C—l.

Transfers.—The number of transfers during the year was as follows : — Tenure - Number. Area. Deferred payments ... ... ... 5 g™ P ™ Perpetual leases ... ... ... 27 1 245 3 2" Occupation with right of purchase ... ... 3 011 Lease in perpetuity (ordinary Crown lands) 43 8,396 3 4 » (land for settlements) ... ... 38 e'944 323 Occupation leases (Mining Districts Land Occupation Q 6 162 1 16 Small grazmg-runs ... ... ... 9 15,489 338 M.! tO .. lrU " S 9 77,309 010 Miscellaneous 8 2 ; 0Q5 Q g Totals 138 112,787 2 16 Arrears— As indicated in my remarks under the heading " Eebates of Rent " the arrears are now much less than they were at the 31st March, 1901. Fre.n the summary it will he .seen tS 991°!<? le . {I" ln a " ear Va 7 \ re P resenti »S « -ea of 77,627 acres, the amoun owing being £3,291 16s. lid. as against 259 selectors, 92,557 acres, and £5,130 0s 2d arrears a difference of eighty-one selectors, 14,930 acres, and £1,838 3s. 3d. arrears no withstanding the increase in the number of selectors on the books-a result which I htnk under ah till circumstances, must be regarded as very satisfactory Swmbum Farm-homestead Association.-This settlement is in much the same position as at he date of my last report fourteen settlers occupying an area of 2,765 acres 1 rood 12 perches at a yearly rental of £121 2s. 4d„ the total amount received during the year beina £106 lis 7d It may perhaps be as well to state that the association has' practically ceased to exit and that ne tenants on the block are now, to all intents and purposes" simply "ordinary lessees m"derThe t Th6re tWelve ancf fortyporsons resident; Smrove ments, £1,877 Ranger Atkinson reports in respect of this block as follows : » The people on this settlement are doing fairly well The number of the original settlers is becoming Gradually less their places being taken by other settlers in the neighbourhood. The past season has been especially favourable for the settlers of the interior as regards feed, which ha_ not been so plentiful for many years The nine remaining of the original fourteen seem to be satisfied and the con ditions of their leases are being fairly well complied with " sauisnea, ana tne conSettlers' Progress generally and Settlement Conditions. -In reporting as to the progress made by settlers generally on ordinary Crown lands the Grown Lands Ringers state as follow. During the past year good progress has been made on ordinary Crown lands The Trices ruling for grain last season were low, but good returns were obtained in most cases The Thisleart ** »£ ™* als ° ™t™me_3 iii assist g tanners generally Ih.s year, however, fewer lambs are coming forward, owino- principally to the shortness or feed in the early part of the season, which was excessively dry. When he cWht broke up in December last feed at once became plentiful, but it was too late in the year for early lambs. The crops, which until then were very backward, came on very quickly and notwith standing the lateness of the season large yields of grain were promised everywhere Uniortuall S'r ZT' ThTi___7fa_ WM . e^™ nced - with the serious losses occurred ntriv all over Otago. lhe puces for grain this year promise to be high, while even damaged -rain is commanding a good price; and, as a matter of fact, discoloured grain is bringing geMe" price han the first-class gram of last year. The turnip-crops are very good, but potatoes have suffered through the excessive moisture of the last few months. In the bush clfstr ctsgenerally he settlers have made very good progress during the year. Many of the worst' roadf have'been improved, new dairy factories have been started, while the price of cattle has bee very good With the exception of some parts of Central Otago, where the land as a rule is dry and poor the residence and improvement conditions of the various leases have been well complied wih '' The ordinary inspections made by the Crown Lands Eangers during the year number 1 475 the aggregate area thus represented being 476,211 acres. Thevalue of hnprovem ents require, on the holdings visited amounts to £172,244 7s. Bd., while the value of those actually effected is appraised at £185,326 9s„ an excess of £13,082 over requirements. This excess.though'not so great in proportion as reported last year, maybe regarded as satisfactory, taW into cons.dera tmn the fact that the inspections included a much larger extent of rough country in h.intero on which improvements cannot with advantage be effected to the same extent as n more favoured ocahties. The Eangers have also performed a large amount of work of a special character apart from ordinary inspections, in relation to Land Board matters requiring special inspection valua tz\iLX:^zzi7 & T Dumerous applications for — iia — f 4°-y lissr^S-Improved-farm Settlements. A few slight changes have been made in the allotment of sections as well as adjustments of areas during the year, there now being fifty-three selectors holding an aggregate area o 7 466 acres in five of the settlements hereinafter mentioned, or three selectors less and "a few acres more than shown in last year's returns. The number of persons resident is 964 «,, _i_.Ltool m ° ie than felled 3,586 acres as against 3,446 acres, the areaTrassed27B7 as agaitst 3 498 »fk° T* of cattle on the allotments 1,121 as against I, O KZ ? SllS? to improvements was-for houses, £17; bushfelling and other works, £1,536 3s. 7d ? making the tota ° f the * the'3l^^

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