C.— L

These areas may possibly be supplemented by, say, another 20,000 acres at present under survey in different localities, making a gross total of new lands of about 98,000 acres. On the general question of roads (which of course is a matter of £ s. d.), I propose shortly going into the matter with Mr. Boad Surveyor Murray, and will later on lay definite proposals before you with regard thereto. Eeferring to the prospects of Taranaki as a field for settlement, I feel sure that it has great possibilities, for although there is a great deal of broken country in the back blocks, still the great bulk of it is grass-producing. The generally copious rainfall of the district tends to keep feed plentiful through what are the dry seasons in other parts of the colony. The prevailing drawback is the want of good access, and when roads are formed the absolute want of good metal is severely felt. To cope with this latter difficulty it appears that our only fallback will be the erection of extensive papa kilns in convenient places during the summer months, when fuel for burning is dry and plentiful. Excepting this question of roads, I see no reason why in the almost immediate future substantial headway with settlement should not be made, generally speaking in areas of from 400 to 2,000 acres, particularly in the north-eastern, eastern, and southeastern portions of the land district. Improved-farm Settlements. Poti. —108 acres, m eight sections, all felled and grassed; occupied by eight settlers, but only four families are resident, and thirty-one persons on the land Live-stock :65 cattle and 5 horses. Value of improvements effected at selectors' own cost, £566. Ngaire. —169 acres 2 roods 30 perches, in sixteen sections, all felled and grassed ; occupied by fifteen settlers, all resident, the total number of persons on the land being fifty-eight. Livestock :86 cattle and 13 horses. Improvements at selectors' own cost, £647 10s. Maata. —3o acres, in three sections, all felled and grassed; occupied by two settlers, eleven persons on the land. Live-stock :26 cattle and 2 horses. Improvements at selectors' own cost, £92. These settlements are close to the Borough of Eltham, in a thriving district devoted to dairying pursuits. There is a school, post-office, and store in the Ngaire Settlement. The farms are, however, being gradually enlarged by transfer of some of the sections to adjoining holders. The improvements at selectors' own cost are no more than they were last year. Tongaporuttt. —2,500 acres, in sixteen sections; only five of these, however, are held by four persons under the original tenure, the remainder being held by the original selectors under the ordinary conditions of the Land Act. Two selectors surrendered their holdings and reselected them at reduced rentals. The area felled and grassed by the original selectors is 286 acres out of about 452 acres. There are twenty-nine persons on the land, and the numbers of live-stock are 86 cattle, 56 sheep, and 10 horses. Improvements at selectors' own cost are valued at £416. There is a store, school, and post and telephone office in the settlement. Derwent. —l,369 acres, in thirteen sections, seven of them being held by five original settlers, they holding four other sections under the ordinary conditions of the Land Act, and two sections are vacant. The settlers remaining have felled and grassed 459 acres out of 698 acres. There are twenty-five persons on the land. Live-stock : 163 cattle, 234 sheep, and 13 horses. Improvements effected at selectors' own cost are valued at £808. On this settlement there is a post and telephone station, also an accommodation-house. These two settlements are close to the mouth of the Tongaporutu Eiver, which is navigable for small craft. A dray-bridge over the river connecting the settlements will be opened probably next August. Okau. —1,889 acres 2 roods, in nineteen sections, situate about nine miles from the mouth of the Tongaporutu Eiver. There are four settlers now holding four sections, they having also five other sections under the ordinary conditions, the remaining ten sections being merged into larger holdings. The original settlers have felled and grassed 280 acres out of 388 acres, the value of the improvements at their own cost being £200. There are twenty-three persons on the land, and the live-stock amounts to 55 cattle and 12 horses. Greenlands. —603 acres, in six sections, situate about seventeen miles from the mouth of the Tongaporutu Eiver, and four miles from the Moki Eoad. There are three original settlers holding three sections, another member of the same family holds another section under the ordinary conditions, and two are vacant. The area felled and grassed is 236 acres out of 302 acres. There are seven persons on the land. Live-stock: 39 cattle and 6 horses. Improvements effected at selectors' own cost are valued at £78 10s. Uruti. —697 acres, in seven sections, five held by three settlers who have taken up the remainder under ordinary conditions. The area felled and grassed is 463 acres out of 497 acres. There are twenty-three persons on the land. Live-stock : 168 cattle, 57 pigs, and 18 horses. Improvements effected at selectors' own cost are valued at £480 10s. An accommodation-house, school, store, and post and telephone office have been built on the settlement, and the settlers will probably supply a dairy factory shortly. Mangapoua (Burfoot). —708 acres, in seven sections, of which two are held under original tenure, the remainder having been disposed of in two lots under ordinary conditions. There is only one settler residing, a single man ; the other lives'on the land near by. The area felled and grassed is 85 acres out of 200 acres. The value of improvements effected at selectors' own cost is £163. The live-stock consists of 5 cattle, 140 sheep, and 2 horses. Huiroa. —668 acres 1 rood 21 perches, in nine sections, of which eight are held by seven settlers, the remaining one being held by one of them under the ordinary conditions. The area felled and grassed is 485 acres out of 571 acres. There are thirty-seven persons on the land, 258 cattle, and 12 horses. Improvements effected at selectors' own cost are valued at £1,039. The settlement has a school, store, and post-office. Mangaere. —4B2 acres 2 roods 13 perches, in thirteen sections, of which eleven are held by ten persons, only eight of the original settlers remaining. One of the settlers holds another section

11