a—i.

ANNUAL EEPOET.

The Under-Secretary for Lands to the Right Hon. the Minister of Lands. Sir, — Department of Lands, Wellington, 25th May, 1909. I have the honour to submit herewith the thirty-second annual report of the Department of Lands, which also shortly touches upon its subsidiary branches, the full reports on which will be laid before Parliament as usual. I have, &c, Wm. C. Kensington, Under-Secretary for Lands. The Eight Hon. Sir Joseph George Ward, P. 0., K.C.M.G., Minister of Lands.

As a commencement to the annual report of 1908-9, it is not out of place to state that the Lands Department of the Dominion has entered upon the fifty-first year of its existence, and therefore is one of the oldest of the Government Departments. The first Minister or Secretary for Lands held office from 1858 to 1861. It is also interesting to trace the successive legislation dealing generally with the Crown lands of New Zealand, quite apart from the Provincial Administrations, which came to an end in 1876. In 1841 the Legislative Council passed " The Land Claims Ordinance, 1841" ; but the first statute dealing with Crown lands was " The Crown Lands Ordinance, 1849," passed in the tenth session of the Legislative Council. The Legislative Council terminated, and its place was taken by the General Assembly, which ill its first session, in 1854, passed the Waste Lands Act. This was followed in 1858 by " The Waste Lands Act, 1858." Then came " The Crown Lands Act, 1862," whilst in 1877 the first general Colonial Act was passed, applying to the lands in every district throughout New Zealand. Following upon it came " The Land Act, 1885," which divided New Zealand into land districts, each with its own Commissioner and a Land Board. It was followed by " The Land Act, 1892," and its amendments, which were all merged and consolidated in " The Land Act, 1908," under which the lands are now being administered. Amendment of Regulations. The Consolidated Statutes of 1908 necessitated the rearrangement and reissue of all the regulations dealing with Crown lands, and many additional regulations were found necessary and have been brought into operation. A complete revision of the Crown Forest and State Forest Regulations has also been given effect to. Land opened for Selection during Year ended 31st March, 1909. A glance at the schedule appearing below will show that the output of Crown lands for the past year has been largely in excess of its predecessor, and comprises a grand total of 2,654,086 acres. The schedule gives the details of how the area is made up under the several systems. Of the 393,846 acres of ordinary Crown lands, opened under the renewable-lease tenure, 306,113 acres were national endowment lands, whilst about 83,000 acres were opened under renewable lease because they were within proclaimed mining districts, and the respective Wardens would not agree to their being opened under the optional system. Then, again, 2,185 acres were opened under renewable lease because they were found to be coal-bearing lands.

Table A. — Land opened during Year 1908-9.

"" I—C, 1.

Optional System. Lease by Auction and Application. Renew; Lble Lease. District. Cash by Auction. Village Allotments. Pastoral Runs. Small Grazing-runs. Totals. Crown Land. Land for Settlements. Auckland .. lawke's Bay taranaki .. Vellington.. ■Telson larlborough Vestland .. Canterbury )tago iouthland .. Acres. 57,124 21,375 11,363 15,223 1,005 Acres. 119 4 67 150 Acres. 969 18 46 72 526 20 748 21 4,820 Acres. 167 53 1,088 244 Acres. 141,794 11,296 Acres. 10,350 26,870 5,622 Acres. 32,605 1,072 14,747 937 281,826 588 . 56,688 Acres. 33,788 2,294 461 5,274 20,115 Acres. 276,916 62,982 26,684 28,366 302,946 1,358 844,335 286,237 699,844 124,418 827 7,245 12,866 32,561 147 93 92 786,800 249,801 662,816 81,498 1,227 1,652 3,731 28,296 21,169 1,716 Totals.. 159,589 672 7,240 1,552 1,934,005 44,069 393,846 113,113 2,654,086