C.—l.

Summary of Work done. Miles. Cli. Number. Clearing drains .. .. .. 290 42 Cottages built .. .. .. 45 Widening and deepening drains .. 26 42 Mi] king-sheds built .. .. 42 Constructing new drains .. . . 23 42 Huts built . . .. .. 20 River-channels and canals maintained 32 28 Cub. yd. Roads formed .. . . . . 14 54 Metal used on roads . . .. 4,433 Roads metalled .. .. .. 576 Clay carted for roads .. .. 11,044 Stop-banks formed .. .. .. 070 Spoil excavated by excavators .. 241,329 Stop-banks repaired .. .. .. 5 9 Rock excavated .. .. .. 3,000 Fences erected .. .. .. 91 71 Acres. Water-supply pipes laid .. .. 972 Area cleared .. .. .. 2,289 Number. Area stumped .. . . .. 171 Flood-gates built .. .. .. 1 Area ploughed .. .. .. 2,671 Bridges erected .. .. . . 20 Area grassed .. . . . . 1,834 Road culverts constructed .. .. 3 Area top-dressed .. .. .. 567 Office. —The expenditure recorded totalled £154,348 lis. 4d., and of this amount £52,542 12s. 2d. was paid through Thames and Whakatane Imprest Accounts. A total of 164 piecework and co-operative contracts were let, and 4,599 vouchers prepared and passed for payment. The revenue collected, excluding drainage rates, amounted to £5,289 14s. 2d. Drainage Rates. —Drainage rates levied on Hauraki Plains, Rangitaiki, Kaitaia, and Waibi areas totalled £20,617 14s. Id., entailing 2,063 rate notices. Rates collected amounted to £9,436 3s. 9d. Photostat. —This machine was in operation on seventy-five occasions, and 6,974 prints were taken, covering. 5,206 for the Department, 196 for other Departments (charged for), 1,491 for other Departments (not charged for), and 81 spoils. This shows 747 less than last year's record of 7,721. A considerable amount of extra work was created last year by investigations under the small-farm scheme of a non-recurring nature, and it was expected that this year's total would show a decrease. There is no slackening-ofi in the general work, and the machine is still in constant demand.

Table 1.—Return showing (approximately) Position of Lands in the Dominion at 31st March, 1935.

26

Total Area Land unfit for 'Pnfoi 0T.00 tw«i a too of Crown Lands Total Area of Settlement iotai area : xotai Area leased under Crown Lands Total Area (including Total Area District. sold or granted reserved for a jj Tenures available for of Area occupied in Land ananeiaon iudiic (exclusive of Future Native Land. by Rivers, District. Freehold. | Purposes. Reserves leased Disposal. Lakes, Koads, by Crown). &c.). Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. North Auckland .. 2,605,465 442,022 569,259 127,010! 517,016 217,428 4,478,200 Auckland .. .. 2.605,420 I 1.239,208 999,803 566,858 1,633,785 1,175,499 8,220,573 Gisborne • .. .. 1,131,909 ; 481,806 536,271 73,263 1,042,139 254,103 3,519,491 Hawke's Bay .. .. 1,546,864 202,324 550,139 165,232 371,535 78,227 2,914,321 Taranaki .. .. 1,122,563 342,041 629,775 71,952 j 165,751 72.349 2,404,431 Wellington* .. .. 3,521,043 1,069.461 793,627 140,155 787,057 739,726 7,051,069 Nelson .. .. 658,628 2,380.311 767,739 89,304 30,051 788,967 4,715,000 Marlborough .. .. 789,341 i 348,505 1,467,976 53,806 .. 108,372 2,768,000 Westland .. .. 166.183 1 2,176,720 658,430 393,021 .. 469,024 3,863,378 Canterbury .. .. 3,556,323 I 1,458,587 3,922,432 59,713 .. 481,375 9,478,430 Otago .. .. 1,974,512 I 970,963 5,454,282 26,152 .. 668,448 9,094,357 Southland .. .. 1,854,939 4,407,355 1,382,272 109,133 .. 129,247 7,882,946 Totals .. ,. 21,533,190 j 15,519,303 | 17,732,005 1,875,599 4,547,334 5,182,765 66,390,196 * Includes Chatham Islands.