III

C.-l

Summary. Ordinary Crown'lands— Acres. First time .\ ~ .. ~ .. .. .. ~ 1,700,580 Previously.. ~ .. .. .. .. ~ .. 870,236 Land for settlements— 2BJC ZUZ Firsttime .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 137,349 Previously.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,982 Grand total .. .. .. .. .. 2,714,147 The chief points disclosed are that the gross total of the Crown lands opened for lease and sale amounted to 2,570,816 acres, and if the estates acquired under the Land for Settlements Acts be added, the aggregate is 2,714,147 acres for the year. This, again, may be separated into 1,837,929 acres never previously offered and 876,218 acres reopened after reclassification and valuation. Deducting 2,313 acres submitted on the cash tenure, and 1,809,818 acres as pastoral runs, and on the other hand including the Land for Settlements estates area of 143,331 acres, it will be seen that 902,016 acres were thrown open on settlement conditions or in small areas. This, however, included 294,868 acres reopened during the year. No fewer than 477,953 acres were opened on the optional system, conferring the right of choice of three tenures —viz., cash, occupation with right of purchase, and lease in perpetuity, as provided in Part 111 of " The Land Act, 1892." Only 3,396 acres were found suitable for holdings on village-settlement conditions. The principles relating to small grazing-runs were applied to 128,945 acres. This is the system which provides for periodic revaluation of the land and improvements and adjustment of rents as between landlord and tenant. On this tenure an additional area of 36,444 acres were opened under the provisions of " The Land for Settlements Consolidation Act, 1900." The area of Crown lands proper opened under section 121 of " The Land Act, 1892," on the lease-in-perpetuity tenure only, because the lands contain, or are believed to contain, minerals, metals, or valuable stone, amounted to 130,094 acres; whilst 106,987 acres were offered on the same tenure in compliance with the Land for Settlements Acts. The districts and localities where the principal blocks were thrown open' for selection are as follows: — In the Auckland Land District 758,679 acres were opened, including 531,566 acres on the pastoral-license tenure, of which 266,874 acres were within the Hauraki Goldfields, the balance being situated in the Taupo, Rotorua, and Clifton Counties, which are not suitable for close settlement. Numerous blocks of land were opened on the "optional system," comprising nearly 90,000 acres of surveyed land in the Piako, Rotorua, and Ohinemuri Counties, and smaller areas throughout the whole district. The provisions of section 121 of "The Land Act, 1892," were applied to 9,000 acres in the Coromandel, Kawhia, and Tauranga Counties. An area of over 83,000 acres was opened on the " unsurveyed " system under Part 111. of the Act, the localities being East Taupo, Hokianga, Opotiki, Tauranga, and Whakatane Counties. Small grazing-runs to the extent of 40,000 acres were offered for selection, comprising blocks in the East Taupo, Rotorua, and Whakatane Counties; in addition, 2,673 acres were opened on the village-homestead system in the Kinohaku Village Settlement, Kawhia County. Besides these areas, 12,336 acres of Land for Settlements estates were offered on the lease-in-perpetuity and small-grazing-run tenures, comprising the Bickerstaffe Settlement of 11,936 acres, near Maungaturoto, and the Waari Hamlet, of 400 acres, at Avondale, Auckland. In Hawke's Bay the area thrown open for selection on settlement conditions amounted to 116,829 acres, including 84,549 acres which had not previously been advertised. Of this about 70,000 acres were offered for the first time under the optional system, situated principally in the Motu, Waitahaia, and Hangaroa Districts; 9,000 acres on the small-grazing-run tenure in the Tuahu District; besides small blocks in various parts of Hawke's Bay. In addition, there was an area of 32,000 acres opened under the optional and small-grazing-run systems distributed throughout the district, which had been reclassified and brought under the provisions of " The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903." The Argyle and Wigan Estates, comprising 43,648 acres, were submitted to public competition under the lease-in-perpetuity and small-grazing-run tenures, as defined by the Land for Settlements Acts. The Department, acting for the Native owners, offered the Waipiro Native Township for lease under the provisions of " The Native Townships Act, 1895." The Taranaki Land District produced the most attractive blocks of forest lands which were submitted for settlement; no less than 113,545 acres, the greater part of which were situated in the central and northern parts of the district, and also cue large block inland from Patea