A—i

A summary of the year's operations under the principal heads compared with last year shows :—

Table C.

The size of the farms selected, when the applicants could select the area and choose the tenure they preferred, did not vary greatly under the different tenures, being about 300 acres when the choice was freehold, 330 when it was a lease in perpetuity, and 390 when a lease with right of purchase was chosen. The progress of settlement during the past ten years is given in the following : —

Table D. Summary of Lands selected.

Lands offered for Selection. During the year the area of land opened for selection was somewhat less than last year, the decrease being in pastoral country. The area opened for optional selection is about 150.000 acres greater than last year. The following statement shows the manner in which the rural lands were, for the first time, offered to the public, and the districts in which they are situated:—

Table E.

IX

18! 19-1900. 1900-1. Tenure. Number of Seleotors. Area. Number of Seleotors. Area. iash sales 'erpetual lease •ccupation with right of purchase /ease in perpetuity 'astoral runs lining and occupation leases liscellaneous leases 497 2 398 775 204 67 367 Acre?. 23,940 624 117,773 162,718 1,174,941 2,365 91,462 398 3 673 606 99 54 479 Acres. 58,725 2,499 262,729 147,600 1,099,185 2,146 94,861 New transactions Forfeitures and surrenders 2,310 519 1,573,823 166,304 2,312 409 1,167,745 381,138 Net increase 1,791 1,407;519 1,903 786,607

Year. Number of Seleotors or Purchasers. Area taken up during Year. Territorial Eevenue. Number nf Total Revenue i Leasehold eolleoted. Tenants J on the Books. 1891-92 1892-93 1893-94 1894-95 1895-96 ... 1896-97 ... 1897-98 1898-99 1899-1900 ... 1900-1901 ... 2,519 3,071 2,876 2,547 2,865 2,173 2,058 2,542 2,310 2,312 Acres. 1,453,082 1,663,339 1,393,918 1,015,577 2,662,344 1,600,695 2,451,062 1,357,466 1,573,823 1,667,744 £ 320,483 274,399 282,067 338,166 291,673 272,954 263,296 273,799 262,228 270,203 £ 324,470 310,523 347,343 375,879 345,331 360,993 359,086 385,145 382,943 431,338 12,735 14,261 15,081 15,326 15,683 15,527 16,365 16,572 17,191 18,050

2. 3. For Lease Freeholds in offered Perpetuity by only. Auction. Pastoral Country. District. l. For Selection, either Freehold, Lea«e with Eight of Purohase, or Lease in Perpetuity. 4. Lease by Auction. 5. Lease by Application. 6. Short Leases, Miscellaneous. Auckland ... Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington... Nelson Marlborough Westland ... Canterbury... Otago Southland ... Acres. 161,459 48,448 70,963 27,817 Nil 7,288 8,315 100 23,229 18,512 Acres. 10,963 50 Nil 10,355 Nil 2,053 Nil 4,189 8,477 3,526 Acres. 1,121 35 153 25 70 7 Acres. 30,974 Nil Nil 3,000 Nil 115,165 Nil 141,760 27d,262 65,781 Acres. 5,594 19,889 5,725 6,788 Nil 64,716 Nil 11,154 19,525 8,824 Acres. 601 Nil 101 1,535 2,044 463 Nil 1,210 1,319 8,592 Nil 2 79 4,324 Totals 366,131 39,613 5,816 634,942 142,220 15,865