returns. The average price of rural lands disposed of during the past year is, for cash a trifle over LI per aero ; deferred payment lands, about 15s ; perpetual lease, about 15s 9d. The area of land open for selection on March 31, much of which, however, is of inferior quality, part surveyed and part unsnrveyed, was 1,037,413 acres. The actual area opened during tho year for close settlement was 507, 898 acres, the area actually selected being 370,256 acres Tho land revenue for the past year is L 1 21,086 16s 8d ; territorial revenue, L 200.383 4s 5d ; revenue from endowments, L 25.666 0s 6d. , There are at present about 10,122 selectors on the books of the department whose conditions of tenure demand more or less compulsory improvement of their laud. Generally speaking the conditions of improvement are fairly carried out, aud in some cases a much greater amount of work than is required by law has been done. The forfeitures, together with surrenders under the perpetual lease system, amount to 232 cases, covering au area of 42,383 acres, to which has to be added eight small grazing runs of an area of 20,170 acres, A few cases of forfeiture appear to have been intentional. The number of transfers approved of by the boards during the year was about 425. The present year will see the termination of the leases of a considerable number of pastoral runs in the southern part of the^colony. All the country falling in then has been classified by the commissioners under section 9 of the Amendment Act of 1888, and as a result thereof 277,269 acres have been withheld for settlement purposes, though the bulk of the above area does not tall in till February 28, 1893. Preparations have been in progress for some time past to throw these lands open under the various systems as soon as the surveys ate completed. This will be early in January next. Besidus this area of of 277,269 acres withheld for settlement, 34 runs in Otago and Oautei bury, containing an area of 145,002 acies, have been resumed under the powers given in the Land Act, and will be available for closer settlement early next 3 r ear. The c were disposed of during the year 126 runs, covering 854,952 acre*. All were let for varying terms ot years. The bulk of these runs lay in Ota go and Southland, and as far as can be ascertained the results show, for Otago. a loss on previous rents ; in Southland, a considerable advance. Eighty small grazing tuns, covering an area of 159,464 acres, were disposed ot during the year for a rental of L 7114, and it is probable that a large area will be submitted under this system of tenure during the ensuing year. Much of the resumed country apparently will be well suited for "this class of holding, which gives fixity of tenure for 21 years certain. Obviously, fixity of tenure for consideiable periods is what is much wanted in order to pie ent the deterioration of pastoral landi by overstocitiug, and also encouraging improvements. The amount in arreirs by 2612 selectors on March 31 w.is 1,25,256, as against L 37.341 by 3548 selectors in 1891. It is stated that were t le returns made, up one inun'h 1 iter the. result would be more favourable, as m.my selectors aie only technically in arreais Undvr the Si 1. ctors' Lauds Kuvaluition Act the totd loss on deterred piym<-tit l.iuds was L 165.529 13s B<l while the lo;>-> on the c ipital value of perpi t i il lease lands w.is L 40.400, or a total of L2OJ 0-0 IN. Coming to Otago, w« find from Mr J. P. Maitlaiid's repot b Miat during (he year 436 purchasers or selectois took up 665.346 acres, with a total revenue of LB6 958 11s 6d, whic'- -hows an increubu on the previous year. The. ineie.ist; in perpetual lease was 92 so'.ectois, of small glazing runs 32 S'-itetois Under tho village lioin-'.stead special settlement .system 36 holding-., embracing 783 acies 23 perohes, ■,-.•< r« taken up. The c.jinmisMonor iffc* that th-'iu is an incroised demand for Mil, ill glazing runs, and points out that the averag.- rental pi-r acre of 1 mil t'iken up d iriu^ the ye:ir was 1-. O4 1, while for perp» tv tl 1- a-e Imd the average rental per acre is only HJd Tin* receipt-- from pastor.t 1 runs readied L 53.218 Cs 4<l. The avenge rental of laud taken njj during tlieyear as runs was 3|jl pi r acre. Dm ing tin; year the transfeis neiis: — JVrp"lu.l lease 40, deferred payment 12, village hom<-st'jad special settlements 6, small grazing runs 10, pastoral and miscellaneous 43. The Southland Commissioner, in his report, states th it there was .in increase of 49 purchasers under the cash system. Sixty-nine selectors took up 20,140 acres under the perpetual lease system. The average rent was 8 - 5 d per acre. On the 31st March 466 selectors, representing 58.880 acres, were in arrears to the extent of L2lOB 6s lOd. This shows an increase of nearly L6OO oa the preceding year.. In view of the clearances made by the Minister out of the Invercargill office at the time of the Spence affair, it is significant to find the new commia-

sioner adding that " the only remedy for this statu of things is to hnvo more clerical assistance at the Land Office, so that those in arrear may be promptly requested to p.iy up." It has only taken one short twelvemonth to prove that Mr Spenco was right in protesting against the reduction of the staff, as in concluding his report Mr Williams says :— "Oflioo work "The arrears Crown grauts, leases, and other instruments of title are assuming largo dimensions, and this supplies another reason why the staff should bo increased." Mr March, the superintendent of village settlements, reports that there are 107 village homestead special settle! s in Otago, holding an area of 1706 acres, or an average of nearly 16 acres each. The amount advanced for houses, bush felling, &c. was L 1383. Payments to tho amount of L 484 have beon made for rent and interest, and the arrears amount to L 44. The settlers generally are said to W doing well. In Southland 65 settlers hold 676 acres, ami L 107- was advanced, rout and interest to the amount of L6O-1 has been paid, and the arrears were L 49.