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CANTERBURY. Lands opened for Sale or Selection. —The lands placed in the market comprised the following systems and areas: —

The bulk of these lands consist of subdivisions of the resumed runs about Burkes Pass and Cannington, the Ashwick Flat Bun, Lake Ellesmere reserve, and the blocks purchased by Government under " The Land for Settlements Act, 1893." Failing these additions, the dearth of land in Canterbury would have been severe, and many of the persons who secured holdings would doubtless have migrated to other parts in search of farms or runs. To the foregoing area must be added 84,000 acres of the Cheviot Estate, which were opened on the pastoral, cash, village-homestead, lease-in-perpetuity, and grazing-farm systems. The areas specified in the Land Guide on the Ist April, 1893, amounted to 33,750 acres, thus bringing the total area of Crown lands available for lease, purchase, or selection last year up to 197,377 acres. Lands disposed of. —Notwithstanding the large additions to the area of Crown lands, due to the acquisition of Cheviot, purchases under the Land for Settlements Act, and the resumption of runs, there was keen and active competition for all lands, as opened for selection, which were of fair quality and reasonably accessible. In proof of this it is only necessary to cite the fact that the whole of the Lake Ellesmere, Cheviot, the land-for-settlement blocks, and resumed runs were selected generally as soon as placed on the' market. Cash sales wore difficult to effect, but selectors readily availed themselves of the lease-in-perpetuity, village-homestead, and grazing systems. The year's sale and lease transactions, under all systems, comprise 473 holdings, of a gross area of 132,880 acres, exclusive of 101,366 acres selected by the New Zealand Midland Eailway Company, in terms of their contract with the Government. The lands disposed of comprise cash sales in the townships of Mackenzie, Eakaia, Ashburton, Hinds, Orari, Geraldine, and Arowhenua; two small lots of rural land near Orari, and in Eangitata District, and eight rural sections on the Cheviot Estate. The occupation-with-right-of-purchase and the lease-in-perpetuity sales are made up of the Lake Ellesmere reserve, which was eagerly sought for, and areas of land situated in the Burke, Hunter's Hills, Opawa, and other districts. The village-settlement and lease-in-perpetuity sales included the Kapua, Studholme, and Pareora acquired blocks. The village-homestead lands comprised the Cheviot and Lake Ellesmere Villages. The grazing farms disposed of form portion of the Cheviot Estate, The small grazing-runs embrace the lands at Ashwick, Hunter's Hills, and Burkes Pass. The pastoral runs comprise the Ashwick Eun and lands adjacent to the Orari Gorge, and Mount Peel Eun. The majority of the selections were made under the lease-in-perpetuity, rural, and village systems. Taking into account the past year's transactions, and including Cheviot and other acquired blocks, the disposition of the Canterbury lands is shown on statement A (attached). From the foregoing statements it will be seen that the land transactions have been of a novel, if not unique, character, inasmuch as a new departure was taken in providing for the settlement of the people. The Crown lands available for settlement or occupation had been reduced to remnants of the former magnificent public estate, and these remnants no longer sufficed for the ordinary demands of farmers, labourers, and others; the consequences were that these classes of would-be settlers removed to the North Island, or elsewhere, or, failing the necessary capital to acquire freehold property, they were forced to be content with leases. In the belief that there was a genuine unsatisfied demand on the part of a considerable number of such persons, it was decided to meet it in two ways: first, by resumption on the part of the Crown of lands held under pastoral licenses terminable by twelve months' notice; and, second, by acquiring, by purchase from private persons, areas of land suitable for village settlers. The Cheviot Estate opportunely fell into the hands of the Government, and largely facilitated the objects in view. By the means indicated the public wants for the time being were partly satisfied ; the success which attended most of the year's sales demonstrated that there existed a real and urgent demand for agricultural and grazing farms, and for small-farm or village allotments, by a superior and desirable class of settlers.

System. Class. Locality. Area. Cash Town Eakaia, Ashburton, Hinds, Orari, Geraldine, Arowhenua Eangitata, Orari Lake Ellesmere Pareora, Kapua, Studholme Lake Ellesmere, Arowhenua, Eakaia, Chertsey, Orari, Arundel, Adair, &c. Burke's Pass, Cannington, Hunter's Hills, Four Peaks, &c. Ashwick, Nimrod, Burke's Pass ... Ashwick, Orari, Mount Peel, Ellesmere Acres. 22 Lease in perpetuity ... Sural 106 6,048 1,288 866 Village tl ... Village homestead ... Optional ... Eural 21,817 Small grazing-runs ... Pastoral lease Pastoral ... 9,909 39,528 43 „ ... Eeserves ... Lease Total (exclusive of Cheviot) 79,627