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made to discharged soldiers for improvements, purchase of stock, and other chattels. It also contains other provisions found necessary for the efficient administration of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915. Eymont National Parle Act, 1924. —This Act, which sets apart certain lands in the vicinity of Mount Egmont as a national park, repeals previous legislation in this connection, vests the control and management of the park in a new Board, having local representatives as therein provided, prescribes the powers of the Board, restricts the issue of leases and licenses to certain purposes, and prescribes penalties for breaches of by-laws and other offences. Finance Act, 1924. —Section 4 of this Act authorizes the Minister of Finance to borrow such further amount as thinks fit, not exceeding £100,000, for the purposes of draining, reclaiming, and roading of lands subject to the provisions of the Hauraki Plains Act, 1908. Section 5 authorizes the Minister of Finance to borrow such further amount as he thinks fit, not exceeding £25,000, for the purposes of the Rangitaiki Land Drainage Act, 1913. Section .16 authorizes the reservation as a permanent State forest of 53,196 acres of the Selwyn Settlement on payment of £100,000 to the Land for Settlements Account out of the State Forests Account. Section 17 provides, inter alia, that as from the 31st March, 1924, local authorities shall be entitled to receive "halves" of the revenue derived from the disposal of timber on Crown lands, not only with respect to royalties derived therefrom, as had hitherto been the practice, but also with respect to sales of such timber in bulk for cash. Appropriation Act, 1924.—Section 14 empowers the Minister of Finance to apply out of the. Consolidated Fund to the credit of the Rangitaiki Land Drainage Account an amount not exceeding £60,000, to be applied in satisfaction of rates levied by the Minister of Lands under the authority of the Rangitaiki Land Drainage Act, 1910, for the period of three years ending on the 31st March, 1924. Lands foe Selection. During the year 463,946 acres were selected under all tenures, the average holding being about 350 acres. Except for exceptionally good dairying country and open sheep - grazing land, the demand for Crown land continues to be restricted. During the year there were not many large blocks offered, the sales by the Department being principally confined to scattered sections. The principal large block offered comprised portion of the Teviot Settlement (20,155 acres), in the Otago District. The area opened for selection during the year totalled 182,789 acres, comprising 1,009 holdings. At the present time there is a total area of about 480,000 acres of Crown, settlement, and national-endowment lands open for selection. Practically all Crown lands are now open for general application, although discharged soldiers obtain special preference where they are regarded as being suitable tenants and have the necessary qualifications. The Wilden Run, in the Otago District, is being subdivided into seven runs, the total area being 60,335 acres ; and from inquiries made it is expected that there will be a keen demand for this country. Deterioration of Crown and other Lands. For some years past it has been becoming increasingly evident that all was not well with the settlement of certain extensive areas of hilly bush country in some portions of the North Island, particularly in northern Taranaki and the south-western portion of the King-country generally, and in the Waioeka district in Opotiki County. These lands have to a very large extent been steadily reverting to second growth, with a consequent reduction in carrying-capacity, and notwithstanding the most sympathetic treatment by the Department in the way of remissions and postponements a number of tenants have been forced through stress of adverse circumstances to abandon their holdings, while others have been doing little more than holding on. The position lately has become more acute, and with a view to fully investigating the problem a special committee, comprising representatives of the Lands, Agriculture, and Valuation Departments, and farming interests, was set up in October last to report on the present condition of the Crown leaseholds affected, the cause of their deterioration, and the best methods of dealing with them so as to enable such lands to be profitably occupied and farmed. A separate investigation was also carried out in the Opotiki County. The special committee referred to made an exhaustive inspection of the hilly pastoral country between Raglan and Whangamomona generally, and by careful examination of the areas affected, and from meetings with the settlers, secured much information as to the extent and causes of the deterioration, &c. This information, together with the committee's suggestions in the matter of possible remedial measures, has been embodied in the exhaustive report that h s been received, a report that it is considered will prove of the utmost value in deciding upon the action necessary to stave off further deterioration and to bring back into profitable occupation the areas that have been affected by various classes of secondary growth and weeds. The investigation of the position in Opotiki County was completed in January last. A careful and detailed inspection of the areas there affected was carried out, from which it appears that many holdings have deteriorated to a large extent. This unsatisfactory state of affairs has been brought about largely by the sowing of English grasses which failed to become established ; by faulty handling and the felling of bush areas without the provision of sufficient fencing ; by the absence of settlers and shortage of labour during the war ; and in certain cases by the lack of suitable road access. That all these areas present a difficult problem must be candidly admitted; but at the same time evidence is not lacking that over much of the land secondary grasses can be successfully established and maintained, and the country gradually improved. It was not foreseen either by the Department or the settlers themselves that the long-established methods of breaking in bush country that have proved successful in other districts could not safely be applied to the areas in question; but a determined effort will now be made to evolve methods to meet the special conditions and requirements of the case.