I—l 7

Table No. 72—continued

The tables show a number of very interesting trends. The number of occupiers in the smallest group has fallen both absolutely and relatively since 1896, although there was a slight rise in the early years of this century. The development of dairy-farming is reflected in the group from 50 to 320 acres. The number of occupiers has increased from 20,933 in 1896 to 39,246 in 1941. Expressed as a percentage of total occupiers, these sizes accounted for 35-5 per cent, of the total occupiers in 1896 and 45-5 per cent, in 1941. The range from 320 to 5,000 acres, which includes most wheat and mixed farming areas and the smaller sheep-farmers, increased from 16 per cent, to 23-4 per cent, of the total occupiers from 1896 to 1941. Generally, the figures over recent years illustrate a tendency to stability due to the pattern of farming becoming relatively fixed. Combining the previous four tables, the following deductions may be made. In 1891, taking all holdings over 10,000 acres, then 0-8 per cent, of the occupiers held 44-5 per cent, of the occupied area ; in 1941, the relative position was that 0-6 per cent, held 31-7 per cent, of the total occupied area. Most of these holdings, however, will be Crown leaseholds of second- and third-grade land, suitable only for extensive grazing land. No deductions are available from these figures to show aggregation of wealth or land ownership. Little, if any, of the "land would be suitable for subdivision. At the other extreme—that is, in holdings from 1 to 10 acres —25-4 per' cent, of the occupiers held 0-3 per cent, of the land in 1891, as against 13 per cent, of the occupiers holding 0-1 per cent, of the land in 1941. Actually the number of occupiers and the area involved is practically equal in 1891 and 1941. In the predominantly dairying group from 50 to 320 acres, 12-7 per cent, of the total occupied area was held by 37-4 per cent, of the occupiers in 1891, as against 13-4 per cent, of the area held by 45-5 per cent, in 1941. In the middle range from 320 to 5,000 acres, which includesmost of the grain, mixed, and smaller sheep-farmers, the position was as follows : In 1891, 32*1 per cent, of the total occupied area was held by 15*5 per cent, of the occupiers ; in 1941, 45-3 per cent, of the area was held by 23-4 per cent, of the occupiers. To sum up as to the area held for the predominant types of farming—that is, the areas from 50 to 5,000 acres —in 1891, 44-8 per cent, of the total occupied area was held by 52-9 per cent, of the occupiers; in 1941, 58-7 per cent, of the total occupied area washeld by 68-9 per cent, of the occupiers.

55

Area, in Ac-res. 1910-11. 1916. 1920. 1 1925. 1930. 1935. 1941.* 1- 10 .. 24-5 20-0 19-1 17-9 15-3 13-0 13-0 10- 50 . . 16-4 16 • 5 16-4 16-6 16-9 17-4 16-9 50- 100 .. 10-8 11-8 12-3 13-3 13-3 14-3 14-8 100- 200 .. 14-5 15-8 16-0 16-7 17-8 18-9 19-3 200- 320 .. 9-6 10-3 10-4 10-3 11-0 11-2 11-4 320- 640 .. 11-4 12-4 12-4 12-1 12-1 120 11-8 640- 1,000 .. 4-9 5-0 5-0 4-9 5-0 4-9 4-8 1,000- 5,000 .. 6-5 6-8 7-0 6-8 7-2 7-0 6-8 5,000-10,000 .. 0-7 0-7 0-7 0-7 0-7 0-7 0-6 10,000-20,000 .. 0-4 0-4 0-4 0-3 0-4 0-3 0-3 20,000-50,000 .. 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 50,000 and over 01 0-1 01 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 Total 100-0 100-0 100-0 100-0 100-0 100-0 100-0 * Latest figure available.