4,203,976 Acres of New Zealand Land.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXI, Issue XVII, 24 October 1903, Page 15

4,203,976 Acres of New Zealand Land.

One is perpetually hearing from certain quarters that there is in the colony a vast, a growing, and an almost insatiable land hunger. A circular which reached this office last Saturday from the Crown Lands Department shows that there are now open for selection 1,330,042 acres in the Auckland district, 74,521 acres in Hawke’s Bay. 89.088 acres in Taranaki, 85,200 in Wellington, 300,680 in Nelson. 944,099 in Westland, 103,925 in Otago, and 1,247,142 acres in Southland. Well, surely this should satisfy desire for some time to come—for there is land of all sort and for all purposes, and there is a practical choice of whatever part of the colony you will. But as a matter of fact, is the alleged land hunger one-half of it genuine? Is it not grossly exaggerated? Amongst the people you meet every day in the country as well as in the town, mind you, do you find many expressions of desire to acquire land, or of genuine determination to go and settle thereon? When some favourite sections are balloted for dozens of members and connections of a single family will send in applications; but this means one only is genuine, and there is a good deal of reason to suppose that n good deal of speculation is indulged in. and applications lodged by persons who have no idea of settling permanently.