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ANNUAL EEPOET. The Under-Secretary for Lands to the Hon. the Minister of L.ands. Sir ' — Department of Lands, Wellington, Ist June, 1908. I have the honour to submit herewith the thirty-first annual report of the Department of Lands, and shortly to touch upon its cognate branches, the full reports on which you will lay before Parliament in their ordinary sequence. I have, <fee. Wm. C. Kensington, The Hon. Robert MoNab, Minister of Lands. Under-Secretary for Lands. Result of "The Land Laws Amendment Act, 1907." As a preliminary to the recording of statistics showing the progress of settlement during the year, it may not be considered out of place to briefly state what was the result of the passing of the above Act. I mean by this, what additional labour did it entail upon the Department—(a) In the withdrawal of lands already open for selection, and enumerated in the several Land Guides; (b) in the reopening of the same under the altered conditions imposed not only by the Act of 1907,' but also by those enacted by the National Endowment Act of last session; (c) in the framing and gazetting of fresh regulations to suit the altered circumstances. The lands necessarily withdrawn from selection soon after the Ist December, 1907 (the Land Laws Amendment Act only becoming law on the 20th November), amounted to 2,118,188 acres, as more particularly enumerated in the attached. Table A—Area of land in each Land District advertised in Land Guides at time of passing of " The Land Laws Amendment Act, 1907," and which had to be withdrawn and reopened. Auckland 633/T9l 0 o Hawke's Bay 19797 0 0 Taranaki ... 35974 0 Q Wellington 5982 0 0 Nelson ••■ ■•■ •■• ... ... 254,576 0 0 Marlborough ... ... ... ... 138,132 0 0 Wescland ... ... ... 881,199 0 13 Canterbury ... ... 45,673 0 32 ota ?° ■■• ... ... 49,024 0 0 Southland ... ... ... 54040 0 0 Total area ... ... ... ... ...2,118,188 1 5 The lands readvertised for opening for sale or selection (including national endowment lands) in the short time left before the close of the financial year on the 31st March, 1908, amounted to 1,277,072 acres, specified in Table B. This, I venture to submit, was a most creditable performance, more especially as the new regulations (set forth in Table C) all had to be carefully thought out, submitted to yourself for approval, then sent to the Crown Law Officers for perusal and revision, -forwarded to His Excellency the Governor and (in most cases) the Executive Council for execution, and finally published in the Gazette. These regulations embraced eight different subjects, contained in 163 different clauses and eighteen schedules, and dealt with various matters enacted by the new Land Act, but not set forth in detail in that statute. Table fl.—Area of land in each Land District advertised for sale or selection from passim; of " The Land Laws Amendment Act, 1907," to 31st March, 1908. Area. Remarks. Auckland 94,732 111 Includes 2,583 acres, national endowment. Hawke's Bay ... ... 21,754 0 12 Taranaki ... ... ... 23,516 215 Includes 9,537 acres 3 roods 24 perches, national endowment. Wellington 28,272 121 Includes 370 acres 1 rood, national endowment Nt'lson ... 70,801 033 Includes 42,530 acres, national endowment Marlborough ... ... 295 0 00 Wertland 859,102 000 Includes 17,701 acres, national endowment Canterbury ... ... ... 47,038 3 29 Otago ... ... ... 105,884- 2 30 Southland ... ... ... 25,674 3 21 Total area ... 1,277,072 012 Includes 72,722 acres and 24 perches, national endowment.

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