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1885. NEW ZEALAND.

CROWN LANDS DEPARTMENT (REPORT UPON THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1885.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Seceepaby for Cbown Lands to the Hon. the Ministeb of Lands. Sib, — General Crown Lands Office, Wellington, 19th June, 1885. I have the honour to forward the annual report and returns of the Crown Lands Department for the twelve months ended the 31st March, 1885. I have, &c, James McKebeow, The Hon. John Ballance, Minister of Lands. Secretary for Crown Lands.

EEPOET. The business of the Land Department for the twelve months ended the 31st March, 1885, has, like that of several of the preceding years, been mainly in the disposal of Crown lands on settlement conditions. The sales for cash, in respect of the area disposed of, have been much less than those on settlement conditions. The principal interest of the year's transactions necessarily centres in the results of the latter mode of disposal. But, before dealing with these and other subjects of report, the following statement will show in concise form the areas and classes of land disposed of, and the other general results of the twelve months. Land sold on immediate payments — a. k. p. Purchases. Scrip. Cash roceived. Town lands ... ... 120 132 438) £ s. d. £ s. d. Suburban lands ... 903 120 190 1,472 14 8 82,110 8 2 Eural lands ... ... 64,975 034 614j Land sold on deferred payments — Acres. Selectors. Agricultural ... ... ... ... 61,712 619) Pastoral ... ... ... ... 8,027 21 88,579 8 3 Village settlement ... ... ... 499 85 J Agricultural leases on gold fields — 2,932 acres, leased to 24 selectors—rents from these and from selections current from former years ... ... ... ... 2,723 12 2 Perpetual leases — 24,410 acres, leased to 111 selectors—rents received ... .... 2,349 14 11 Homestead — 5,628 acres, selected by 31 persons ... ... ... ... Nil. Pastoral rents — From 11,384,603 acres, held in 1,232 leases ... ... ... 168,300 111 Miscellaneous — Coal and mineral leases, royalties, timber licenses, &c, about ... 13,478 2 6 Total ... ... ... ... ... £357,541 7 11 Land Sold. There has been less Crown land sold for cash during the twelve months than during any former similar period. This is not due to any want of purchasers, for whenever the opportunity has been given of buying good accessible land it has been readily availed of: the. real reason is that the choice of suitable land has been very much curtailed, partly by former selections, partly for want of roads to open up what is left, and in a very considerable degree by the extensive areas, amounting to several million acres, withheld from disposal, either on cash sale, or settlement conditions, in connection with railway proposals. Another reason for the paucity

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