THE LAND FOR SETTLEMENTS ACT, 1908 (REPORT ON).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1910 Session I, C-05

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1910. NEW ZEALAND.

THE LAND FOR SETTLEMENTS ACT, 1908 (REPORT ON).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly in compliance with Section 85 of the Land' for Settlements Act, 1908.

The Land Purchase Inspector to the Eight Hon. Sir J. G. Wahd, Minister of Lands. Sir,— Wellington, 6th July, 1910. In accordance with the requirements of the Land for Settlements Act, I herewith beg to submit the seventeenth annual report of the Department, for the year ending 31st March, 1910. I took over the duties of Land Purchase Inspector and Chairman of the Board of Land Purchase Commissioners on the 11th November last. Mr. Alex. Barron, my predecessor, vacated the office on account of having reached the agelimit. Mr. Barron occupied the position lor eight years, and during that time a large number of estates were purchased, and are now successfully occupied. During the year there were 122 properties, containing 231,852 acres, offered to the Government ; of which 14, containing 48,287 acres, were purchased, but 4 have not yet been taken possession of. The actual expenditure for the year was £260,793, making a total of £5,407,792 paid since the commencement of the Act as purchase-money for estates containing 1,238,096 acres. The following table shows the position of the Land for Settlements Account for the year:—

It will be seen that the sum of £10,216 12s. Id. has been paid under section 177 of the Land Act. which gives the right to the owner of a lease in perpetuity to purchase the fee-simple; and £1,437 ss. 4d. under section 191 of the Land Act, which gives the owner of a renewable lease the right to pay 90 per cent, of the capital value. The Land Settlement Finance Act came into operation on the Ist January, and there have been a considerable number of inquiries regarding the provisions governing the formation of associations. The principle of the Act is good, but complaint is made of the conditions to be observed before the Board can consider any application for the purchase of an estate. The procedure might be much simplified without impairing the value of the measure. With fewer restrictions and wider powers, the general provisions of the Act would be largely availed of. There appears to be an unlimited demand for land; but the Board is faced with the difficult task of finding suitable areas at anything like a price that will allow of their being disposed of in reasonably sized farms at a rental that will enable the lessee to make a fair living. At no time in the history of the Dominion have the returns from the flocks and herds been as high as during the past year. If the continuance of the present returns could be depended upon, the purchase of estates would be an easy matter; but it must not be forgotten that there have been times of depression when our staple products did not return much more than half of what they are now doing, and there is no saying when the same may occur again. It therefore behoves the Board to exercise great caution in making any recommendations to purchase. The value put upon the bulk of the land offered is such as to place it practically beyond the reach of the Board. Notwithstanding the high prices, everything possible is being done to secure suitable properties. Appended are the usual tables. I have, &C, John D. Hitchie, Land Purchase Inspector, Chairman Board of Land Purchase Commissioners. The Right Hon. Sir J. G. Ward, Minister of Lands.

Dr. Cash and investments, 31st March, 1909 Proceeds of debentures Reoeipts under Laud Act, section 177 .. Receipts under Land Act, section 191 .. Receipts under Land for Settlements Act, section 69 .. Rents Interest and profits on sale of securities Credits £ s. d. Cr. 323,820 19 11 | Land purchased 109,870 7 0 Incidental expenses .. 10,210 12 1 I Interest 1,437 5 4 Sinking fund Balance, 31st March, 1910 257,084 14 8 11,479 12 10 155 4 4 £ s. d 260,793 2 0 35,431 5 10 217,104 4 1 58,778 17 7 202,497 7 2 £774,064 16 8 £774,004 10 8

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TABLE A.—Return of Lands purchased from 1st April, 1909, to 31st March, 1910.

Name of Owner. Name of Estate. Locality. Quality of Land. Price per Acre. Mode of Acquisition. Area taken Possession of during Year, and Area Amount paid. approxiName of _____ mately not Settlement. vet taken , Paid for Land, Possession Alea - &c. of. Auckland. Ferguson, S. and W.(») I I I i £ s. d. ; ..I .. Auckland.. .. | .. .. j By agreement I Acres. | X Acres. Lawn- .. | .. I 100 I Hawke's Bay. Mackersey, C. L. Duff, A. Williamson, S. Crown Tongoio .. Petane .. .. Grazing .. .. 5 14 1 By agreement .. Clydebank .. Wairoa .. .. „ .. 4 10 0 Ngatapa .. Gisborne .. .. „ .. ..750 .. .. Near Dannevirke .. Pastoral .. .. 9 0 0 Tongoio .. 8,433 48,125 Clydebank .. 9,734 43,803 ' Ngatapa 10,693 77,466 Raumati 120 ! 1,078 28,980 | 170,472 Wellington. Anderson, J.( b ) Petone Borough ( c ) .. Carrington .. I Near Carterton .. .. By agreement I Petone .... Carrington .. .. 59 Wilford .. 311 370 Canterbury. Westenra Bros. Boag, P. D. Sloane, A. Tripp Bros. McCully, W. Rnlleston, E. M. Palmer, G. J. P. Amyes, J. O. White, H.(<i) Camla .. Bankside .. .. Agricultural and pastoral 5 0 0 By agreement ..' Ladbrook .. Ladbrook.. .. Agricultural .. 41 10 0 Near Belfast .. . .. 43 0 0 I 11 0 0 | .. Orari Gorge Geraldine .. Agricultural and pastoral - 4 5 0 I | 3 0 0 J .. Clandeboye .. Temuka .. .. Dairying .. 25 0 0 ... .. .. .. 20 0 0 .. Ruapuna .. Near Ashburton .. Agricultural and pastoral 9 0 0 Sockburn .. Agricultural .. 48 0 0 .. Chishan .. Little River Fyvie 1,585 7,925 Ladbrook .. 271 11,262 Buddo .. 70 3,023 | 3,050 i Tripp 2,402 52,412 ( 2,526 , \ Clandeboye .. .. .. 574 No. 2 .. .. 409 Ruapuna .. .. 1,424 Hornby .. 75 Morice .. .. 51 9,904 74,673 5,482 Otago. Laidlaw and Crawford .. | Matakanui .. Central Otago .. | Agricultural and pastoral 3 0 0 By agreement Matakanui .. 1.177 3,531 i Southland. Thomas's trustees .. Ermedale .. i Fairfax .. . Agricultural and pastoral 4 5 0 l By agreement ! I Ermedale .. 2,744 11,647 42,805 260,793 5,482 •) For lam ») For land taken for road widening. id taken to or road widening. (b) For land taken for road. (o) For laud for drainage purposes. ( d ) (*>) For land taken for road. (c) For laud for drainage purposes. I Interest on purchase-money.

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TABLE B.—Summary of all Lands offered to the Government under the Land for Settlements Act, 1908, from 1st April, 1909, to 31st March, 1910.

TABLE C. —Estates acquired since 31st March, 1910.

TABLE D.—Summary of Estates acquired up to 31st March, 1910.

TABLE E. —Position of the Land for Settlements Account at the 31st March, 1910.

Dr. & Proceeds of loans current ... 5,877,91:2 Rents, &c, received ... ... 1,991,005 £7,868,917

Cr. £ Purchase-money ... ... 5,407,792 Incidental expenses ... . . 471,126 Expenses Land for Settlements ... 3,003 „ Workers' Dwellings ... 4,295 Charges and expenses, issue and renewal of debentures... ... 9,688 Interest ... ... ... 1,549,144 Sinking fund ... ... ... 221,372 Balance ... ... ... 202,497 £7,868,917

Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given ; printing (1,650 copies), £ 4 18s. m

By Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9lo. Price 3d.]

Land District. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Marlborough Nelson ... Westland Canterbury Otago ... Southland Number. ... 7 ... 8 ... 2 . 9 ... 1 '.'.'. 81 ... 11 ... 3 Area of Estates ofl Aores. 13,084 14,545 4,916 28,531 6,764 87,548 29,286 47,178 ffered d. Totals ... 122 231,852

Name. Corrigan, M. J. Locality. ... Makikihi Area. Area. Acres. 591 Price per Acre. P, 'r rice per £ s. 10 17 r Acre. Possession. d. ' 6 July 1, 1910. Possession.

Land District. Number. Area. Purchase-money. Incidental Expenses, Improvements, Roads, c&O. Auckland .. Hawke's Bay Taranaki .. Wellington Marlborough Nelson Westland .. Canterbury Otago Southland 27 26 4 26 9 2 2 64 30 7 Acres. 277,111 193,415 4,609 60,824 114,979 24,347 5,125 297.082 203,686 56,918 £ 449,153 1,205,631 79,363 473.999 354,463 29,975 8,343 1,626.037 967,458 213,370 £ 84,835 80,754 6,091 63,112 45,851 2,748 2,913 78,593 86,712 19,517 Totals 197 1,238,096 5,407,792 471.126