C.-l.

Audit. Mr. W. G. Buncie, Auditor of Land Eevenue, reports : — The receipts have been as hereunder stated:— £ s. d. Territorial revenue ... ... ... ... ... 249,619 1 6 Land for settlements ... ... ... ... ... 90,053 5 6 Cheviot Estate... ... ... ... ... ... 14,061 0 8 Stateforests ... ... ... ... ... .. 17,188 11 5 North Island Main Trunk Eailway ... ... ... 6,670 14 5 Thermal springs ... ... ... ... ... 414 8 6 Eotorua Town Council ... ... ... ... ... 1,094 2 4 Hanmer Sanatorium ... ... ... ... ... 1,344 1 2 Lakes Ellesmere and Forsyth ... ... ... ... 1,615 12 .2 Mount Cook Hermitage ... ... ... ... ... 190 5 6 Crown-grant fees ... ... ... ... ... 914 12 5 Lands and Survey vote ... ... ... ... ... 2,207 16 1 Native townships ... ... ... ... ... 310 8 1 Mining district land occupation ... ... ... ... 641 12 4 Miscellaneous ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,753 17 3 Government Loans to Local Bodies Act ... ... ... 21,420 15 7 Endowments ... ... ... ... ... ... 17,638 9 8 Total ... £427,138 14 7 The total receipts for the year show a falling-off of £4,199 18s. Bd., and it is greatest in the item of territorial revenue. In my report for the year 1900 I pointed out that with the extinction of deferred-payment holdings and the conversion to freehold of perpetual-lease holdings the territorial revenue was bound to decline, and I beg to state that it may be expected to still further shrink, as the rents for new selections cannot be expected to anything like reach the amount yearly received for the freehold of perpetual leases for years to come. During the past year the sum of £8,054 lis. 6d. was allowed off' rents under the Crown Tenants' Eebate Act and the Land for Settlements Consolidation Act which upon the total of the rents received upon prairie value gives for the year a mean rebate of per cent.

Table No. 1.— Comparative Statement of Receipts on Account of Territorial Revenue for the Financial Years 1900-1 and 1901-2.

Eeceipts, 1900-1 ... ... ... ... ...£270,203 5 9 Beceipts, 1901-2 ... ... ... ... ... 249,619 1 6 £20,584 4 3

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District. 1900-1. 1901-2. Increase, 1901-2. Decrease, 1901-2. £ s. a. 41,721 14 6 24,184 10 11 21,719 19 10 35,834 3 8 15,381 7 3 9,580 18 8 1,368 15 8 54,022 4 3 51,741 7 6 14,648 3 6 £ s. 44,649 6 17,194 14 14,478 1 29,757 11 8,874 1 8,899 14 5,614 8 53,447 6 52,567 8 14,136 7 a. 2 9 3 9 9 9 5 7 6 7 £ a. d. 2,927 11 8 £ s. d. Luekland lawke's Bay Vellington ... Jelson Vestland Janterbury ... )tago iouthland ... 4,245 12 9 6,989 16 2 7,241 18 7 6,076 11 11 6,507 5 6 681 3 11 574 - 17 8 826 1 0 511 15 11 270,203 249,619 5 1 9 6 249,619 1 6 7,999 5 5 28,583 7,999 9 5 8 5 Net decrease 20,584 4 3 20,584 4 3