C—l

XIV

prepared in alphabetical order, giving names, corps, addresses, and reasons for present position of each claim. The total number of cases thus dealt with was 1,579. Three hundred and twenty new cases were also added to the return as received on and up to 6th October, 1894. These cases brought up the total of the return to 1,899 cases. Since the preparation of this return 34 newapplications have been received. The correpondence and necessary searches involved a great deal of work. The number of remission certificates exercised during the year ending 31st March, 1895, has necessarily been small, as the date of limit for the exercise of scrip issued under the Act of 1891 was reached on 31st March of the previous financial year, and there remained only a few outstanding cases under the Act of 1892, which are limited by 31st March, 1895. The position is as follows for the year 1894-95 : — £ Scrip exercised in the purchase of land, 14 ... ... ... - ... 600 Scrip exchanged for debentures, 29 ... ... ... ... 1,190 Scrip lapsed, 6 ... ... ... ... ... .... ... 185 Final position under the Naval and Military Settlers' and Volunteers' Land Acts on 31st March, 1895:— £ Total value of scrip ... ... ... ... ... ... 44,096 Total number of scrip exercised ... ... ... ... ... 43,166 Total number of scrip lapsed ... ... ... ... ... 930 The number of Crown grants, warrants, certificates, leases, &c, passed and issued from Ist April, 1894, to 31st March, 1895, was as under : —

The loans applied for under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act amounted to £43,941, and comprised 41 different blocks ; the loans granted amounted to £28,591, and comprised 24 different blocks. A table showing all particulars has been prepared for this report. This Act entails much correspondence and book-keeping. Under the Land for Settlements Act 208 new offers were recorded. A table giving full particulars of this matter has also been prepared for the annual report. The work under this Act is steadily increasing, and is now assuming large dimensions. In addition to these details, many statements were prepared and many duties were undertaken inseparable from the Head Office of a large department, dealing, as this one does, with several Acts of a widely different character, and having the administration of the expenditure of large sums of public money. Accounts. Mr. H. J. Knowles, the Chief Accountant, reports : — The number of vouchers authorised for payment or credit was : — 5,837 charged to Consolidated Fund, covering gross expendi- £ s. d. tureof ... ... ... ' ... ... 134,583 17 2 574 charged to deposits in hands of Eeoeivers, covering gross expenditure of ... ... ... ... ... 12,716 16 5 charged to Public Works Funds, covering gross expenditure of ... ... ... ... ... 51,149 14 5 k ifii; charged to Lands Improvements Account, covering gross oj4oo -j expenditure of ... ... ... ... ... 133,014 14 11 j charged to Native Land Purchase Account, covering gross \ expenditure of ... ... ... ... ... 10,870 7 6 139 charged to refunds of ' revenue and contract deposits, covering gross expenditure of ... ... .. 4,897 7 8 32 charged to Civil Service Act, covering gross expenditure of 893 12 4 214 charged to Land for Settlements Account, covering gross expenditure of ... ... ... ... ... 27,715 2 0 1,086 charged on account of Cheviot Estate, covering gross expenditure of ... ... ... ... ... 44,690 6 8 Total 14,367 Total £420,531 19 1

District. Number of Grants. Area in Grants. O w a s Area in Warrants. Total Area in Grants and Warrants. Granted Nun J ber , of Natives. Leases ' ■*l'Sl Si fl r£ flci T3 J to a h Q Auckland Hawke's Bay ... Taranaki Wellington Nelson... Marlborough ... Canterbury Westland 25 25 12 1 Acres. 1,743 32,240 12,225 1 40 12 8 30 9 1 17 Acres. 53,834 49,255 48,844 275,294 11,014 1,791 14,604 Acres. 55,077 81,495 48,844 287,519 11,015 1,791 14,642 Acres. 54,075 42,530 35,830 158,927 124 70 15 5 22 2 5 4 16 6 300 170 200 400 100 6 180 4 3 1 2 4 "38 ... 577 1 Otago ... Southland 4 3 ' 148 57 "l 3 6,017 6,000 6,165 6,057 150 370 1 Total 71 46,452 127 466,153 1512,605 1292,063 145 1,876