DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. NATIONAL ENDOWMENTS (REPORT ON) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1928, TOGETHER WITH SCHEDULE SHOWING AGGREGATE AREA OF LAND EXCLUDED FROM THE ENDOWMENT.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1928 Session I, C-14

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1928. NEW ZEALAND

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. NATIONAL ENDOWMENTS (REPORT ON) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1928, 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, 30th June, 1928. I 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, 1928. 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 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, provides that the Governor-General may, by Proclamation approved in Executive Council, declare that any unoccupied national-endowment land not exceeding in the aggregate 20,000 acres shall cease to be national endowment. Land removed from the national endowment under the aforesaid provisions can be set apart for selection as inferior lands under the provisions of section 223 of the Act. The owners of renewable leases or small-grazing-run leases over national-endowment lands, or of regulation licenses for the occupation of pastoral lands in the said endowment within mining districts, now have the right to acquire the fee-simple on the conditions provided by the Act pertaining to each class of lease. On the disposal of any national-endowment land by way of sale, or on the acquisition of the fee-simple of any such land, the Governor-General may by Proclamation declare that such lands shall, as from a date specified in the Proclamation, cease to be national-endowment land, and every Proclamation shall have effect according to its tenor.

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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, a Proclamation may likewise 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 particulars prescribed for the period from the 11th November, 1920, the date of the passing of the legislation, to the 31st March, 1928. During the year ended 31st March, 1928, a total area of 1,647 acres was removed from the national endowment on the application of the lessees. In addition, a total area of 7,910 acres was withdrawn from the endowment and was dealt with under section 223 of the Land Act, 1924. Schedule. (a) Aggregate area excluded from national endowment, 86,398 acres ; capital value, £72,162. (b) Aggregate area so excluded of which fee-simple has been acquired on the 31st March, 1928, 23,633 acres. (c) Aggregate area so excluded and still held under lease or license on the 31st March, 1928, 62,654 acres ; annual rent, £2,459. (d) Aggregate area so excluded and not disposed of by way of sale or lease, 111 acres. (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 at the 31st March, 1928, was approximately 8,979,000 acres. Of this an area of 6,698,329 acres was held under lease or license by 4,531 tenants, the annual rental payable being £137,251, while a very large area (partly, however, covered by existing leases) had been set apart as provisional State forests. The total revenue derived from the endowment during the year was £142,121.

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