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The Education Reserves Amendment Act, 1931, contains a provision for the registration against new or renewed leases of education-reserve land of all encumbrances affecting the expired leases of that land. Certain provisions of the Land Act, 1924, authorizing the postponement or remission of rent are extended to apply to leases of education reserves adininistered by a Land Board. The Reserves and other Lands Disposal Act, 1931, contains twenty sections dealing with Crown lands, reserves, &c. Section 24 of the Finance Act, 193] (No. 4), makes special financial provisions respecting lands reserved or acquired for the purposes of the Post and Telegraph Department. Such lands when temporarily not required for post-and-telegraph purposes may be leased under the Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Act, 1928, and the revenues derived therefrom paid to the Post Office Account. Land - development. Steady progress has been made with the programme of land-development, and the following summary of operations up to the 31st March, 1932, under Part I of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1929, is furnished pursuant to section 10 of the Act : — (a) The several areas of unoccupied Crown lands in respect of which development works have been undertaken : — (1) Wharekohe Block, of 3,500 acres of gum-land, Whangarei District: 1,450 acres is being developed, and this block will subdivide into twenty-two dairy-farms. At date 335 acres has been cultivated and sown down in grass. An additional 330 acres is ready for sowing, while cultivation of the balance of the area is well advanced. At date twenty-six men are employed on development work and twenty on roading ; 1,047 chains of fencing has been erected. (2) Ngakuru No. 1 Block, of 2,200 acres of light pumice land, fifteen miles from Rotorua : At the 31st March, 1,196 acres was under development; 1,117 acres has been cleared and grassed; nearly thirty-nine miles of fencing has been erected ; 79 acres of shelter-belts has been planted. (3) Ngakuru No. 2 Block, comprising 6,000 acres, of which approximately half is ploughable : 3,700 acres is being developed. At date 3,067 acres has been grassed, and 600 acres is in course of being developed. Nearly 64 miles of fencing has been erected. (4) Te Kauwhata Block, of 1,750 acres of wattle country : This land is being converted into thirteen dairy-farms and 1,120 acres is being developed prior to offering for selection. Three farms are ready to be offered. At date 604 acres is in new grass, 97 acres in old pasture, while 329 acres is cultivated and ready for sowing ; 984 chains of fencing has been erected. (5) Ōnepu Block, of 2,446 acres, near Te Teko, on southern end of the Rangitaiki Plains : Will subdivide into sixteen dairy-farms. Four farms are ready for selection. To date 1,071 acres has been grassed, while 440 acres is cleared ready for cultivation ; about 11 miles of fencing has been erected ; about two miles and a half of new drains has been constructed, and two miles and a half of old drains reconditioned. . r . (6) Koromatua Block, of 941 acres, in the Elstow district, Hauraki : This area will subdivide into six dairy-farms. To date 162 chains fencing, 135 chains roading, and three miles and a half of draining have been carried out; 50 acres has been grassed, while 106 acres is cultivated and ready for grassing. (7) Galatea Estate, of 22,326 acres, near Murupara: A purchased estate, portions of which are being developed. To date 2,550 chains of fencing has been erected. It is proposed during the coming season to regrass certain portions, totalling about 1,250 acres, and to grow a certain amount of roots and fodder crops. (8) Whangamarino Block, near Mercer : Comprises 842 acres. Will subdivide into eight holdings suitable for dairying. 800 acres has been scrubbed and ploughed and are lying fallow. The area will be grassed next autumn. (9) Mangatutu Block, near Otorohanga : Area, 778 acres. Will subdivide into five dairy-farms. The area under development (388 acres) is at date wholly grassed, and this block will soon be offered for selection. _ _ (10) Tapuwae Estate, King-country, a purchased estate of 3,350 acres, comprising table-land country of good quality : Will subdivide into eleven farms suitable for grazing and dairying. To date, 2,054 acres have been grassed and 296 chains of fencing erected. Contracts for erection of seven miles of boundary fencing have been (11) Kakariki Estate, a purchased estate of 17,688 acres ; location, Kote Maori: 6,990 acres are being developed, and this area will provide ten sheep-runs. 5,672 acres have been cleared of manuka, tea-tree, &c., but is not yet burnt off ; 550 acres has been (12) Ngamahanga Block; location, Mohaka : Comprises 10,871 acres, of which 4,305 acres is being developed. This latter area will provide three sheep-runs. 4',231 acres has been cleared of manuka, &c., but has not yet been burnt off. (13) Easterfield Block, near Westport, comprising 750 acres of pakihi land : Some 60 acres have been limed, fertilized, and sown in grass, and the grassing experiments will probably be extended over a further 60 acres. These experiments will have an important bearing on the development of large areas of similar lands on the West Coast, which are at present lying idle.

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