C.—l.

Statement of Trade and Revenue for Period 31st March, 1899, to 31st March, 1900.

The Land fob Settlements Acts. Lands offered during the Year.—The new settlements offered to the public during the year were three in number—one suburban and two rural —and are as follows : The Tamai Hamlet, being a block of suburban land situated in the Borough of Woolston, about two miles from the General Post Office, Christchurch. This block was subdivided into forty allotments, varying in size from half an acre to two acres, the rentals ranging from £3 4s. to £5 per acre per annum, and these were offered under the lease-in-perpetuity system as sites for workmen's homes. There was no rush of applicants for the sections when first opened on the 26th June, 1899, but selection has gone on steadily since, and all the larger allotments have been taken up; most of the half-acre sections, however, still remain on hand. Artisans requiring suburban homes of about half an acre in size appear still to prefer the opportunity of acquiring the freehold, the purchase of small areas being within their means; while for larger areas, which they could not purchase, the lease-in-perpetuity system is preferred. The Takitu Settlement, formerly known as the Clarkesfield Estate, comprising 9,713 acres of pastoral land on the north bank of the Waitaki Eiver, between Glenavy and Hakataramea, was purchased from Messrs. Waite and Burbury, and subdivided into five small grazing-runs, varying in size from 1,494 to 2,528 acres, at rentals ranging from Is. lOd. to 3s. 9d. per acre. Four of these runs were offered for public application on the Ist March, 1900, and although there were not many applicants—the demand for pastoral land being limited —yet all the runs were allotted at the first ballot, and, as all the applicants were of a good stamp of settler, the satisfactory occupation of the country seems assured. One run, including the homestead buildings, was withheld from application for a time. The Pareora No. 2 Settlement, comprising 8,132 acres of agricultural land situated between the Pareora and Otaio Bivers, was acquired from the New Zealand and Australian Land Company (Limited), and opened for application on the 22nd March, 1900, in thirty-two lease-in-perpetuity sections, varying in size from 93 to 603 acres, at rentals of from 7s. 3d. to lis. per acre per annum. One small section of 13 acres was offered as a reserve for temporary occupation. The fame which the Pareora Estate had acquired under its former owners, coupled with the undoubted quality of the land and its advantageous situation, created a large demand for sections, 220 different persons putting in 1,006 applications, the number of applications for each lot varying from four to sixtyeight. Every section was disposed of at the first ballot. The other lands offered during the year comprise fourteen allotments, aggregating 3,576 acres, principally forfeited or surrendered sections within previously established settlements. Included in this area were two allotments, comprising 181£ acres, in the Waikakahi Settlement, which had been withheld for a time from permanent disposal, and were now offered for three years' occupation licenses. There were also three allotments, comprising 3,030 acres (including one small grazing-run of 2,713 acres), in the Albury Settlement; two allotments, comprising 286 acres, in the Highbank Settlement; two allotments, comprising 71 acres, in the Bakitairi Settlement; and five small allotments in the suburban settlements near Christchurch. Lands for Future Disposal.—At the end of the year arrangements had been concluded for the purchase and disposal during April, 1900, of three more estates of rural land in South Canterbury. These were—(l) The Three Springs Estate, comprising 7,025 acres of agricultural and pastoral land near Fairlie, acquired from the National Mortgage and Agency Company (Limited), and renamed

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Inwards. Outwards. Totals. Class of Goods. 3 "o • • '8 . No. Weight. ■a® £ 0) Revenue. No. CO m a Revenue. No. ijj> fif Revenue. afti S3 © IS Bfe 3 00 © 00 T. 0. £ s. d. £ 0. d T. 0. £ s. d General merchandise .. , , 838 15 189 8 4 , » . . 838 15 189 8 4 Flour, standards, &c.* 297 16 67 10 10 . , . . 297 16 67 10 10 Coals , . 569 11 99 14 6 , , . , 569 11 99 14 6 Timber 258 j 262 159 10 2 258j 262 159 10 2 Posts 1,909 7 19 1 , , 1,909 7 19 1 Parcels and sundries .. 498 21 4 0 . # 498 21 4 0 Store dues 122 11 9 # , . . 122 11 9 Passenger 0 10 0 10 Wool, in bales 2,903 145 13 0 2,903 145 13 0 Woolsacks .. 32 119 32 119 Skins, bales 95 4 15 0 95 4 15 0 Wheat, saoks # % 10j 428 260 14 0 10,428 260 14 0 Peas „ 62 1 11 0 62 1 11 0 Barley „ . . 361 8 10 9 361 8 10 9 Oats „ . , 1,009 19 3 4 1,009 28 19 3 4 Potatoes , 28 0 13 6 0 13 6 Chaff , . 74 0 18 6 74 0 18 6 Onions » , 25 0 12 6 25 0 12 6 Grass-seed 37 0 14 9 37 0 14 9 Sundries 431 . . 13 3 6 431 13 3 6 Store dues •• •• 34 11 5 •• 34 11 5 •• 1,706 2 258,262 667 19 8 12,024 492 3 0 •• •• 1,160 2 8 * Imports included in '297 tons 16 cwt. 1,062 flour-sacks, 458 flour-bags, 87 oatmeal-sacks, 79 sharps-sacks, 116 bran-sacks, 25,944 standards, 1,214 cwt. black and galvanised wire, 268 cwt. barb-wire