DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. NATIONAL ENDOWMENTS (REPORT ON) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1925; TOGETHER WITH SCHEDULE SHOWING AGGREGATE AREA OF LAND EXCLUDED FROM THE ENDOWMENT.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1925 Session I, C-14

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1925. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. NATIONAL ENDOWMENTS (REPORT ON) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1925; TOGETHER WITH SCHEDULE SHOWING AGGREGATE AREA OF LAND EXCLUDED FROM THE ENDOWMENT.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 302 of the Land Act, 1924.

Sir, — Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, 20th June, 1925. 1 have the honour to submit herewith report upon the national endowment, showing also the aggregate areas of land excluded therefrom, and the aggregate area made freehold, &c., for the year ended 31st March, 1925. I have, &c., J. B. Thompson, The Hon. A. D. McLeod, Minister of Lands. . Under-Secretary for Lands.

REPORT. The national endowment was established by the National Endowment Act, 1907, as a permanent endowment for the purposes of education and of old-age pensions. This enactment, which is now Part VII of the Land Act, 1924, set apart an area of 7,000,000 acres in the various land districts of the Dominion as the nucleus of the endowment, and provided that until a total area of 9,000,000 acres would be reached all Crown lands then or thereafter held on renewable lease, or on small-grazing-run lease under the Land Act, 1892, or the Land Act, 1908, were to become part of the national endowment. On the 11th November, 1920, the date of the passing of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1920, it was enacted by section 11 thereof that no lands were thereafter to become part of the national endowment. The prescribed maximum area was reached during the year ended 31st March, 1920. Section 302 of the Land. Act, 1924, further provides that the Governor-General may, by Proclamation approved in Executive Council, declare that the undermentioned lands shall cease to be national endowment; prescribes the manner in which unoccupied lands so excluded from the endowment shall be dealt with; and gives the lessees or licensees of occupied lands so excluded the right of acquiring the fee-simple of their holdings — (a.) Any unoccupied national-endowment land not exceeding in the aggregate 20,000 acres ; or (&.) Any national-endowment land disposed of under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915 ; or (c.) Any national-endowment land disposed of under the Land Act, 1908, or the Land Act, 1924, and held under lease or license by any person who is competent to acquire land under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915 ; or (d.) Any national-endowment land held as a small grazing-run under a lease issued pursuant to the Land Act, 1892, or issued prior to the 10th December, 1918, under the Land Act, 1908; oi (e.) Any national-endowment land within the Hauraki Mining District held under a renewable lease issued under the regulations made under the Land Act, 1892, or the corresponding regulations made under the Land Act, 1908, or the Land Act, 1924, for the occupation of pastoral lands within the said mining district.

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Section 279 of the Land Act, 1924, further provides that where any national-endowment land is held under a pastoral license for a term of not less than fourteen years, of which not less than seven years have expired, and the Board is of opinion that the land comprised in the license is not more than sufficient for the maintenance of the lessee and his family, that likewise a Proclamation may be issued declaring that the land shall cease to be national endowment; and prescribes the manner in which the fee-simple may be acquired. Pastoral runs thus dealt with are included in the aggregate figures appended. In accordance with subsections (15) and (16) of section 302 of the Land Act, 1924, figures are appended giving the particulars prescribed for the period from the 11th November, 1920, the date of the passing of the legislation, to the 31st March, 1925. There has been a considerable increase during the year in the area removed from the national endowment to afford the lessees an opportunity of acquiring the fee-simple, as a comparison of the following figures with last year's report will show : — Schedule. (a.) Aggregate area excluded from national endowment, 82,335 acres; capital value, £60,304. (b.) Aggregate of area so excluded of which fee-simple has been acquired on the 31st March, 1925, 15,631 acres. (c.) Aggregate of area so excluded and still held under lease or license on the 31st March, 1925, 66,703 acres ; annual rent £1,905. (rf.) Aggregate of area so excluded and not disposed of by way of sale or lease, nil. (e.) Area of land purchased by the Crown out of moneys in National Endowment Trust Account, nil. The total area comprised in the national endowment on the 31st March, 1925, was approximately 8,995,000 acres. Of this an area of 6,847,755 acres was held on lease or license, subdivided into 4,497 holdings, the annual rental payable being £138,254, while 1,693,897 acres have been set aside as provisional State forest. The total revenue derived from this endowment during the past year was £146,900.

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