A—i

(e) The Total Amount advanced to Crown Tenants for the Development op their Holdings, the Number op Advances and the Purpose por which Advances are made. Number of settlers assisted .. .. .. ~ 604 Loans approved— £ Improvements .. .. .. ~ 276 842 Stock •• •• •• •• .. .. 631 £298,473 Amounts actually advanced— £ Improvements .. .. .. .. , _ 254 084 Stock •• ■■ •• •• •• .. .. 19^585 £273,669 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: Nil. The total number of allotments taken up and the area held as at 31st March, 1940, was thirty-six allotments, 7,078 acres. LANDS FOR SELECTION. During the year 315,343 acres were taken up on various tenures, the number of selections being 974 under all headings. These figures include some 502 sections, comprising altogether an area of 65,631 acres taken up under miscellaneous leases and licenses, so that' the selections on permanent tenures numbered 472 sections, covering a total area of 249,712 acres. The following table gives the selections of Crown Lands for the last five years :— Selections under all Tenures. , r ~ Area. Year ending Number. (Acres.) 31st March, 1936 .. .. .. .. .. 1,037 210,026 31st March, 1937 .. .. .. .. .. 1,342 463,178 31st March, 1938 .. .. .. .. .. i ; 072 232,225 31st March, 1939 .. .. .. .. .. i ; 062 271,549 31st March, 1940 .. .. .. .. .. 974 315,343 The lands dealt with above comprise both areas offered for the first time and areas which became available for re-offering 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 totalled £1,200,013. The receipts for the last five years have been as follows : Year ending 31st March, 1936 £1 276 510 • 1937, £1,402,596 ; 1938, £1,577,230 ; 1939, £1,429,501 ; 1940, £1,200,013. POSTPONEMENTS, REMISSIONS, AND ARREARS OF RENT. Rents the payment of which remained postponed at the 31st March amounted to £28,431. Arrears of rent at the 31st March (including arrears in respect of the current half-yearly charge) totalled £484,010, while remissions for the year totalled £132,752. The total remissions include the sum of £119,854, representing rent and interest remitted under the provisions of the Mortgagors and lessees Rehabilitation Act, 1936.

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Class of Land. ! Num ber of New Rural I Total Area seleoted | Seotions selected. for the First Time. Crown land .. .. .. .. .. 64 6 °155 Settlement land .. .. .. .. ,, 3 ' I Grand totals . < .. .. .. 67 6 340