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Lands offered and disposed of oueing the Year. The survey staff has been busily engaged in subdividing land for settlement purposes (a great deal of which is naturally getting more remote from year to year), resulting in the following area of lands being thrown open for selection : — .' cm. North of Auckland Citv .. .. .. .. .. .. 42,432 South of Auckland City .. . . .. .. .. .. 123,462 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. 165,894 At the beginning of the year the following area was open for selection : — Acres. North of Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. 143,747 South of Auckland City .. .. .. . . .. .. 682,842 Total .. .. .. .. .. 826,589 The area of land already open for selection, together with the area of new land offered, was therefore as follows :— Acres. North of Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. 186,179 South of Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. 806,304 Total area available for selection during the year .. .. 992,483 The following is an estimate of the new lands that will be opened during the coming year : — Acre" . North of Auckland .. .. .. .. .. .. 40,000 South of Auckland .. .. .. ... .. .. 105,000 Total ~. .. .. .. .. .. 145,000 Conditions and Peogeess of Settlement. Generally speaking, the reports from Crown Lands Rangers show that there are signs of progress in almost every direction. In localities that cannot be included amongst the more progressive ones, all that can be said is that they are practically in the same position as when last reported on. The non-progressive districts may have difficulties peculiar to them which have not affected other localities, and yet. whilst not showing signs of progress, have at least held their own. North of Auckland. The Rangers report as follows : — Mongonui County. —Settlement in this county is progressing at a fairly satisfactory rate. The chief industries are mixed farming, dairying, gum-digging, timber and flax milling. There are two co-operative dairy factories and one creamery in full work, another creamery in course of erection, and a third will probably be erected shortly. There are four timber-mills and five flax mills. The farmers and settlers generally have had a prosperous year, in spite of the heavy losses sustained by the unusually high flood in January last. Whangaroa County. —There is not much progress in Whangaroa County. It is hoped that the copper-mines will revive trade in the district. Bay of Islands County. —The bulk of the land in this county is of very poor quality. At Ohaeawai there is a dairy factory, and a creamery at Okaihau. There are also three flax-mills at work in the county, and one sawmill. The chief industry is stock-raising. There is a considerable area of first-class Native land at Kaikohe, which would be readily taken up. Hokianga County. —The Hokianga River and its tributaries, which have a length of about 250 miles along which oil and steam launches ply, give a special advantage to this county. Large vessels may be taken eighteen miles up the main river. Kohukohu and Rawene are the most important centres. The most progressive Crown settlement is Waimamaku (including Waiotemarama), which supports a cheese factory. The Kauri Timber Company's mill provides plenty of work for those in need of it. Herekino, Motukaraka, Broadwood, and Utukura are the next more advanced settlements. Throughout the whole county there is every indication of progress. The grass sown by the Department on a surrendered section near Broadwood was a great success, and has been the means of bringing several good settlers into the district. In the county there are six flax-mill/; and five sawmills at work, the wages at which amount to a considerable sum. Constant attention is necessary to protect from trespassers the State kauri forests of Huaki and Waipoua to the south, and Te Hura and Warawara to the north, of Hokianga River. Whangarei County. —The Crown tenants are, with few exceptions, doing very well. Especially is this so in Mangakahia and Purua Survey Districts, and in that part of Maungaru within the county. Otamatea and Hobson Counties. —The settlers in these districts all appear to be making fair progress. In the Tokatoka Swamp there has been a marked improvement. There are two creameries at work in the district, which has evidently a bright future before it. Bay of Islands County.— ln the' part of the county that comes within my district there has been considerable activity in the gum and flax industries, and settlement is progressing satisfactorily.