THE LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT ACT.

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2159, 11 July 1895, Page 15

THE LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT ACT.

(Fbom Otjb Own Cobbesfondbkt.) Wellington, July 9.

The following is from the report of the Surveyor-general upon the transactions for the year, under the Lands for Settlement Act, laid upon the table of the House this evening : — Daring the year under consideration the act was very much extended in its operations, the principal changes being : First, to give power to deal with land* acquired in the same area as under the "Land Act 1892"; second, to empower the t»k T ng oompulsorily of estates in cases where no agreement can be come to between the owners and the Governor; third, to increase' the amount that can be spent in any one year from £50,000 to £250,000; fourth, to raduce the number of the board for each land district to three members instead of four. There are other alterations also, but the above arc the principal ones. During the later pottion of the period under review the boards have had also the valuable assistance of Mr James M'Kerrow as inspector, whose report* on the lands offered and advice given to the board have been of great service. A large number of offers o? land were received during the 7 car; in fact double tho number received the previous year, the figures being — 1894, 102 offers ; 1895, 208 offers. The area offering was 1,075,239 acres. The land covered by these offers varied in quality very much indeed, some being good, and situated in localities where Unds are wanted, but in a large number of other cases the properties were net suitable for the purposes of the act, either in quality, position, or price. The following are the particulars as to estates purchased up to the 31<!t March 1895 :— To 3lf>t March 1894— five estates, of the area of 9113 acres and 14 perches, cost (including roading and expenses to date) £39,966 6s 7d ; to 31st March 1895-thi-ee estates, of the area of 5991 acres 1 rood 1 perch, cosb (including roading and expenses to date) £25,290 15a 9d;— total, £65,257 2s 4d. At that date arrangements had been made to purchase five other estates aggregating an area of 28,819 acres, at a price of £102,515 without cost of loading, surveys, &c. ; but, as the surveys, deeds, &c, were not completed by the 31st March, particulars will only appear in next year's reports. These estates are : Maerewhenua (in Northern Otago), part of the Merrivale estate (in Southland), a section near Opawa (Christchui-ch), a small section near Kurow (on the Waitaki), and a block on the Hurunui (Northern Canterbury). All of these have beeu taken in hand for survey and roading where necessary, to be ready by the date of the lands coming into possession of the Government. In addition to the above the board recommended the acquisition of 4237 acres, being part of the Ardgowan estate (near Oamarn), but as the owners declined the price offered them it has been decided to take the land under the compulsory causes of the act. Proceedings in connection therewith are now in hand. The following offers made by j. the Government have been accepted since the 31st March, but purchases are not yet completed :— Opouriao eftato, 7604 acres, near Whakatane, Auckland ; a section of 21£ acres near Temuk* ; another, section of 27£ acres near Fendalton ; 20 acres near Waikari, North Canterbury; and 105£ acres near Seadown, South Canterbury ; — or a total of 7778 acres, the approximate purchase money of which will

be £27,789. Out of the 18 estates recon* mended by the board for purchase, the offers made to the vendors in'll cases were declined, generally on the ground that the price offered was insufficient. The Ardgowan estate \» included in this numbsr. A considerable amount of settlement has taken place on the lands which have been opened for settlement, as will be sten from the tables attached ; but in two oase3— those of Pomahaka and Blind River — all the lands have not yet been selected. Of tho six estates purchased and which have been offered for selection, 6929 acres and 14- perches have been taken up by 96 selectors, of whom 61 are resident. In several cases the timo within whioh residence is compulsory has not yet expired, and in those cases where such time has expired notice has been given to tha selectors to comply with the residence coadition at once. Improvements have been effected by the selectors on theae lands to a value of £4981 10s. With reference to thfl balance not yet selected, after deducting the area absorbed by road* and reserves, it leaves 1920 acres and 31 perches not yet selected fn Pomahaka, and 2628 acres not yet selected in the Blind River estate (six sections, containing 750 acres, have been selected in addition since 316t March). The annual rentals placed upon these unsekcted lands are :—Pomahaka, £300 4s "2d; Blind River, £447 11s sd. (reduced since 31st March by the additional selection above to £277 6« 7d)^, There are 487 acres of ord'nary Crown lands not purchased with the Blind River estate, but which is included in the subdivision a* naturally belonging to it, but it has been excluded in the abave figares. The reasons why portioni of these two •■ eilatej have not been selected up to this time are principally due to the fact that there has been a continual fall in prices since they were flwt — purchased. In the case of Pomahaka the estate has Miflerf d from attempts made to publicly depreciate its character. With respect to the Blind River estate the commissioner of Grown lands says :—'• Owing to thß small area of Grown lands which was open and suitable for settlement in this district it, was confidently expected that this block would have gone off much more readily than it has. I think the reasons why it has not done so are the extremely low prices ruling for stock and agricultural produce and the Awatere river being still unbridged." On the whole of the interest at 4£ per cent. i 3 derived from the rentals of lands let. This statement, however, is based on the assumption that none of the selectidns are in arrear, which is not the case. Some of the seleotors, like those on ordinary Crown settlements on Crown lands, are in arrear. The firsb few yeara of settlement in any case are the most trying to settlers, for the expenses of building, fencing, stock, seed, and others incidental to ths first occupation of country, come all at once, and before any or little return is received from the land. The fall in the price of stock and produce during the year under consideration is another factor which cannot be ignored in connection herewith, so that it is not surprising if some of the settlers are in arrear during the early years of settlement. The total amount settlers were behindhand in their - payments on the 31st of March was £320 2s sd, owing by 28 settlers. These figures are reduced to 14 selectors owing £216 9j 4d at the presents date.