C.—l.

(b) The total cost of development works carried out to the 31st March, 1932—

In addition to the expenditure on the blocks set out above, funds have been expended on the roading, survey, &c., of various areas which are being developed by the settlers themselves. The total expenditure on roading, surveys, and development (apart from roading costs payable out of the Public Works Fund) up to the 31st March, 1932, was £196,050. (c) and (d) No developed allotments had been disposed of as at 31st March, 1932, but sections in the following blocks are to be offered at an early date : Wharekohe Block, 22 sections ; Te Kauwhata, 3 ; Onepu, 4 ; Koromatua, 4 ; Mangatutu, 5 : Total, 38 sections. (e) The total amount advanced to Crown tenants for the development of their sections, the number of advances, and the purposes for which such advances have been made :— Loans approved up to the 31st March numbered 324, covering a total of £126,058. The amount actually advanced up to 3.lst March was £67,227. The advances were made for bushfelling, ploughing, grassing-, fencing, draining, provision of water-supplies, erection and repair of buildings, and purchases of manure and grass-seed. Notes. (a) Ngakuru Blocks.—The work carried out on these blocks in establishing pastures is most promising. Last season one section was run as a dairy-farm, a herd of fifty-five being milked with satisfactory results. This area has now been set aside as a demonstration farm, and will be run by the Department of Agriculture. In addition to a thorough trying-out of the butterfat-producing capabilities of the land, the farm will be used to carefully investigate a variety of points connected with the control and management of pastures on new pumice country. Six other farms are being let to share milkers under special conditions. These farms will also be under the supervision and control of the Agriculture Department, and each share milker will work his farm as a separate unit so as to demonstrate the possibilities of the individual sections. It is considered inadvisable to place settlers on further areas until more experience of the capabilities of the land has been gained ; but sufficienthas already been accomplished to give good grounds for the hope that the development of Ngakuru will pave the way for the ultimate settlement of a great deal of land of similar quality. (b) Galatea Estate. —On this estate it is proposed during the coming season to regrass a total area of 1,250 acres, being portions of eighteen sections ; to sow 400 acres in turnips and 50 acres in oats; and to grass 150 acres with a suitable mixture for hay and ensilage. Some experimental top-dressing will also be carried out, and the whole work will involve the ploughing of 1,850 acres. The programme of work is designed to gradually test various methods of cultivation and manurial applications with a view to determining the best way of establishing suitable dairying pasture over the bulk of the estate. In the meantime the estate is being run as a station in such a manner as to ensure a maximum return for the money invested. (c) Development Advances to Settlers. —Reports received indicate that the system of granting development loans to settlers holding or taking up undeveloped land is producing good results and is resulting in the selection of numerous areas of more or less inferior country by a good practical type of settler. Special Settlement of Inferior Lands. The following summary of the lands dealt with during the year is furnished in accordance with the provisions of section 223 (14) of the Land Act, 1924 :■ — (a) Aggregate area of land set apart: Nil. (b) Number of allotments and aggregate area disposed of : Seven allotments, 1,591 acres« The total number of allotments taken up and the area held as at 31st March, 1932, was thirty four allotments, 8,169 acres.

4

Expenditure During Year Total Expenditure i to ended to 31st March, 1931. 31st March, 1932. j 31st March, 1932. £ £ £ (1) Wkarekohe Block .. ., .. 410 4,247 4,657 (2) Ngakuru No. 1 Block .. .. 15,301 21'506* (3) Ngakuru No. 2 Block .. .. 5,747 36,521 | 42,268* (4) Te Kauwhata Block .. .. 18,941 13,803 | 32,744* (5) Onepu Block .. .. .. 961 7,610 8,571* (6) Koromatua Block .. .. .. 574 2,250 2,824 (7) Galatea Estate . . . . . . . . 17 559 17 559* (8) Wkangamarino Block . . . . .. 2 261 2 261 (9) Mangatutu Block .. .. .. 2^525 (10) Tapuwae Estate .. .. .. 7,526 6,951 14,477* (11) Kakariki Estate .. .. .. 11,237 11,237 (12) Ngamahanga Block .. .. .. .. 10^809 (13) Easterfield Block . . . . .. 349 555 904 49,809 122,533 172,342 * Includes expenditure for live-stock as follows: Ngakuru No. 1 Block, £1,010; Ngakuru No. 2 Block, £2,135; Te Kauwhata Block, £3,141; Onepu Block, £383; Tapuwae Settlement, £3,717; Galatea Settlement, £7,500: Total £17,886.