REPORT OF THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL OF LAND FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH JUNE, 1874.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1874 Session I, H-15

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1874. NEW ZEALAND.

REPORT OF THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL OF LAND FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH JUNE, 1874.

Presented to both Souses of the General Assembly by command of Sis ZExcellency.

The Registeab-G-eneeal of Laxd to the Hon. the Ministee op Justice. Sib, — Office, Registrar-General of Land, Christchurch, 13th July, 1874. I have the honor to lay before you the result of the working of the Land Transfer Act for the year ended the 30th June, 1874. The revenue for the year, exclusive of Assurance Fund, has been rather over £9,500; the expenditure about £8,100; so that the department is more than self-supporting. The total revenue for the past year is 33 per cent, in excess of the revenue for the year preceding, while the expenditure has been slightly diminished. I estimate the receipts for the year ending the 30th June, 1875, at £10,500; the expenditure at £8,825. The rapid extension of business will explain and justify the increase of expenditure. I would again respectfully call your attention to the unsatisfactory state of the surveys in many parts of the colony. The first practical step in dealing with this matter would appear to me to be the appointment of one or more highly-qualified and independent professional men to inspect and report on the condition of existing surveys, and the mode in which surveys are conducted throughout the colony. The Government would thus be placed in full possession of the facts, and have detailed information to guide their future action. The want of some responsible officer, to whom questions of survey can be referred, is much felt by the Land Transfer Department. I have occasionally questions of the kind referred to me, which I am obliged to determine with such aid as I may be able to procure. I have also to decide upon the qualifications of persons who apply to be licensed as surveyors under the Land Transfer Act. These are responsibilities which, in the Australian Colonies, devolve upon the Surveyor-G-eneral of the Colony, and which certainly should not be imposed on any non-professional man. The question of the appointment of some such officer, who would also inspect the local Survey Offices, graduallv organize some uniformity of system, and perhaps ultimately carry out the major triangulation of the colony, seems worthy of serious consideration. I append returns —(A) of the business transacted under the Act during the past year ; (B) of the fees received during the same period ; and (C) of the amounts secured by mortgage under the Land Transfer Act during the past year, and remaining secured on the 30th June last. Deeds Registry. The estimated revenue for this department for the past year was £13,500. The actual receipts were £15,103, against an expenditure of about £8,700. I estimate the revenue for the ensuing year at £14,000; the expenditure at £8,490. I have, &c, Joshua Strange "Williams, The Hon. the Minister of Justice, "Wellington. Registrar-General of Land.

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A.—STATEMENT of BUSINESS TRANSACTED under the LAND TRANSFER ACTS for the YEAR ending 30th JUNE, 1874.

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APPLICATIONS. TRANSFERS. MORTGAGES. CROWN GRANTS. >d CD b §1 o ■i: d o DISTRICT. Area. Aeea. Aeea. Amount Secured. Abba. CD 1 on CO DO 9 ■3 1 m I 2 '3d to i No. Value. No. No. No. a SB a Town and Suburban. Town and Suburban. Money. 6 7. Country. Country. Town and Suburban. Country. Town and Suburban. Country. A. E. P. A. B. F. £ s. d. A. E. P. 'A. E. P. £ s. d. A. E. P. A. E. P. £ s. d. A. E. P. A. E. P. Auckland 132 361 0 14.8 15,292 1 04 52,100 0 0 155 87 1 30.6 13,624 1 24 26,837 4 7 102 96 3 22.95 6,738 0 36 43,743 10 0 413 537 1 39 144,870 3 31 280 119 24 30 ... Otago 427 142 2 15 42,642 3 06.7 277,756 10 0 465 353 0 34.6 20,256 0 27.6 90,415 18 9 286 188 0 15.1 38,188 3 01 216,770 10 0 345 348 0 22.9 64,651 1 11 966 342 15 I1. 8 Gl ... ... Canterbury 492 59 3 28.38 25,620 3 16.55 303,757 6 10 672 162 0 26.05 48,359 2 33.25 120,806 16 0 571 72 3 13 107,259 2 33.5 443,919 16 4 130 ;i7 2 16 8,973 2 09 882 33 111 14 H Wellington 173 366 1 12 12,354 3 38 86,758 0 0 287 1,009 3 22.85 21,479 0 13 55,842 7 9 141 159 2 19 46,704 3 23 104,562 15 10 179 943 3 01 96,262 2 08 s 311 17 41 17 Nelson 128 319 2 20 9,736 3 16 47,264 0 0 42 3,944 3 26 4,902 1 10 7,519 2 0 72 4,106 0 11 3,341 0 02 19,107 10 0 21 3 0 0 ' 1,553 1 08 147 4 ... ... Southland 250 51 1 26 11,689 3 02 40,940 2 2 147 48 3 35.25 20,871 3 31 27,715 0 4 120 33 0 30 53,105 1 09 124,303 16 9 83 8 2 33.6 9,423 3 22 270 92 30 ... Hawke's Bay i | 135 50 3 35.05 9,491 3 13 54,497 5 0 91 114 1 35.26 12,269 1 32 12,163 2 0 43 25 2 32.5 36,776 0 01 77,695 0 0 183 410 3 07 11,363 2 12 197 24 13 Taranaki 19 15 1 14.5 2,797 3 27 10,203 0 0 59 3 2 08 3,177 0 10 12,226 18 G 24 0 1 30 4,010 0 38 13,531 10 0 5 4 2 07 1,335 1 37 34 21 5 Westland 85 11 2 37.5 394 1 30 7,408 14 0 115 11 2 00.5 2,733 1 16 7,208 3 3 33 6 0 37.5 601 2 28 3,324 16 0 104 28 1 13 107 15 ... ... Marlborough 59 33 0 12 2,512 2 14 12,629 0 0 41 13 2 06 3,021 0 24 7,705 15 3 18 15 3 29 2,703 2 28 5,492 9 0 52 5 2 0 1,891 0 33 84 6 3 ... Total 1873-74 1900 1,412 0 15.23 132,534 1 07.25 893,313 18 0 132,534 1 07.25 2074 5,749 2 25.10 150,694 2 20.85 370,440 8 5 141g] 4705 0 00.05 299,429 1 39.5 1,052,451 13 11 1715 2,307 3 19.5 340,325 3 11 3278 11 Gl 771 53 14 217 ... „ 1872-73 1992 1,214 0 36.85 189,755 1 294 189,755 1 294 767,299 3 9 1038 839 3 26.5 129,316 1 05 174,955 3 6 878 821 2 18.45 162,441 0 03 464,482 16 1 1667 2,783 2 16.65 374,056 0 27 2328 27 359 13 29 21 ,10, 87 „ 1871-72 1933 1,387 3 07.65 178,125 2 07.3 739,843 5 3 178,125 2 07.3 377 299 0 37.6 49,853 3 17 56,266 4 5 442 209 0 34.6 104,205 1 17.5 237,163 2 6 642 592 3 00.35 52,154 0 32 1842 14 171 10! 65 „ 1870-71 409 968 3 00.35 32,192 3 14 32,192 3 14 166,331 5 0 25 33 0 20.95 1,313 1 13 7,031 0 0 41 1 3 18 5,761 2 00 23,728 10 0 182 11 ... 4 ... I I . I I Total 6234 4,982 3 20.08 532,608 0 17.95 2,566,787 12 0 3514 6,921 3 30.15 331,178 0 15.85 608,692 16 4 2777 5,737 2 31.10 571,837 1 20 1,777,826 2 6 4024 5,684 0 36.5 766,536 0 30 7630 20 102 1312 55 so: 86 26 373

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B.—FEES received under the LAND TRANSFER ACT for the YEAR ending 30th JUNE, 1874.

C. —RETURN showing Total Amount in Money remaining secured by MORTGAGE under the LAND TRANSFER ACT, on the 30th JUNE, 1874.

i District. General Fees. Land Assurance. Totals. Auckland Otago ... Canterbury Wellington Nelson Southland Westland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Maryborough £ s. d. 741 7 4 2*450 8 4 2,869 4 0 1,032 9 0 518 17 9 696 12 1 334 8 4 487 12 0 179 11 5 258 7 0 £ s. d. 106 1 9 827 1 7 690 5 9 242 18 8 100 18 7 111 19 3 17 13 0 131 16 6 26 7 4 39 3 10 £ S. d. 847 9 1 3,277 9 11 3,559 9 9 1,275 7 8 619 16 4 808 11 4 352 1 4 619 8 6 205 18 9 297 10 10 Total 9,568 17 8 2,294 6 3 11,863 3 6

DlSTEICT. Potal Amount secured by Mortgage under the Land Transfer Act, during the year ended the 30th June, 1874. Amount of Mortgage paid off during the same period. otal Amount remaining secured by Mortgage under the Land Transfer Ac!, on the 30th June, 1874. Auckland Otago ... Canterbury "Wellington Nelson ... Southland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Westland Marlborough £ a. d. 43,743 10 0 216,770 10 0 443,919 16 4 104,562 15 10 19,107 10 0 124,303 16 9 77,695 0 0 13,531 10 0 3,324 16 0 5.492 9 0 £ s. 12,285 0 53,236 13 25,394 0 25,148 6 1,962 12 17,690 0 3,400 0 2,695 0 950 17 1,000 0 d. 0 2 0 2 9 0 0 0 0 0 £ s. 111,195 11 374,272 13 626,190 15 118,388 1 39,953 7 199,994 17 80,265 0 12,793 10 4,609 19 9,266 9 d. 1 5 5 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 Total 1,052,451 13 11 143,762 9 1 1,576,930 3 5 By Authority: Gboegb Didsbcby, Government Printer, Wellington.—1874. Vice 3d.