α-i

XII

An offer has been made of a subsidy of £150 per annum for a reasonable period if a suitable man can be obtained to settle at Owaka (Catlin's district), on condition that he will visit Papatowai once weekly. A subsidy of £50 has been granted to a doctor residing at Preservation Inlet, the money to be paid quarterly upon the certificate of the chairman of the medical committee of the district. Teeeitoeial and othee Eevenue. The moneys collected by the department during the year ended the 31st March last were as follows:— £ s. d. Territorial revenue ... ... ... ... ... 273,799 7 4 Government loans to local bodies (interest and sinking-fund) ... 13,255 17 2 Land for Settlements Acts ... ... ... ... 38,804 10 2 Cheviot Estate ... ... ... ... ... ... 17,043 8 1 State forests ... ... ... ... ... ... 5,844 6 6 Endowments ... ... ... ... ... ... 15,117 18 4 North Island Main Trunk Eailway lands ... ... ... 11,282 19 8 Thermal springs ... ... ... ... ... 1,351 13 6 Lake Ellesmere and Forsyth lands ... ... ... 1,740 8 11 Survey and other costs recovered ... ... ... ... 2,512 12 5 Crown-grant fees ... ... ... ... ... 1,228 12 0 Hanmer Sanatorium and baths ... ... ... ... 1,172 11 7 Miscellaneous ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,990 15 1 £385,145 0 9 In the territorial revenue there was an increase of £10,503 ss. Id., and an increase on the total sum collected of £26,058 75., largely due to the new estates offered for selection under the Land for Settlements Acts. The following table will show a comparison between the territorial revenue of last year and the previous one : —

Comparative Statement of Territorial Revenue for the Years 1897-98 and 1898-99.

The cash balances at credit in the different Eeceivers of Land Eevenue's Deposit Accounts amounted to £51,195 6s. 6d., as against £6,031 ss. 9d. at the same date the previous year. The great increase this year is due to the large amount of deposits on account of applications for the Waikakahi Estate, the selection of which only took place a few days before the close of the financial year. The balances to the credit of local bodies, derived from "thirds" and "fourths," was £33,423 18s. lid., a large sum, much of which might have been spent advantageously by the local bodies on roads, &c, had they submitted their schemes of expenditure to the Land Boards somewhat more promptly. The total amount paid to local bodies during the past year from this source was £33,099 Bs. 2d. Aeeeabs. Details under this heading will be found in the Appendix, but the following table shows a comparison for several years past. It includes all classes of lands on which rents, &c, are paid, but excludes endowments :■ — No. £ 31st March, 1890 ... ... ... ... 3,755 selectors owing 52,891 1891 ... ... ... ... 3,548 „ 37,341 1892 ... ... ... ... 2,612 „ 25,256 1893 ... ... ... ... 3,382 „ 28,875 1894 ... ... ... ... 3,104 „ 32,205 1895 ... ... ... ... 3,594 „ 37,514 1896 ... ... ... ... 1,673 „ 15,708 1897 ... ... ... ... 1,464 ;, 12,807 1898 1,546 „ 14,437 1899 1,451 „ 16,994

Land District. 1897-98. 1898-99. Increase, I Decrease. Auckland lawke's Bay Vellington ... larlborough kelson Vestland Canterbury ... Hago iouthland £ 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. 29,182 2 0 26,066 14 10 17,765 18 2 48,751 3 10 9,903 18 11 15,553 16 2 1,313 4 10 54,518 13 4 56,525 6 3 14,218 9 0 £ s. d. 4,659 2 5 3,253 2 1 419 4 10 153 6 9 7,015 8 10 1,238 12 5 £ s. a. 1,707 17 2 533 4 6 3,785 17 8 208 12 11 263,296 2 3 273,799 263,296 7 2 4 3 16,738 17 6,235 12 4 3 6,235 12 3 Net increase 10,503 5 1 10,503 5 1