o.—l.

Lands being prepared for Settlement. On the 31st March, 1909, the Lands Department had under survey and being prepared for opening for settlement no less an area than 1,046,682 acres, made up as follows : — , Acres. Ordinary Crown lands (optional system) .. .. .. .. 372,941 National endowment (renewable lease) .. . . .. .. 347,672 Native lands for Maori Land Boards, Native land settlement . . .. 326,069 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,046,682 The areas given as above were distributed in the following proportions : —

Lands selected under .All Tenures, 1908-9. The number of selectors who took up land during the past year exceeds the total number of last year's selectors by 378, the figures for this year being 2,603, and the area selected under all conditions 916,521 acres. Including town, suburban, and rural lands offered by auction or opened under the optional system, the selectors who have paid cash number 350, and the total area selected by these amounts to 42,129 acres. Of this area 7,672 acres are held under conditional-purchase tenure, as set forth in section 166 of " The Land Act, 1908," the condition being that the improvements so set down must be completed within seven years. If the selector fails to do this, then, under section 168 of " The Land Act, 1908," the area may be forfeited and reverts to the Crown. In the area of 42,129 acres is also included an area of 31,880 acres of Crown lands which was transferred to the Otekaike Estate and was dealt with as part of that estate under Land for Settlement conditions. Occupation-with-right-of-purchase selectors numbered 382, selecting 123,116 acres, whilst renewablelease selectors of national endowment lands numbered 440, occupying 124,238 acres. As the subjoined Table B gives the full particulars of all transactions, it is only necessary to refer to the Land for Settlements selectors, who numbered 288, selecting 95,698 acres. The twenty-one cash sales refer solely to areas sold under the powers conferred by section 70 of " The Land for Settlements Act, 1908," as sites for dairy factories, religious institutions, and other purposes.

Table B.-Return showing Selections during the Year, together with the Net Area held at 31st March, 1909.

2

Land District. Ordinary Crown Lands. National Endowment. Maori Lands, chiefly for Settlement. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago Southland Acres. 53,410 26,800 63,070 50,561 28,300 450 1,000 Nil 138,000 11,350' Acres. 31,878 7,750 17,930 Nil 31,405 47,122 23,091 Nil 188,496 Nil Acres. 170,547 41,390 58,930 26,702 Nil >> )) 28,500 Totals .. I 372,941 347,672 326,069

Selections during the Year. Net Area held at 31st March, 1909. Tenure. Number. Area. Number of Selectors. Area. Ordinary Grown Lands, — Cash lands Deferred payment Perpetual lease Occupation with right of purchase Lease in perpetuity Renewable lease, town and rural (N.I.M.T. Railway) Agricultural lease Homestead Mining districts land occupation leases Village settlement, cash .. ,, deferred payment .. .. ,, perpetual lease ,, occupation with right of purchase ,, lease in perpetuity ■ ,, renewable lease (N.I.M.T. Railway) . . 350 382* 193f 81 A. R. P. 42,129 1 22 123,116 1 30 106,184 1 15 940 2 26 46 494 4,897 5,174 81 16 A. R. p. 16,961 3 19 86,908 3 16 1,656,308 3 24 1,528,657 1 5 940 2 26 521 1 29 36 11 1,490 0 2 16 2 18 580 24,633 0 13 9 102 31 1,095 111 164 3 3 • 1,459 2 16 62 2 14 22,919 0 14 691 2 13 109 689 1 29 * This number includes 45 selectors of 23,386 acres 1 rood 29 perchi tad not been returned owing to want of surveys. f This number includes 189 selectors of 105,899 acres 3 roods 15 percl tad not been returned owing to want of surveys. ;s who sele scted unsurveyed lam ds in previ ms years, but which tes who sell ected unsurveyed Ian ids in prev 3us years, but which