α-i

XI

The sale of the Town of Tokaanu, situated at the south end of Lake Taupo, has been delayed through questions concerning the sufficiency of the Native allotments reserved there ; but this matter was settled at a sitting of the Native Land Court held in March last, and the town was to be offered to the public in June of this year. (It has since been offered for sale, when a number of town and suburban sections were let on lease, of an annual value of £179 Is.) Towns have also been laid out at Waipiro, near Waiapu, and another at Harataunga or Kennedy's Bay, Auckland; both will come in for leasing during the coming spring. Arrangements have also been made to lay out a small town at Potaka on the Hunterville-Tokaanu Boad. The terms on which these Native townships are disposed of are leases for twenty-one years, with right of renewal at the expiry of that date on a revaluation of rental, and they are subject to ordinary sanitary conditions, &c. The regulations will be found in the New Zealand Gazette, 1896, page 275. Tebeitoeial and otheb Bevenue. The Auditor of Land Eevenue, Mr. W. G. Euncie, furnishes the following particulars as to revenue collected by the department during the year : The estimated territorial revenue was £250,000, and the actual amount received was £263,296 2s. 3d,, being an excess of £13,296 2s. 3d. The above figures represent the actual territorial revenue, but the money collected by the Eeceivers for rents, &c, on endowments, estates, and other items amounted to £359,086 13s. 9d., as detailed below : : — £ s. d. Territorial revenue ... ... ... ... ... 263,296 2 3 Government loans to local bodies (interest on money borrowed on lands for roads) ... ... ... ... ... 10,742 1 1 Land for Settlements Account ... ... ... ... 27,667 010 Cheviot Estate ... ... ... ... ... ... 16,277 0 7 State forests ... ... ... ... ... ... 10,995 13 1 Endowments ... ... ... ... ... ... 15,666 11 3 North Island Main Trunk Eailway Account... ... ... 5,174 6 7 ' Thermal springs ... ... ... ... ... 901 3 3 Lake Ellesmere and Porsyth Account ... ... ... 1,642 - 5 8 Lands and Survey vote ... ... ... ... ... 3,744 12 5 Crown grant fees ... ... ... ... ... 1,109 13 2 Miscellaneous ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,870 3 7 + £359,086 13 9 The above amount is £1,906 15s. less than that collected in the previous year. Through the decrease in suitable and accessible Crown lands now available for offer to the public, it is only to be expected that the territorial revenue must decrease from year to year. This, taken in conjunction with the gradual extinction of payments under the deferred, payments and perpetual leases, will in a short time probably make a considerable shrinkage in the revenue. The decrease for the past period amounted to £9,657 Us. 6d., while the estimated decrease for the ensuing year is somewhat larger.

Comparative Statement of the Receipts on Account of Territorial Eevenue for the Years ending the 31st March, 1896-97 and 1897-98.

The cash balance at the credit of the Eeceivers' Deposit Accounts on the 31st March amounted to £6,031 ss. 9d., being about the usual amount, whilst the balances to the credit of the Local Bodies Account was £29,220 3s. 6d., which represents " thirds " and " fourths," either not applied for by the local bodies, or transactions passing through the department. In the case of some of the local bodies the amounts are so small that they are left to accumulate until of sufficient amount to make their expenditure beneficial. The total sum paid to local bodies out of " thirds " and " fourths " last year was £41,361 18s" 2d.; ten years ago it was £18,159.

Land District. 1896-97. 1897-98. Increase, 1897-98. Decrease, 1897-98. Auckland Taranaki Hawke's Bay ... Wellington Marlborough ... Nelson Westland Canterbury Otago... Southland £ s. d. 29,723 17 6 23,911 12 3 17,100 14 4 52,751 0 4 9,399 4 4 14,454 15 1 1,199 4 9 48,999 8 6 61,333 19 10 14,079 16 10 £ s. d. 30,889 19 2 21,407 12 5 14,512 16 1 49,284 8 4 13,689 16 7 15,134 11 4 1,159 18 1 47,503 4 6 55,286 13 10 14,427 1 11 £ s. d. 1,166 1 8 4,290 12 3 679 16 3 £ s. d. 2,503 19 10 2,587 18 3 3,466 12 0 39 6 8 1,496 4 0 6,047 6 0 347 5 1 272,953 13 263,296 2 9 3 263,296 2 3 6,483 15 3 16,141 6 6,483 15 9 3 Net decrease 9,657 11 6 9,657 11 6