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1894. NEW ZEALAND.

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

The Secretary of Crown Lands and Surveyor-General to the Hon. the Minister of Lands. Sir, — Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, 23rd June, 1894. I have the honour to transmit herewith the annual reports on the operation of the Lands and Survey Department for the twelve months ending the 31st March, 1894. I have, &c, S. Percy Smith, Secretary for Crown Lands and Surveyor-General. The Hon. John McKenzie, Minister of Lands.

LANDS. During the year which ended on the 31st March last the lands have been administered under " The Land Act, 1892," and regulations made under the powers therein contained. In the session of 1893 an Amendment Act was passed, the principal object of which was to correct some technical defects in the main Act, but the opportunity was taken to make an alteration in the system which had previously obtained in respect to deposits with applications. The amending Act did away with the necessity for money deposits, and substituted an obligation to pay the requisite deposits so soon as the successful applicant became known. The effect has been to do away with unnecessary bookand account-keeping, wmich in many cases entailed serious delays in the return of deposits, and constant friction with the depositors. On the other hand, the new system no doubt encourages a larger number of applications, up to the limits allowed ; but it nevertheless is a distinct improvement on the old system. Whilst the Act of 1892 is that under which the majority of transactions take place, there is a provision in that Act (section 114) which keeps alive a class of transactions that otherwise find no place in the present land-laws. Hence, the tables appended continue to show selections under the otherwise obsolete headings of deferred-payment and perpetual-lease systems. The transactions during the year, however, have been few, and, from the circumstances of the case, must be a gradually diminishing quantity. To afford a comprehensive view of the year's operations relating to the ordinary Crown lands, to the Cheviot Estate, and to lands acquired under the Land for Settlements Act, the following table has been compiled : —

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DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY (ANNUAL REPORT ON).

No. of Purchasers or Selectors. Area. Cash received on Past and Current Transactions. A. E. P. 75 2 23 358 2 5 33,200 0 25 12,668 2 5 3,854 0 9 151,324 0 12 108,133 0 28 364 3 35 2 0 24 £ s. a. Town lands Suburban lands Kural lands Deferred payments Perpetual lease and small areas Lease in perpetuity Occupation with right of purchase Agricultural lease Village settlement, cash „ deferred payment » perpetual lease „ occupation with right of purchase .. „ lease in perpetuity Village homestead special settlement (lease in perpetuity) Spooial-settlement associations Small grazing-runs Pastoral runs Cheviot Estate — Town lands, cash Rural lands „ Lease in perpetuity Village homestead special settlement (lease in perpetuity) Grazing-farms Land for Settlements Act— Lease in perpetuity 142 67 249 96 17 447 461 5 3 5 208 53 290 124 85 110 3,953 0 6 1,021 0 5 68,852 0 0 226,669 3 17 646,253 0 4 ] 20,000 2 11 48,225 10 3 39,834 0 8 4,262 2 1 4,230 9 9 400 1 5 30 0 0 1,982 17 11 886 4 9 0 16 0 495 3 a 2,382 11 2 10,594 19 3 20,483 5 3 104,452 14 11 31 8 95 65 7 1 22 1,357 0 25 23,251 2 36 1,528 2 6 776 0 0 3,955 5 8 3,047 5 11 302 3 9 18 26,023 0 0 1,842 10 1 70 5,417 3 0 770 17 3