Taranaki Herald. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7,1908. LANDS AND SURVEYS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13745, 7 September 1908, Page 4

Taranaki Herald. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7,1908. LANDS AND SURVEYS.

The report of the Commissionet of Crown Lands for Taranaki for »the year ended March 31st, 1908, while in the main satisfactory, is not so in one or two important respects. Mr Simpson remarks that 'Jt^ie volume of business transacted is not nearly so much as last year, the sales for cash having fallen off, and the selections under the leasehold tenures being only about half the number. Had the land been available, no doubt the results would have been very much larger, but towards the end of 1907 every available section was taken up, and there were no new lands ready to offer." At a time when so much attention was being 1 attracted to Taranaki, when would-be settlers were eagerly looking for land in this favoured district, it was unfortunate that the Ciofwn was unable to meet the demands made upon it.' At the end of March, 1907, there was an area of 54,590 acres of land available for selection, arid all that was added to that area during the year was 11,033 acres, making a total of 65,623 acres available. Out of this insufficient area no less than 13,099 acres were withdrawn for re-offering under the new Land Acts of 1907, so that the actual land available was only 52,524 acres, and the whole of this, with the exception of 3800 acres, was tnken up or applied for during the year. The small residue left, it may be assumed, was either

very broken or very inaccessible ly nd, or there was some' other reason for its non-selection, for it, like the bulk of the land offeied, comprised forfeited sections. The only land offered during tlie year for the first time was seven allotments in the Ohura and Heao Survey Districts, comprising 1 1859 acres, all of which were keenly competed for. Most of the land was offered under optional conditions — occupation with right of purchase or lease in peirIpetuity, and it is a striking' testimony to tlie soundness of the argument that the freehold is th|e best tenure to promote settlement, that 45 selectors took up 42,150 acres on the o.r.p. tenure, whil£ only one selector, taking 756 acres, chose tlie l.i.p. tenure, although tlie annual rentals under the latter are twenty per cent, lower than under the former. As affording evidence of the soundness and prosperity of the district it is instructive to note that tho inspection of tenants' holdings discloses improvements far in excess of requirements. In the cas<s of 736 holdings, of a total arei of 261,429 acres, tlie improve nients required by the Act wer< valued at £70,611, while the improvements actually made wen valued at £171,734, and where non-fulfilment of conditions occurred it was generally traceable! to the scarcity and high cost oi! labour. The arrears of rent were! small, only £323 being outstanding, a fact which speaks well for! the activity of the office in col-j lecting and also for the general) soundness of the tenants. MrJ Simpson remarks upon the fact' that some of the selectors havo' not been possessed of . sufficient capital to work their holdings, and that there has been too much land taken up by people who have no jdea of what the conditions in the back country are, consequently when they get on the ground their expectations are n6t immediately realised, and they allow the land to revert to the Crown.' We are inclined to blank the Crown more than the selectors' for this. There are many Mark Tapleys among the settlers of the back country, who have adopted the pioneer's life with a cheerful spirit, under-rating the difficulties and believing, when taking up the land, that ihe conditions were «no 'worse 'than' they were represented. They have seen a road marked on the nlap, and believed that it would serve them for access, but in many cases the Crown has failed to carry out its duties in this matter, and the settler has found that the road was but a track, negotiable oi>ly in summer, and that year has followed year without access being improved. Under such conditions it is frequently not to !>'* wondered at that the man's little capital was insufficient to meet the added cost of improving his property and living until his land began to yield a return, or that he underestimated the difficulties'. The remedy is in the. iHwls of the Crown, by roading; the land before settlement. . During the current year there will not be a gieat area of new land available for settlement in the district, and advantage ought to be taken of this fact to push on with the" proper roading of the already settled areas. j