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HAWKE'S BAY. The Settlement of Crowd Lands. Tin. , desire to acquire Crown land in tliis district is still great, as evidenced by the Large number of applicants for each section offered for sale or selection. All intending settlers recognize that the Department is doing its utmost to provide land for settlement at a fair and reasonable value, to provide means of access, and to help the smaller settlers in every way to make a home on the land. Generally speaking, the Crown tenants in this district are drawn from a good class of settlers, who are carrying out all the conditions of their leases, and, in spite of the drought, the rents are mostly paid up to date. Each year the area of ordinary Crown lands suitable for close settlement is fast diminishing, and will soon be exhausted unless more Native or private lands are acquired. Sawmilling operations have commenced at a newly erected mill at Malawai. With the opening of the mill there is the unostentatious initiation of an industry which, with the extension of the railway facilities towards Motu, will play an important part in the development of the resources of the district. The timber-area of the Dominion is running out, and experienced sawmillers are turning their attention to the Motu district as one of the remaining localities still mimilled. 'i he owner of the above mill contemplates installing another mill, capable of turning nut 20,00(1 superficial feet per day (double the capacity of the present plant), early in the coming spring. Plans are to be prepared for one of the most complete mills in the Dominion. The revenue for the year was £112,414 os. 10d., which is a record for the district, an increase of £10,422 12s. 4d. over last .year. Disposal of Remaining Crown Lands It is proposed to offer for sale or selection during the current year an area of 58,012 acres i The following are brief descriptions of the principal blocks: — I , art Tamaki No. 4 Block (551 acres): Mixed-forest country, the bush being principally inahoe, tawa, rata, rimu, tawhero, Arc. Most of the land is Mat or undulating, and will be ploughable when cleared and stumped. The soil on the Hats is chiefly rich alluvial deposit overlying shingle. Makaretu Survey District, Section G, Block 111 (94 acres): Mostly undulating country, all in grass; soil is of fair though light quality, resting on rock and clay formation. Ngatapa Survey District (O,(ilO acres): Mixed bush with tawa, kahikatea, ivc, with birch on top of ridges; well watered; soil light. Xgatapa, part Run No. 47 (390 acres): Open grass land; soil fair to good. Waitara Survey District (11,143 acres): Open fern and manuka land, portions in Native and self-sown English grasses; light pumice soil. Kaweka and Pohui Survey Districts (11,000 acres): Comprises about Toil acres bush, principally black-birch; balance undulating and broken open country: soil light pumice, resting ou slate rock. Tongoio Settlement (2,086 acres): Comprises good limestone country intersected by deep gullies oarrying good water. The sections as a whole are covered with a good sole of grass, but places have gone back to native pasture and required to be icsown. Tuahu and Waikaremoana Survey Districts (6,000 acres): Mixed bush land with thick underscrub; well watered ; soil varies from inferior to fair, sandstone and papa Formation. Tutamoe (7,570 acres): Undulating country, covered with mixed bush: formation generally papa and clay; good soil, suitable for sheep and cattle. Mangapoike Block, Opoiti Survey District (486 acres): Mixed bush: formation is papa, with a little pumice on the top soil. Manawaangiaugi Block (12,070 acres): Open hilly country, partly grassed; soil fair to good. Smai.i. Ghazing-runs. The term of the leases of seven small grazing-runs expired during the year. The aggregate area of these was 24,442 acres and 39 perches, formerly let at an annual rental of £180 I-"is. Bd. All were renewed for a further term of twenty-one years at greatly advanced rentals, which now total £1,720 2s. 4d. per annum. Bl : SH FELLED AND tJBASSED. The area of bush felled on Crown lands during the year was 12,421 acres, and, as this area only includes Crown lands inspected, it means thai a considerable area of bush was felled, burnt, and grassed in the district, indicating that the settlers are doing their utmost to bring in bush land to a carrying-capacity. Inspection* and Rangers' Reports. The Crown Lands Ranger for the northern or Poverty Bay portion of the district reports thai hi' inspected eighteen sections under the occupation-with-right-of-purchase tenure, five under the lease-in-perpetuity, five under the renewable-lease, and twelve under the small-grazing-run tenure, making a total of forty inspections with a total area of 61,640 acres. The improvements required under the Act amount to £13,722, while the improvements effected are valued at £(>.">,705. These selectors have all complied with trie conditions of their leases, and none are in default for improvements or residence. Two hundred and eight special inspections were also made, covering an area of 79,485 acres. These comprise principally reports on the damage done by flood in March and April, 1910;