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New schools and creameries haw been opened, postal and telephone facilities have been extended, and the prospects of the farming community as a whole are very good. 11l the north-eastern portion of the land district nearly all the settlers are prosperous, and the past season lias been fair, though tin , continued dry weather during tin , last two months of the year has had a considerable effect upon the returns, and caused sales of stock at a loss. Though retarded by want of μ-ood access to sonic of the holdings, the dairy industry continues to make good progress, and suppliers, wherever possible, convert proprietary factories into co-operative concerns. 'The district is gradually being provided with telephone communication with the outer world, a very necessary feature now of backblock farming. All schools opened are receiving good support, and the attendance increases steadily. line of the best signs of prosperity is tin , demand upon sawmills for building-timber, and three mills are kept busy supplying the requirements of the settlers. Improved-farm Settlem kxts. The two settlements in the north-eastern portion of this district have made good progress during the year, considering the settlers have had practically only one bushfelling season. In the Majiaia Settlement, access to which is gained from Te Kuiti-Awakino Road, twenty-four mil of twenty-eight families are now resident, several houses have been built, and the settlers are applying For the election of scl Is. It is possible that, with the bridging of the Moknu River to give road access to the sections in this settlement, the spread of rabbits from the northern districts may prove a source of danger to the crops, and with this in view the settlers have been supplied by the Governmeni with wire netting. Those settlers wl ccupj bush lands, or parti} bush and open land, should be able to support themselves by dairying pursuits next season in supplying the newly opened butter-factory at Piopio, within working distance. On the tern lands it is confidently expected that those settlers will later on, with a few exceptions, lx> able to earn a living. Practically the whole of the roads in the settlement have been formed into dray-roads, and any settlers requiring employment of thai nature must go further afield ill search of it. These settlers have good postal facilities. The question of stocking the farms after grassing will have to !«■ seriously considered by the settlers next spring, ami. as some are without means, it is. doubtful if the sections will I* , stocked to their full oarrying capacity. In the Tangittl Settlement, which is on a more extensive scale, there are pronounced evidences of a desire on the part of the settlers to establish themselves on the land. The present means of access to this settlement is from Waimiha Railway-Station, and already the eight miles of track between that point and the entrance to the block have been converted into a dray-road, while other Works on the roads in the settlement are in progress, and every section has an access of some description. A postal service has been arranged with one of the settlers, telephone con munication is guaranteed, and temporary accommodation for schools in three localities is to be provided by tents. 'I , he Ranger reports that there are only six cases at present where there are no arrangements being made for the residential conditions being observed as required by the regulations. Though only about half of the settlers have actually taken up their residence, the others 'only await an opportunity to build so as to bring their families on the ground. This is owing to the inability of the settlers to build until the land has been subjected to the first burn. The season for sowing has been very favourable, and there is every prospect of a good crop of glass l>eing obtained for the first season. Some idea of the work performed by the settlers will be gained from the fact that the consign ments of grass-seed this season amounted to 19 tolls, and the fencing-wire to 27 tons. Improve tnents have been effected on eighty-three sections. Grass-seed. The amount of promissory notes given by settlers whose pastures wen destroyed, by fire in the summer of 1908 and which have matured to date is £.">.'i."> 17s. (id., and of this £4(>7 l-'is. has been paid. The sum of £200 19s. lOd.. representing sixteen notes which mature in March, 1912, has also been paid during the year. Ahreahs of Rent. By a systematic attention to the amounts owing from time to time the position of arrears lias been placed on a very favourable footing, and thai without any undue friction or unpleasantness with the lessees. The amount in arrear is considerably lower than during preceding years. EXPKNDITUHE OF " THIRDS " AND " FOURTHS." Thirty-five proposals were submitted by local bodies for the expenditure on roads and bridges of accrued "thirds" and " fourths " of rents, which received the approval of the Land Board. The total amount paid over was £6,408 (is. Id. -more than double that paid during the previous rear. It is very satisfactory to know that the local bodies are becoming I c alive to the advan tages of having the expenditure of such lafge sums as are now passing through their accounts. which only await reasonable proposals being made to render them available for roadworks. KoKKKITURES AND SURRENDERS. There has been a marked decrease in these during the past years, and it is very pleasing to see such a small number appearing in the tables this year. T attribute this to tin , scrutiny of applications by the Land Board before a ballot is taken.