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Eltham. —Situated on the Brewer and Taihore Roads, adjoins Strathmore Township, and comprises 800 acres, in five sections, occupied by four settlers, all of whom are resident. They are engaged, generally speaking, in dairying and stock-raising, and are in comfortable circumstances, with good roads of access. The improvements effected are extensive, and are valued at £1,162. A factory, school, store, and post and telephone office are within easy distance. Ross. —Situated on the Main Ohura Road, about thirty-three miles from Stratford, comprises 1,557 acres 2 roods 28 perches, divided into nine sections, which are held by seven settlers, all of whom are resident except one, and he has been allowed an extension of time. They devote their energies to stock-raising, and are in good circumstances. There is a school, store, and post and telephone office in the settlement. The farms are all highly improved, the improvements being valued at £3,155. Terrace End. —Situated principally on the Taihore Road, with branch roads on Mangaehu and Makahu Rivers, and close to Strathmore Township. It comprises 4,818 acres 2 roods, divided into twenty-four allotments, which are occupied by twenty-two selectors, all of whom are resident and have effected improvements beyond the requirements of the Act, being valued at £6,682 10s. The settlers are principally engaged in the raising of cattle, but a few are dairying. They are a good class, and are doing well. Most of them have the benefit of good roads, and where this is the case they have become very successful. The enforcement of the conditions of personal residence has resulted in more progress being made in the settlement. A dairy factory is about to be erected, and a school has recently been provided for. Mangaehu. —This adjoins the Terrace End Settlement on the east, and comprises 2,578 acres, divided into thirteen sections, occupied by eleven settlers, of whom nine are resident. The improvements in this settlement are not so great as in others, as the land is rougher and is more difficult of access; they are valued at £1,582 15s. Here the land is devoted entirely to stockraising, and its progress has been retarded for want of a road ; but last year, however, a dray-road was made to give access to the main portion of the settlement in the Puniwhakau Valley. The settlers are a good class and are doing their best to progress. Whenuakura. —Situated on the Rawhitiroa and Tahuri Road, about twenty-four miles from Eltham, and is in a very rough district. It comprises 597 acres 2 roods 12 perches, and is divided into three sections, each being occupied. Two of the selectors reside, and one is residing with parents, having been exempted in terms of the Act. The improvements are valued at £547 10s., and the settlers are engaged entirely in stock-raising. Now that roads are being pushed into the block the settlers are beginning to make some use of the land. Appended is a summary of the position of these associations as to residence—the number of settlers required to reside, those actually residing, and the area : — Number M umber . required actually rea ' to reside. residing. A. B. p. Milsom ... 10 10 2,095 0 0 Oxford ... ... ... ... 1 1 200 0 0 Lepperton... ... ... ... 7 7 2,167 3 0 Gatton ... ... ... ... 8 8 1,600 0 0 Eltham ... ... ... ... 4 4 800 0 0 Ross ... ... ... ... 7 6 1,557 2 28 Terrace End ... ... ... 22 22 4,818 2 0 Mangaehu... ... ... ... 11 9 2,578 0 0 Whenuakura ... ... ... 2 2 597 2 12 72 69 16,414 2 0 During the past year I visited these settlements. Their identity as settlements, however, has now practically passed away, on account t of the surrenders and forfeitures that have taken place and on account of the bulk of the lands having since been taken up under ordinary conditions. The lands, therefore, are now so interspersed with those of other ordinary tenures that they may be regarded as independent holdings. The gross area of the original settlements was 75,000 acres, and has been reduced as above to 16,414 acres. Remarks and Conclusions on Present and Future Settlement. In reviewing the progress of settlement and the conditions as they now exist, I may precede my remarks by saying that during the past year I have visited nearly every holding in the Taranaki district as held under our settlement tenures, meeting all the settlers I could find on my visits in their everyday life, and taking notes as I went along, which I had attached to every settler's papers m the office after each visit, as I felt that without a knowledge of their wants and surroundings I was very much hampered, not only in matters coming before the Land Board, but also in my general administration. In this way I have been able to get a grasp of the back portion of the district that I could not otherwise have done, and at the same time one is more able to recognise and appreciate the persistent struggle with the wilderness that permeates the lives of the noble band of men and women who are carving out homes in the forest for themselves and their families, often under conditions that would dampen the ardour of the most buoyant and make the stoutest heart quail. Notwithstanding many hardships and drawbacks, I found the settlers, taken as a whole, in good heart and pleased with their prospects, particularly those who have been established for a few years and have got over early trials and isolation. One very good sign is that many of them are indifferent as to outside help, and find that in working for themselves they can do better than on road-works, and consequently feel more independent.