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Rebates. For prompt payment of rent 18,770 Crown tenants were granted the usual rebate in terms of section 123 of the Land Act, 1924, and section. 59 of the Land for Settlements Act, 1925. These rebates amounted to a total of £58,517. National Endowment. Of the area in the national endowment 6,630,806 acres were held under lease or license at the 31st March by 4,477 tenants, paying an annual rental of £139,404, while a very large area (partly, however, covered by existing leases) had been set aside as provisional State forests. For further particulars re the national endowment see parliamentary paper C.-14. Educational Endowment. An area of approximately 815,600 acres of educational endowments under the administration of the various Land Boards is leased to some 4,061 tenants, who pay a total annual rental of £133,304. Lessees of rural education reserves continue to take advantage of the provisions of section 26 of the Education Reserves Act, 1928 (formerly section 3 of the Education Reserves Amendment Act, 1927), enabling them to apply for permission to surrender their existing leases, and to receive in exchange new leases for a term of twenty-one years with a perpetual right of renewal for further terms, and with full compensation for improvements. A considerable number of such applications, the majority being from the, Southland District, were received and approved during the year. Land-drainage Operations. During the year ended 31st March last some 1,536,545 cubic yards of spoil were excavated by floating and dry-land excavators. In addition, 29,688 yards of rock were dealt with. Further particulars of the various activities of this branch of the Department are given in Appendix 111. Lands reserved for various Purposes. Under the provisions of section 360 of the Land Act, 1924, and section 71 of the Land for Settlements Act, 1925, various areas of Crown and settlement land were permanently reserved during the year. The reservations made totalled ninety-one, covering an area of 1,040 acres. A summary of work carried out under this heading is given below. Purpose of Reserve. p Number of Area. r Keservations made. A. li. p. Acclimatization .. .. .. .. .. 1 18 3 0 Additions to school-sites ... .. .. ..3 3 3 7-26 Camping .. .. .. .. ..4 43 36-4 Cemetery .. .. .'. .. .'.' 2 0 2 2-3 Government purposes .. .. .. ..1 014 Gravel and quarry .. .. .. . . 4 32 1 20-9 Hot springs .. .. .. .. ..2 10 1 11 Municipal .. . . .. ' .. .. 1 0 0 4-7 Plantation .. .. .. .. ..9 130 0 21 Police-station site .. .. .. 1 3 0 21 Public-hall site .. .. .. .. .. 1 0 10 Railway .. .. .. .. .. ..1 3 3 33-1 Recreation .. .. .. .. ..38 666 0 31-97 River protection .. . . .. .. 2 72 132 Roadmen's cottage sites .. .. .. ..2 828 School-sites .. .. .. .. ..11 24 1 5-8 Travelling stock . . .. .8 60 1 3 Totals .. .. .. ..91 1,040 1 2-43 The above, does not include areas that have been vested in the Crown as public reserves in town subdivisions pursuant to the provisions of section 16 of the Land Act, 1924,

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