9

C.—l

CANTERBURY. Crown Lands notified for Sale or Lease. —During the year the following lands on the systems specified were placed on the market: —

The Land Board in every instance carefully inquired and considered whether the lands in the schedule should be opened on settlement conditions, and did their best under the existing Land Acts to place all the better class of sections on the market, so as to insure residence on and cultivation of the lands. Generally speaking, the areas of Crown lands situated in the settled districts were, to the disappointment of the Board, found to be unsuitable for village or small-farm holdings. The efforts of the Hon. the Minister of Lands to provide suitable land for settlement in small lots have been cordially backed by the Board; and, though we were unable to provide extended holdings for the Hurunui Gorge and View Hill settlers, the requirements of the Medbury villagers have been satisfied, and those at Hinds are in a fair way of being so. The acquisition from the School Commissioners of Eeserves 1126, 1128, and 1178, under the provisions of " The Educational Endowments and Eeserves Exchange Act, 1891," provided an area of 1,318 acres near Waimate and Studholme Junction for subdivision into small-farm and village lots under the village special settlement system. After providing for the necessary roads and a school-site the net area is 1,289 acres, which furnishes seventy-six lots, ranging from 5 acres to 40 acres in extent. The rentals vary from 10s. to 18s. an .acre, the average being 12s. 5d., which is based upon the charge of 5 per cent, on the capital value of the lands, and the cost of survey, roads, and administration. The term of each lease is thirty years, without the right of acquiring the fee-simple, and it is renewable for a further period of twenty-one years on valuation by arbitration of the fee-simple, and also of all permanent improvements, the lessee paying 5 per cent, on the capital value, irrespective of the improvements, which are secured to him. Should the lessee decline to accept the renewal of his lease, it will be disposed of so as to insure payment to him for the value of the permanent improvements which he has placed upon the section. The disposal of this land should prove an inestimable boon to gardeners and contract and other labourers who desire to settle upon land of their own—as for all intents and purposes it will be. To meet the demand which prevails throughout Canterbury for small grazing-runs, farm areas, and village lots; earnest search was made to find suitable Crown lands; but wherever my duty called me I have been almost invariably doomed to find that the remnants of the Crown lands in the settled districts or on the hills at the back of the freeholders' properties are either of inferior or second-class quality, or that the whole of the flats and undulating lands are included in the freeholds. Lands disposed of. —The following table shows the Canterbury land transactions for the year 1891-92, and also the areas held under the various systems on the 31st March, 1892 :—

2—C. 1.

System. °o5 II Locality. Area. Class of Land. Cash Optional tenure, "Land AGt, 1887 " 1 6 I 34 i Waipara and Halswell Akaroa, Ashley, Selwyn, Ashburton, and Geraldine Arowhenua A. It. P. 40 2 39 3,360 3 39 First-class. Fair to good. Deferred payment and village settlement Perpetual lease Village homestead 2 0 2 0 Superior. 1 10 Ashburton View Hill, Mayfleld, and Southbridge Medbury Greta and Station Peaks Black Forest 50 0 0 415 3 19 Fair. Fair. Farm-homestead association Small grazing-runs Pastoral 14 16 1 2,192 1 8 45,341 0 0 20,800 0 0 Fair. Fair pastoral country. 84! 72,201 1 25

System. No. ot Lots. Area. A ™ Sectors Areas - Bo°o n ks. Area held. Revenue. Cash .. .. . • Deferred payments Perpetual leases Village settlements, cash „ deferred payments Village settlements, perpetual lease Village homesteads Farm homestead associations Small grazing-runs Pastoral licenses Goal and mineral leases.. Timber leases and licenses 31 38 16 7 A. B. P. 3,490 0 16 . > 11,443 0 14 88 2 8 13 0 123 '301 5* 0J "62 210 A. B. P. 25,339 1 17 82,130 3 29 £ b. a. 2,379 18 4 2,717 6 4 5,052 16 11 325 0 0 877 12 8 135 1,248 0 4 11 10 13 16 ' 3 5 2 130 3 3 412 1 12 1,922 1 8 45,341 0 0 54,500 0 0 511 1 22 11| 41 148 2,834 18,166 128 48 172 13 31 148 7 1,116 3 32 5,532 0 10 1,922 1 8 79,305 0 27 3,170,008 0 0 1,813 0 22 109 19 2 652 3 2 3,409 12 1 48,680 11 6 155 0 3 *12 10 0 t 630 5 11 1,481 12 4 Miscellaneous leases} .. Reserves 4 15 174 863 2 0 18,504 1 11 44,146 3 24 ~23 1,024 3 30 44} Totals 175 118,866 0 33 685 1,019 3,430,930 2 24 66,484 8 8 * Royalties. f Midland Bailway royalties placed to Deposit Account, {Lake Ellesmere Lauds.