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Marawiti Settlement (near Eakaia). —Thirteen settlers, all of whom have built and resided. The crops on this settlement suffered, though in a less-degree, from the gale which did so much damage at Highbank. Improvements effected, £1,743 95., as against £748 15s. lOd. required. Horsley Down Settlement (near Waikari). —Twenty-five settlers, of whom twenty-four reside on their holdings, and one on another contiguous leasehold. Improvements effected, £7,508, as against £507 17s. Id. required. Hekeao Settlement (near Mount Somers). —Ten holders, of whom six have entered into residence. Improvements effected, £1,718 ss. 6d., as against £308 10s. Id. required. Of the 5-acre and 10-acre sections laid off in this settlement one only has been selected, and the holder has not complied. These sections require grouping. Pawaho Hamlet (workmen's-homes settlement, between Christchurch and Lyttelton).—ln this settlement the first year's tenancy had in no case fully expired, so that definite compliance with requirements was not enforceable. There are twenty-one holders, seven of whom are already in residence. The value of improvements already effected is £385 10s. Settlements to be offered in 1899-1900. —The Government has recently acquired a suburban block of 41 acres, named " Tamai," close to Christchurch, and this will shortly be offered on work-men's-homes conditions. Other estates are under offer and consideration, but in no case have definite arrangements been concluded. Cheviot Estate. At the end of the year 1898 Mr. Eanger Ward visited the Cheviot Estate, and has furnished a full report of the result of his inspection. Of the 236 leases which are held by 201 separate selectors under conditions requiring residence and improvements, the requirements have been complied with in all cases, so far as improvements are concerned, with the exception of two grazingfarms, where the improvements are deficient. As regards residence, there are twenty-five holders who are not actually living upon the sections in respect of which residence is due. Only one of these, however, is absent from the estate ; the others are living either on contiguous holdings or with relatives elsewhere on the estate, while a few reside most frequently where their usual employment is obtained. The total value of improvements required is £16,832 95., and the value effected is £49,738, or nearly treble the amount of requirements. The number of souls resident upon the settlement holdings is 838. The amount of arrears of rents is very small, being only £171 18s. Bd., owing by nineteen holders of all tenures, out of a total rental of £14,397 14s. od. payable by 260 lessees. There is on the part of some settlers on the estate a disposition to sell out with a view to migrating to larger holdings elsewhere, as they contend that their areas are not sufficient to enable them to marry and bring up their families suitably. The Waiau River has continued during the year to make its encroachments felt on the agricultural lands of the Waiau Flats. Unfortunately the lessees, whose title to their holdings is, for practical purposes, equal to freehold, neglected the precautions which almost any freeholder would have taken to protect his property, and which might, if adopted early enough, have saved some valuable land from destruction. The dairy factory, which has proved itself most useful and valuable, especially to the smaller settlers near Mackenzie, has been able to maintain its operations during the year, though considerably hampered by the want of an efficient water-supply. The crops on the flats this year have been to some extent damaged by caterpillars, which have reduced the yield by over 10 bushels per acre in some cases. Notwithstanding this, however, the average yield has been very good, and rape- and turnip-crops have also proved successful. The approximate total areas of crops have been as follows : Cereals, 4,019 acres; green and root crops, 7,374 acres ; English grasses, 11,430 acres. The plantations established by the former owner of Cheviot in the vicinity of Mackenzie and Domett, together with the hill-slopes near Port Robinson, which were reserved with a view to the protection of the native bush and the making of further plantations, have been placed under the control of the local Domain Boards, to be used and conserved for the enjoyment of the inhabitants of Cheviot. Some further finds of petroleum have been made during the year on a grazing-farm leasehold on the Seaward Bange to the east of Mackenzie. The analysis of the oil has yielded favourable results, and if it can be payably worked it would naturally tend to enhance the prosperity of the estate. Mr. John Sinclair, Harbourmaster at Port Eobinson, reports that the increase in the volume of trade during the year has exceeded the ratio of previous years, and a large addition to the original store has been erected by the Cheviot County Council. It is also proposed, when certain groins for the protection of reclamation-works are completed, to construct a short tram-line, with trollies, for the purpose of securing greater despatch in loading and unloading cargo. The ss. " Wakatu " made forty-three trips each from Lyttelton and Wellington, but on twelve occasions was obliged to pass on account of the sea being too rough to work her ; the steamers " Beautiful Star " and "Jane Douglas" made one trip each, and the " Dayspring," schooner, two trips. The following are a few details of the working: Eevenue, £1,731 2s. 7d.; expenditure, £1,518 2s. lid. (including £450 for additions to store) ; inwards cargo —general merchandise, 1,720 tons, besides fencing-posts and miscellaneous packages ; outwards cargo —2,731 bales wool, 16 sacks wool, 97 bales skins, 8,811 sacks wheat, 696 sacks barley, oats, potatoes, peas, &c.,and 447 miscellaneous packages. Crown Lands for Disposal, 1899-1900. —Except for lands acquired under the Land for Settlements Actg, Canterbury has practically no lands for disposal, except the generally unsatisfactory remnants of the free selection system. The Crown lands available for disposal at the 31st March, 1899, are as follows: —