C—l

Under Minister in charge of scenery-preservation : — (J.) Scenery-preservation : Administration of Scenery Preservation Act; meetings and inspections by Scenery Preservation Board ; inspection and surveys of scenic areas ; Proclamation, &c. (Page xviii.) Under Minister of Immigration : — (K.) Immigration : Granting assisted passages from United Kingdom ; inspection of immigrants. (Page xix.) Native matters :■ — (L.) Surveys of Native land : The survey for the Native Land Court of all orders of Court, both original and subdivision, and for Maori Land Boards, of extensive areas being subdivided by them for sale and leasing to Europeans ; the completion of purchase of Maori lands both in the area known as the Urewera country, and also the Moerangi Block in Kawhia County. (Page xix.) The management and administration of so many diverse and important matters as enumerated above demand an extensive and thorough knowledge of a large number of statutes of the New Zealand Parliament, a comprehensive grasp of the principles of land-settlement, and a knowledge of the varied technical and practical matters dealt with by the staff of a large Department, efficiently and economically, under a proper system of supervision and working. The functions and requirements of a modern Civil servant are much in excess of what they were formerly, and to carry out the progressive and far-reaching policy of the Government of a modern State demands more extensive knowledge than is generally recognized. The satisfactory performance of such duties is, however, largely a matter of systematic and careful training, and there seems no doubt but that the officers of the Dominion will respond as readily in the future as they have done in the past to insure the success of the undertakings intrusted to the many branches of the Public Service, and that the officers of the Lands Department, will in the future, as hitherto, be always to the fore. I will now take each of the foregoing branches in detail, and explain their operations during the past year, at greater or lesser length. (A.) Crown-land Settlement and Administration. The total number of selectors of all classes during the past year amount to 2,2(>7, who have selected a total area of 1,412,742 acres, but to these must be added the number of runs and area selected mostly in Canterbury which were opened for selection and auction in February last, but which do not go to credit until next year, being offered twelve months in advance, which gives a grand total of 2,328 selectors with a total area selected of 2,792,248 acres. The total area opened for selection, including all classes of settlement, amounted to 2,355,996 acres, or an increase of 29,959 acres over last year. There is at present under survey for opening either as ordinary Crown lands or under land - for - settlement conditions, an area of 744,653 acres ; while for the Native Land Court (carrying out Court orders) or Maori Land Boards, for leasing, &c, there is under survey no less an area than 629,870 acres, of which 149,356 acres are for Maori Land Boards. The roads under survey to give access to Crown lands through Maori lands, &c, amount to 213 miles. The gross revenue received during the past year amounts to £784,843, or £l(/9,936 more than last year, while the territorial revenue of £249,299 exceeds last years' by £48,042. The following table shows the area opened under the distinctive headings during the past year : —

Table A.—Land opened during the Year 1910-11.

IV

District. Optional System. Renewable Lβ Ordinary National-1 Crown e " d °7sasc. Land for Settlements. Lease Cash h> by Auc- Village Auc- tion and Allottion. Appli- ments. cation. »•* SS2. Small Grazingruns. Pastoral Runs. Ordinary NationalCrown v " d °JLand. ™ en ' Land. Total. ~nd Hawke's Bay 1'aranaki Wellington .. Vclson Harlbojrough iVestland Janterbury .. Acres. 57,308 30,019 11,874 4,290 804 474 Acres. Acres. 4,180 10,552 691 4,713 186 11,417 1,397 Acres. 15,706 154 Acres. Acres. Acres. 901 726 5 185 1,960 i 11 91 299 240 2 5; 2(10 051* .. 41 96 331 Acres. Acres. 7,898 1,718 Acres. Acres. 10,594 32,755 J Acres. 119,930 67,48(1 10,(580 7,829 13,025 "KUiSII 197,04(1 1,374,755 292 U72 j l,350J 92,344 ! '. 149,950 41,700 934,200 431.009J m '%\\ 1W25 188,540 11 "6 5,943 lit .. 8,i20 . '. 988 «*j 49,360) 2,080 )tago 5,875 1,114 70 1,484 65 .. 7 J 504 .. 31 259,184 Southland .. 12,140 1,871 12 205,178 Totals .. 122,844 18,599 29,552 25,779 2,003 4 - 0,i,1 58 ' 246 ! 1,510,144 f 518 ' 739 2,355,996 * IneliH les 77 acn ;s land for settlements. Cheviot Estate lands. J, and for settlements.