C— 1.

Revenue Returns. The revenue received from all sources amounted to £550,248, or some £40,000 in excess of last year. Under the heading of " Territorial Revenue " (which comprises receipts from ordinary Crown lands as distinct from that under the Land for Settlements Act, and embraces cash, deferred payment, perpetual lease (1885), occupation with right of purchase, lease in perpetuity, pastoral and small grazing-runs, timber licenses, &c), amounted t0|£260,789, whilst non-territorial (which embraces areas disposed of under the land-for-settlements conditions, State forests receipts, Cheviot Estate, amounts, recouped under Loans to Local Bodies Act, &c.) amounted to £289,459. The principal contributors under the first or territorial division were : Auckland, £51,770; Hawke's Bay (including Gisborne and East Coast), £23,088 ; Wellington, £26,836 ; Canterbury and Otago respectively, £50,726 and £50,956 ; whilst for the second or non-territorial division the chief contributors were : Auckland, £33,357 ; Hawke's Bay, £44,730; Wellington, £33,466; Marlborough, £21,180; Canterbury, £83,148, and Otago £31,366. The other land disticts contributed in a lesser degree, but all well up to the estimate. For the coming year, 1906-7, it is estimated that £245,000 will be received from territorial revenue (a less amount than last year, owing to the effect of the remission under the Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act), and from non-territorial sources, £291,000 (an excess over last year, owing to the opening for selection of new estates), the total estimated revenue being £536,000, though probably last year's receipts will be reached. Pastoral Runs. This subject is introduced for the sake of appending a table showing the position of all areas held as pastoral runs in Canterbury the years in which such leases expire, and the areas reverting to the Crown. This table of reference will be found very useful, because considerable pressure has been and is being put upon the Government to resume these runs, the petitioners not being aware that the only runs which can be resumed by giving twelve months' notice are those which were classed as " Pastoral and Agricultural " when the classification took place. All the runs classed and leased as " pastoral " can only be resumed with the consent of the lessees or by awaiting the falling-in of the leases by effluxion of time. In the Canterbury Land District, it will be seen by the table that on the 30th of last September 133 runs were held for a total area of 3,349,551 acres, and that not until 1911 and 1917 will any very extensive areas revert to the Crown, and that out of the whole area held only 15,078 acres is resumable upon twelve months' notice. In the Otago Land District 224 runs were held on 30th September last, with a total area of 4,499,629 acres, with no considerable areas falling into possession of the Crown until . after 1910, and that out of the total area given above only 297,287 acres is resumable upon giving twelve months' notice. Pastoral Runs, Canterbury Land District. Number of pastoral runs held at 30th September, 1905 .. .. . . 133 Area held 3,349,551 acres. Schedule showing Number of Pastoral-run Leases Expiring from Year to Year. Number of Total Area Year. Leases expiring. Acres. 1907 17 46,891 1908 5 6,217 1909 1910 13 117,961 1911 . .. .. .. ..24 1,169,400 1912 .. .. •• •• 13 400,009 1913 3 2,858 1914 . .. .. .. •• 13 107,912 1915 1 3,900 1916 1 1,839 1917 .. .. .. .. •• 14 835,723 1918 .. .. •• •• •• 18 459,492 1919 .. .. .. •• 8 193,033 1920 1 3,938 131 3,349,173 Yearly licenses .. .. .. .. • • 2 378 133 3,349,551 Acres. Area resumable .. .. .. .. .. 15,078 Area not resumable .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,334,473 3,349,551

5