SETTLEMENT OF THE LAND.

Colonist, Volume XXV, Issue 2932, 13 August 1881, Page 4

SETTLEMENT OF THE LAND.

Thb report of the Crbwh Lands Department deals'witlia number of questions of. wide pud-, lie interest at the present time; A great deal, of attention Has '-lately been'; givon to the sub-, 'ject of the :s6t£lement of the waste1 lands of the Grown! theli.bsral provisions, of .the Land -Acts' having riaturatl roused a much' more -general interest m. ilia matter than was the ease before. Tt;is therefore satisfactory to know that'the efforts of the' legislature, and of the Ministerin charge of'tlie Lands Department, Have duriug'the last year been attended with 'very'satWfictbry results;'; In'addition to some 197;OQO acres'sold for cash tb 2068 persons,, there have been no le^s than 1310 persons who; have: selected arid~ occupied1 atotal of •165;364i; acres on 'the; deferred payment and '- other : settlement 'conditions. "^ This" class of. rsettlemehth^s tft^enplaWin tnbst of the land -distHots of'the Oblong hare been 75O'aore8'taken up on; agricultural le*«e by 15£person8 t :il;;O4;4'acre's on nome-i-slead selections by"69 persons, 12;942acwg on' d«feW'ed lipaynieW'Vby-''giI\perßpn'ij. In iH-awlt6'B;Bay-''3s26:a'6rei;wero'Bßleoie!diou def--ferred payments by:45 Jpersbris. In ;Taranaki 15\51P acres' were; selected' on" th_e''deferred, payments pinciple by '147 people. , ( In the; <.WeßtCdaSfrr|^prt-h^'Bland)';iaTiddißt;nafc':9o2L-acres'were selected on'the' deferred payments system'b'y l^'people." In'Wellinrton 73 deferred payment'se'lebtor's took up 9030 acres. 'In Nelsoa 129 "persons .'took up, under Various looaditiodg; about" lOiOOO^flcrfls..lii Marl-" boroughs;<> persons 'selected .^9B acres. ;In iGattteVbury- 152 \ persons 'selected.' atobngst them 1816' acres liniler the p-oVisfon of the :ipublio;!Rei«veß;Sale9' %isi ' In;' Westland 18 persons' acquired; 1690 "acres '[ under jtbe sde?erreid>na ;ih;6meyeaH'vqlausßßi; In Otago Bo lfleifß"!:thata 4l6.'W^tors; hare .taken , U p; amottgßt:;fchem 388#58'! acres, while/in South--• ♦land'alone' 210 : hare accupied 30,01 '5 "acres:1 TheW figure* 'show bowlargaly the^sHtlement clauses5 'Of the Laticl Ab't^hiiVß bden^ takenjad-; vantage,of Recently. And as' it''is' of great ' imp'ortance'to'the pfogresi of tW'Oolbay that Vhe 'Crown•'; Lands shoold- ' be' in * ptro—; Stable !l ocoupatiori, ; revenue is ;a: gdcondary 1; consideration in the;' system; it' i aVsaiisfao^ory^ to find; however,^ that,from;a JreWhiie p'oirit 'o{':vie,w,:the :iplan works well, 'anclHhat the. inßtalmeritß\of:'pric'e are well pai'd'iipi {It is true'that' .d'airirig 'laßt 'session ' ther ciise'bf Bbme";2oo'We'cto'rs ;unabletp pay caoYebefore,the'Houfe;,ttbd it was decided to. permit; them."to :Bur^ender.';: C>f the 200 only': ;isli'ftiftde:applicaUotf, an^; their,holdings were sbldi <;inoludm|°idprbvements, the value! of '■ the latter' being,; returned.to the, original occupiers';*;:! 'With'; this 'exception \'j, it woufd', appear' that the; Beleotors ; h.ayeV^een' able to: keep' up their payments '!with;'■regularity. • Birice;'tbe ByWitt:-w^B'JiritroSyc^ i ::'i,n':lß72,i 259,550 aores hare beeri made freehold'by the fiilfilmenfc of .conditions, ;|n'd thefd are 8925 ' per ions '' Who l hay c! selected in all 89i,095 acres, tha£ a"s' the ! t'4p6rt $aW. it, " under thecash system' Wb'u'ld' s'UirJhayb, remaihed- forest or ;"s'h^p walks.^;^:; r*.,; ) ';'.^,|!';.' J^..'..[,.[, \ '■'

last,:,.of"w^iioir :r£'BooCrwa9. t e^pemipd~ ?ippn I -v "wSftft mtoMmeWgnWi^s^, :jbM. £25,000 f 1 \^L:\ve}]kndi'6f fcbW■Sinking Fund Oqminii- I £ \ B^^^n^dditWto't^^fff the Boarcl IJ : £26 069 beine 2% ;-percent of -the amount to fietti&tf&ri aMou^df^aM^ready ibid. ° Vfi¥. deKif .Myfeeot-Jmtem. ilf'" i*J ianS £i»TAi'lUbl«i fer/aißppi»!4l'.in;'tb^o ,vftjitaro will Ws%im* at p^^tf tp £s^^spi s«d llie^mp/unj^ 'h»nfl? ;pf jtsjß.s inyj'ng ' tK,o^.2js;OJo6^«ees> L e»j[le Jaa ( 'ojio^fgurtiv'.';Of ''the . araonrfi* d'ui.^otn^ Sel/we^piyment, f settlers';;Wiii^Ki^artot^:,6t.j£ll^7sq^*iolu^ ;wl\ate'^*Vum, ( Way ftp ,J«yi|edi frpni . : the sale "t>rthfl mOT«\''r^g^d^uA^ian«lß. n aß, ; y l ot canf' yvaiiabie.^-.ThU-am^untj will. g'uffioeftq 'pay ' 1 int;eiro3fc,arid :Sint^ngv ■s*!>&{ hf::fl '.peripd, of eight.',,j;eirß,.: at o thcijxgjtjd fi of w^jhitime the.'BoarS imtist haire. r;ecpurße to :i their,- rating' powers,j^Th'e amount^iohytheyy;may! lery ', upon* ■"'thej^baiii^fjjjihjjnprqße/tyjiaßeefginoat "would amount to abou h £4 360,^n,d admitting < ]tho.,porr ( ejß,tn«jßs.. ;ri o£ /i jlhfl t ,a : s^mption i that the ' amount 'pi the'aßVee^metiV j'wpulS; M ,do.ubled; ;iu .e^htTye^rßj wlfe^^Key^mil'lbtl:,corapallefl :.'(b^i 'nippse this.rate, tpe'annual Revenue, from' i't'tiw epurqe;^6ul(i|b> £os2O, ;«nd thejannuiii' ':9rDking''Eundat^hiß!'goriod;W.duld;be;£2o,(^^ piuß;,intereit,a» against loan o|)£200,000.' \ After analysing, many.qf the. fiaanqial' qorisi-: derations,- the.report - ooneludeß; by, i,making' the following "recommendations :-^('i:)| I 1 h&t! ,the post of .the work, to a point,marked on- the :plan being the shotteßt 1 section ; of "thej pro-:' poged'l breakwater: whibb^jwould ,be.! afc r all : benefipialis i d. i by^Sir..tr..'.'P.6odißii to be pasaed ' 'oa'fibjepostoFsiipiiarwork^wpal^b'o£^l2,396j' ■ itietefdii'iis t)& jptal amount Tyhioh the Board ; ■IBaß!:aTaiia^ie ! fpr^ JtbV.V'W9rk,' does. not exCeed £lisfi(is there, will,,,be, a deficiency.on this pii^s pr.£97i39p, whilst ,on Sir JvCoodei! B; >Bti&aVe ! U2eideffdienpy''willbe£lsO^ (2) That as the funds at;t luj disposal of the Board would only 'sufficeJ.-.ta'. carry ,th» ■ work jto a point which would eepure.a depthofrMll or 12 feet atipring tide'sj .whichl .^onld practically be of little use for, lanSißgipr shipping, goods, except during.fine ; -,weather,;,the extension would necessitate : further ; fborrowing being authorised :by the flouse and entail a still larger burden upon;rthe : owne'B > f property within; .the: ratiDgdistrict.j (3) That the extension of the work to a further point marked pa the plan would only render the harbor available for use by vessels of the size of the steamer Hawea.; , (4j That .the evidence disproves. : the '■ iupppsition that 'the proposed wprkjwould be of speoial value to the Colony as i a harbor :of refuge, and the work -inu»t. therefore be regarded as one of looal rather than; colonial character- The Committee therefore considers the results from the proposed works would be altogether inadequate to the expenditure required ; and as bufc'a very' limited 'sum, not exceeding £5000, has been expended upon the breakwater^ apart from plant, the Committee recommend the Legislature to at once take steps to atop the further progress of the works to takeover assets and the liabilities^ and after providing for the latter, to devote the laud fund to its ordinary purposes;

was derived from alluvial mining, the balanoel p, fro'ni f4«artSiirana oitherft prnßliing.'-This'is I'ci ;ab'6a^!'the (ni«ama:''pYbportonV.W I Vea'rs!1 «ovSrsdOdimiles bfiwater face3| haye; ,!? teen bdnstracte'd' by 'the 'miners n'tf tf; cost ■of \ , nearir igSOOiOOO,'' exdlu^ivd^bf Gdrernment \ ; : water-racfea;&ovwhicb) Cost J £450^000.; Tlie ~. gold return' ffSm ijuartz and cement crushing. ; ;was 114V4780'z, anincrease'on:laßt'year.| The,. ;^ : average yield per. ton of quartz 'is- loz i2dw|, ■ 2gra ifi New Zealand a& compared'with lOd^yt ~ itf Victoria.1 • 'r'!! !> iis? r:i| '"■'''"'• "'■■" ! i-;:!v; .r? \ "^ ■A Sib E.D.- Bisiiiiiowrifcing 'from' London on ' 19th May last; afatea;that.;he'chaai dotie .Ws, ;. besto. to-» bring:.;!the.' ,-teipe'nditufen;•jitmn, -, £3,0005 a year; ,buf ;found it :absblately ; ipipos-7 ; Bible. '.:He pointed:! outvfthat-ia-4he jle|ter; suggestingxthe;, direction*!sHthe ..rfiductiofis^ ', , shoulditakoj the. Governmenfepftt; down bffly £360 for,"rent:andr.contigen-ci«a.:!,< ; ;But tlie .rent of the-Londoo officescalpne, undarjleas^f ; to, £40P, and;Lthe •contingentties' during the last nine years h/id.ayeraged;oyer ■ ;£3sQ r of, l which postager.alpne exceeded \ £100' annually. therefore, ;i be impractic-' abla. to, compresi, those; ; it»ms—-the; rent, ~ morepyer, being a sum-fixedj.by Jease—into the" amount named by the,Gpyernment; ;iHe- , ' accordinglyrequests .that; £3,500 [may, be put , on the estimates'.forthe year, and' '.'. .pfomißes.to:do'his best not,to ; spend it; all. • r ,reji!iest the Gbvernjaent acceded.;' 'f f ■■•' Ths Enghish MATri'Sißyioss.—Thal.not^ '-,'■■ ■ (sost-of the San Fro'Doiscomftil BerVice'fqr.lhe I past year was £8166, the conveyance .of ■' 443,283 Uttere, 136,443 bbokßi 'arid 1-110,349, I new»paper»to the Colony; 463;900 l letters, > 23,314 books; and 433,048 : newspipors j from I tbe'Uolony. The net cost of the Suez-Brindisi |'! service' was *;g9464y for -the conreyance 'of.I 97i484 lettata, i 37,978 booka;' 'and 255,782 1 newspapers [to the5" Colony • '57,307 - letters,, i 2,()74bd0k8,8nd;16;679 newspapers from .the r Colony; This exhibits forcibly the''enormpus ) comparative oheapneßsof ! the San :iFranoii)C!o i service. —■- -•■••■ .. j ..;■:. v. » Tstß 3?fiOPLE!s-: SaviNQS;—Since the - J. lishment of- P.ost,Office Sayings Banks in the i. Colony ia'-1867, 126,799. aocpuntß ! hav^ . been ppened,..:and;^B2,l32 ;enclosed., . The 3 total .amount, deposited ironajthi, oommencei mentof the sayings bankißystem, inclusive pf 1 the intejeat credited., to depouitqri, was y £7 539 696 5* 9d, and the total.amoupt with- " drawp;'wai £6,63>;,93b'8s ,ild. The i total 3 amount of interest.placed to the credit,of de r r . positora iince the commencement of .the; Post c Office Savings ,'Baiikr in this ;Colpuy; wai '■'. £27,8,545 4j Bdi, Diiringftlie last quarter o.f &' the year 1830 the fcelances at the .credit »'f 7 depositors were .classified according s to:their $. with the following,result u :—2o der positors had balances exceeding £500,.42 fro^n .« £400 to £500, 99 frpm ,£3oJ,to £400, 374 " from £200 to £300^1696 fr6m, £100 to £200, 8 and 3963 from£sO to £100. The remaining B depositors—upward of ,31,000— had balances 8 of under £50 at the credit of ,lbeir accounts. A «■. .. ." , . ■. • ■ !