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

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1925 Session I, C-05

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1925. NEW ZEALAND.

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

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

The Land Purchase Controller to the Hon. the Minister of Lands. Sir, — Wellington, August, 1925. I have the honour to submit the report of the Department for the year ended the 31st March. 1925. For various reasons very few purchases have been made during the year. A number of properties in different parts of the Dominion were placed under offer to the Government, but in most cases were declined after careful consideration by the Dominion Board. Generally speaking, the prices asked by vendors, when consideration was given to the necessity for providing for a fair return on the capital expenditure, were much too high to ensure successful settlement ; while in a number of instances the properties were totally unsuited for the Department's purposes. As stated in my last report, although the ruling prices for practically all primary products justify a certain amount of optimism, it is still necessary when valuing for purchasing and subdivisional purposes to base calculations on more or less conservative standards. Consideration must also be given to the fact that the renewable-lease tenure under which land-for-settlements land is disposed of, returns to the Department a net percentage of only 4: per cent., whereas the cost of money overseas is probably not less than 5J per cent. Teviot. The balance of this property was opened in February last for selection by soldiers, and was all taken up by promising men. The sheep were handed over to the successful applicants at valuation, and the few horses and cattle and dead stock were sold later by public auction. It cannot be too strongly impressed upon the settlers the great importance to themselves of dealing with rabbits in an energetic and determined manner. The only satisfactory way of coping with this pest is by simultaneous action ; as individual effort is of little avail. The block known as " Pannett " is now practically free of rabbits, and has been so for many years. The employment of one man has been sufficient to pick up any stray rabbits, and look after the netting fences. The Roberts Block (homestead) has not been so energetically attended to, and the rabbits are numerous ; but it is fairly well subdivided by netting fences, and the pest should not be difficult to cope with. It is important that the settlers should see that the road-gates are kept in order and shut. The wool-shed was mysteriously burnt down in December. We have to thank Messrs. Pannett and Wilson for allowing us to shear in their shed. Mount Pisa. This property was disposed of to soldiers during the early part of last year. The sheep were valued and offered to the successful applicants, and the dead stock was later sold by auction. The leases provided that the Government should undertake the rabbiting for twelve months. This was continued until the end of April —a month later than agreed upon —with very good results. The first season (1924) proved to be very mild and open, and the sheep came through the winter in good condition. The wool-clip was above the average, and with the prices ruling the soldier should have done well. It cannot be too strongly impressed upon them the absolute necessity for energetically and simultaneously dealing with the rabbits. «Rabbit-farming spells ruin to sheep-farmers.

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Clifton. The season was favourable although dry. The crops were, upon the whole, fair. A considerable area of old pasture grass was ploughed with the digger-plough and worked to a fine tilth, and sown in January and February with Western Wolths, with excellent results. The weather being favourable, the growth was rapid, and it has carried a large number of lambs and weaner calves. It should give good feeding for at least another season. This system of cultivation has proved very successful at Clifton, and deserves more attention from our farmers. The weather seriously affected the root crop, the swedes being badly blighted. The rape was fairly free. A trial plot of chou moellier did well, as also did one of tares and beans. A few plots of grasses were sown, but it will be another season before the result can be judged. In April of last year five hundred Corriedale five-year wethers were sent from Teviot and wintered on grass and turnips. They were shorn early in November, and were later disposed of at the Burnside yards at an average of £2 per head. The wool was sold in Dunedin at 30d. per pound. A line of nine hundred two-tooth Corriedale ewes were also sent down, but later in the season. They had some turnips, but mostly grass. They were not shorn until December, and the wool fetched 27id. per pound in Dunedin. The whole line was sold in February at 50s. per head. A few of the stud ewes, together with the stud ewe and ram lambs and the flock ewe and wether lambs, were transferred. All the stock is doing well, and, as there will be a large area of new grass coming on, a considerable number of sheep will be required to feed it down. A line of forty Shorthorn cross twenty-months-old heifers was slaughtered and shipped to London as a trial shipment of " baby beef." The liming is having a most marked effect on the land, clearly showing that lime is what is wanted. The bulk of the property has now been ploughed once, but a large portion has received more cultivation, and the result shows that the more working it receives the better it becomes. Appended are the usual tables. John D. Ritchie, Land Purchase Controller.

Table A.—Number of Properties considered during the Year ended 31st March, 1925.

Table B. —Summary of Estates Acquired up to the 31st March, 1925.

Land Disfcriot. Number. Area of Estates offered. I Acres. Auckland .. .. . •• 15 25.425 Hawke'sBay .. .. .. .. 9 18,442 Taranaki .. .. .. 1 ! 1,000 Wellington .. .. .. .. 3 2,264 Marlborough .. .. •• 1 2,700 Nelson Westland . . .. .. .. 3 981 Canterbury .. .. ■ ■ ■ • 4 8,54-0 Otago .. .. .. ■■ 3 1.874 Southland .. .. ■ ■ • • 1 464 Totals .. .. .. 40 61,690 ♦In addition, areas have also been offered direct to the local Land Purchase Boards.

Land District. ! Number. Area. Purchase-money. Auckland 95 386*488 1,493,957 Hawke'sBay 1 61 301,498 2,292,083 Taranaki 25 27,628 369,818 Wellington .. 143 157,335 2,226,840 Marlborough .. .. 21 223,957 751,635 Nelson .. ■ • • • 14= 48,821 150,473 Westland .. .. . • 2 5,125 8,343 Canterbury .. .. •• 172 447,349 3,444,252 Otago .. • - 72 293,185 1,779,308 Southland 25 90,637 | 457,786 Totals .. .. 630 1,982,023 12,979,495

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Table C. —Statement of the Moneys received into and paid out op the Land fob Settlements Account foe the Year ended 31st March, 1925. Land for Settlements Account. Receipts. £ s. d. Payments. £ a. d. Balance at beginning of year.. .. .. 146,799 4 1 Purchase-money .. .. .. .. 153,181 12 6 Receipts under sec. 208, Land Act, 1924 .. 187 3 2 Incidental expenses .. .. .. 39,753 18 4 Rents, &c. .. .. .. .. 347,232 6 1 Land-for-settlement expenses .. .. 7,591 7 7 Sales of — £ s. d. Expenditure under sec. 20, Discharged Soldiers Crown lands . . .. 70,328 0 3 Settlement Act, .1925, in respect of sundry adSettlement lands .. .. 54,091 17 1 vances added to capital value of settlement 124,419 17 4 land .. .. .. .. .. 6,910 0 0 Interest on sales of — Expenditure under sec. 3 (4), Land Laws AmendCrown lands .. .. 13,918 18 5 ment Act, 1912, in respect of settlement Settlement lands .. .. 27,124 4 3 lands proclaimed ordinary Crown land or — 41,043 2 8 national-endowment land for disposal under Sale of part Selwyn Settlement to State Forest Land Act .. .. .. .. 14,299 76 Account.. .. .. .. .. 100,000 0 0 Expenditure under sec. 83 (3) of Land Act, 1924 Recoveries on account of settlements .. .. 1,297 1 6 (payment in respect of value of improvements) 780 0 0 Recoveries on account of expenses incidental to Expenditure under sec. 20 (3) of Land Act, 1924 estates .. .. .. .. 43,526 1 7 (payment in respect of land obtained for Value of land taken over for workers' dwellings.. 10,715 2 10 Government works, now deemed to be settleInterest on value of land taken over for workers' ment land) .. .. .. .. 1,130 13 0 dwellings .. .. .. .. 31,255 6 8 Interest under sec. 208 (8) of Land Act RecoupInterest on securities held by Investment Ac- ments of interest under Finance Act, 1919, count .. .. .. .. .. 4,843 12 0 sec. 4 .. .. .. .. .. 372,299 4 6 Inscribed stock issued to cover stamp duty on Recoupments of management charges of consolitransfers ■ .. .. .. .. 58 4 5 dated stock .. .. .. .. 26 8 9 Land for Settlement Act, 1908, sees. 82, 42— Recoupment to Ordinary Revenue Account of amount charged thereto for reduction of funded debt .. .. .. .. 411 19 8 Sinking fund— £ s. d. State Advances Act, 1913 .. 16,237 0 0 Finance Act, 1919 .. 11,762 9 6 27,999 9 6 Transfer to Loans Redemption Account for redemption of securities .. .. 150,800 0 0 Amount transferred to Land for Settlements Account (opening up Crown lands), sec. 63, Land Laws Amendment Act, 1913 .. .. 15,000 0 0 Charges and expenses of raising loans .. .. 130 0 0 Balance at end of year £ s. d. Cash in Public Account .. 1,731 13 0 Imprests outstanding in the Dominion .. .. 1,671 1 11 Investment Account .. 57,500 0 0 60,902 14 11 £851,377 2 4 £851,377 2 4 Land for Settlement Account (Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account). Receipts. £ s. d. Payments. £ s. d. Balance at beginning of year .. .. .. 33,198 17 8 Purchase-money .. .. .. .. 200 0 0 Receipts from settlements— £ s. d. Incidental expenses .. .. .. .. 27,306 3 9 Bents . . . . . . 64,361 411 Vote—Land for settlement of discharged soldiers Sales .. .. .. 1,298 15 2 expenses .. .. .. .. .. 6,356 5 3 Interest on sales . . . . 270 16 7 Expenditure under sec. 83, Land Act, 1924, in — 65,930 16 8 respect of advances from Discharged Soldiers Recoveries on account on settlements .. . . 27 16 2 Settlement Act added to capital value of Receipts incidental to estates .. .. .. 24,322 110 settlement land .. .. .. .. 800 0 0 Receipts from settlement lands proclaimed Crown Recoupment of interest under sec. 4, Finance lands under sec. 3 (4), Land Laws Amendment Act, 1919.. . . .. . . . . 90,000 0 0 Act, 1922. . . . . . . . . . 14,299 7 6 Sinking fund —See. 4, Finance Act, 1919 . . 5,741 8 1 Interest on securities held by Investment Account 256 8 9 Balance— £ s. d. Cash in Public Account .. 6,571 0 4 Imprests outstanding .. 1,060 11 2 7,631 11 6 £138,035 8 7 £138,035 8 7 Land for Settlement Account (Opening up Crown Lands). Receipts. £ s. d. Payments. £ s. d. Balance at beginning of year .. .. .. 2,174 1 5 Annual appropriation—Vote, Roads to open up Revenue received under sec. 63, Land Laws land for settlement .. .. .. 23,143 19 0 Amendment Act, 1913 19,447 16 8 Recoupment of interest under sec. 4, Finance Act, Amount set aside from Lands for Settlement 1919 .. .. .. .. .. 8,145 19 4 Account under sec. 63, Land Laws Amendment Sinking fund .. . . . . . . 1,149 7 0 Act, 1913, and sec. 42, Appropriation Act, 1918 15,000 0 0 Balance —Cash in Public Account .. .. 4,182 12 9 £36,621 18 1 £36,621 18 1 Examined and found correct.' —G. F. C. Campbell, Controller and Auditor-General.

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Table D.—Return of Land purchased and paid for from 1st April, 1924, to 31st March, 1925.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given; printing (675 copies). £5.

Authority : W. A. G. Skinner, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 926.

Price 3d.]

Name of Owner. Locality. Price per Acre. | Acqafaition. Settlement. J Area. Amount paid. £ s. d. Acres. : £ Reynolds, R. .. Rangitaiki .. 16 0 0 By agreement Orini .. .. 627 10,034 12 0 0 „ „ .. .. 325, 3,912 Seccombe, T. .. Te Teko .. 17 0 0 „ Seccombe .. .. 110 1,867* 15 0 0 „ „ .. .. 47 70S Radcliffe Estate Whangarei .. . . .. .. 35 200 Murray, J. P. .. Opotiki .. 16 0 0 By agreement Hikutaia .. .. 28 446 Andrew, S. .. Kaikoura .. 24 0 0 ,, Fernleigh .. .. 547 13,123 Totals .. .. 1,719 30,290 * Including rates.