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Taranaki and Wellington Districts were recently visited by the respective Land Boards, and the members of the Boards have expressed their satisfaction with the progress made. The total number of improved-farm-settlement holdings in the respective land districts is as follows : —

The details are given in the reports of the Commissioners of Crown Lands in the appendix. Village Settlements. Eighteen sections, containing a total area of 292 acres, have been opened during the past year, chiefly in the Hawke's Bay and Wellington Land Districts. The total number of selectors under the above heading amounts to 2,168, holding an area of 42,211 acres. Inspections by Crown Lands Rangers. The Crown Lands Rangers in the several land districts have carried out their arduous and very responsible duties in a satisfactory manner. Their inspections have to be thoroughly made, and cannot be carried out in a perfunctory manner, as their values are used as the basis of most of the Land Boards' decisions in the case of transfers, improvements, &c, and may have to stand the test of Supreme Court trials. The total number of inspections made during the year amounts to 10,258, ranging over a total area of 2,920,568 acres, with a total value of improvements amounting to £2,886,662. The subjoined table gives the particulars of such inspections in each district.

Table D.—Return showing Number of Inspections made by the Crown Lands Rangers for the Year ended 31st March, 1911.

Financial, &c. The revenue returns are eminently satisfactory, and show a gross increase of £109,936 on last year. The total gross revenue received by the several Receivers of Land Revenue amounted to £784,843, the territorial division yielding a revenue of £249,299. Many causes have led to this satisfactory result,

VIII

Land District. Number. Area held. Auckland .. 131 Acres. 18,286 Hawke's Bay 16 1,830 Taranaki 365 51,321 Wellington Southland 282 43 36,120 4,539 Totals 837 112,096 112,096 837

District. N'umber of Properties visited. Value of Improvements. Required. Actually made. Nllliilii 'k a o ° a> si ■r mi' Defi ■J5i jiH miters. I Area. I I £ s. d. I £ 8. d. I 177,972 0 0 360,656 0 0 711 233,617 15 0 531,344 12 1 46 98,997 0 0 181,524 0 0 K\ 99,053 0 0 256,648 0 0 :U 36,158 19 6 88,574 5 0 68 13(1,812 13 4 ' 287,621 19 7 15 23,429 9 0 : 89,463 12 0 19 347,209 18 7 ! 598,282 16 11 98 202,049 6 5 390,126 7 1 158 71,020 15 3 i 102,420 18 1 21 1,420,320 17 1 2,886,662 10 9 I 595 ~nd Hawke's Bay Faranaki Wellington Nelson .. Vlarlborough Westland Canterbury Otago .. Southland 1,920 779' 459' 1,753 0521 551 608 1,788 1,303 445 A. K. P. 437,8(51) 0 0 282,090 3 19 252,200 1 12 333,2311 0 0 229,781 0 9 291,925 3 17 62,209 2 20 395,974 2 8 546,741 0 10 88,534 1 18 i 294 59 31 42 ii.-) 23 58 20 29 13 147 ii 38 2 12 6 r>20 117 105 70 171 40 77 118 204 50 20 16 Totals 10,258 2,920,568 2 33 634 234 18 1,481