LAND SETTLEMENT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11841, 3 May 1909, Page 2

LAND SETTLEMENT.

STILL PROGRESSING VIGOROUSLY.

THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENTS

NATIVE LANDS TAKEN UP,

(Per Press Association.)

INVERCARGILL, last night. Sir Joseph Ward stated m the course of last night's speech :

In land settlement during the year J there had been a very satisfactory increase. A total of 242 settlers took up 1,381,132 acres. " The total number of selectors of Crown land at March' 3is.t, 1909, was 25,315, and the total area held by these selectors was 18,263,924. Workers' transactions showed a net gain of 2402 selectors for the year, the area selected >by them being no less than 1,391,132 acres. The revenue' for the year was £696,126. or some £32,000 over the total estirhate. Receipts from nation«il endowments ;of £73,647 had been more tiian realised, as the total receipts, were £76,597. . y \ This was all the mpre'^gratifying .%■** for some, time it. appeared that the receipts from national endowments would fall off owing to/the difficulty of getting the land into the market.

The public was prone to gauge the department's work by the area of Native land feet, apart, and actually rendered available for settlement. He had therefore liad prepared a return showing the areas dealt with since the passing of the Act of 1900, for the purpose of comparison. The return snowed the work done during the twelve months ended March 31st last, ■' and- also the total to date. Summarised it Was thai since October, 31st, 1900, an area of 1,699,047 acres bad been rendered available . by sale or lease or mortgage, either through' the agency of the Boards or by the direct agency of the holders themselves. He was obtaining information m regard to a further area of some 200,000 acres, which was also proposed to be deal^t with arid vested m tlie Boards for settlement purposes. It was intended toask Parliament for. further fundsto enable the work of survey to be carried- out vigorously. „ ,••-. X."V/- r ; V