C.—l.

The lands dealt with above comprise both areas offered for the first time and areas which became available for reoffering through various reasons. The figures for entirely new rural areas selected during the year are as follows : —

Receipts. The receipts for the year from all sources (excluding, of course, Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account receipts) totalled £1,276,510, an increase of £16,720 on last year's figures. The receipts for the last five years have been as follows: Year ending 31st March, 1932, £776,489 ; 1933, £742,820 ; 1934, £1,020,198 ; 1935, £1,259,790 ; and 1936, £1,276,510. Postponements, Remissions, and Arrears of Rent. Rents the payment of which remained postponed at the 31st March amounted to £157,101. Arrears of rent at the 31st March (including arrears in respect of the current half-yearly charge) totalled £1,013,369, while remissions for the year totalled £151,836. Rebates. For prompt payment of rent 15,861 Crown tenants were granted the usual rebates 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 £37,949. National Endowment. Of the area in the national endowment, 6,451,906 acres were held under lease or license at the 31st March by 4,398 tenants, paying an annual rental of £141,071, 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 817,341 acres of education endowments under the administration of the various Land Boards is leased to some 4,134 tenants, who pay a total annual rental of £129,087. Land reserved fob various Pubposes. 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 forty-seven, covering an area of approximately 805 acres. A summary of \york carried out under the heading is given below : — Purpose of Reserve. Number of Area. reservations. a. r. p. Aerodrome .. .. .. .. 1 64 3 6 Camping .. . . .. .. .. 1 1 1 24 County buildings, site for .. .. .. 2 1 1 25 • 6 Defence .. .. .. .. . . . . 2 118 120 Gravel .. .. .. .. .. ..3 86 2 12-5 Hospital .. .. .. .. .. 1 19 0 30 Lighthouse . .. .. .. 2 68 3 10 Municipal .. .. .. .. ..2 200 Native-school site .. .. .. .. 1 5 1 21 Plantation .. .. .. .. 1 141 1 7 Police .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 0 2 28 Public buildings of General Government, site for . . 3 1 231■ 98 Public-hall site .. .. . . . . 3 1 3 28 Public-school site .. .. .. .. ..2 700 Public-school site, addition to .. . . 2 1 2 38 Pumping-station site .. .. . . .. 1 0 0 0• 83 Quarry .. .. . . ~. .. 2 42 011 Recreation .. .. .. .. ..11 195 2 31-2 Resting-place for travelling stock .. .. 1 4 014 River-protection .. .. .. .. ..1 0321 Roadman's cottage site .. .. .. ..1 500 Sanitary .. .. .. .. .. 1 35 0 7 War memorial, site for .. .. .. 1 0 1 15 47 805 1 22-11 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.

6

nioco nt t,„j I Number of New Rural Total Area selected Sections selected. for the First Time. Acres. Crown and national-endowment land .. .. 51 7,222 Settlement land .. .. .. .. .. Nil Nil Education reserves, &c. .. .. .. . . Nil Nil Grand totals .. .. .. .. 51 7,222