C.—1.

National-endowment Abea. The total area of national-endowment land held under lease or license at the close of the year was 6,324,608 acres, at a yearly rental of i-89,559. The area within this endowment is now 8,551,250 acres, in terms of section 258 of the Land Act, 1908. This area is constantly being added to by selections of ordinary Crown land under the renewable-lease tenure, and by conversions from the other tenures to renewable lease. Improved-farm Settlements. The area of Crown land that has been dealt with under this system of land-settlement is 115,941 acres. Of this area, 8,169 acres has been acquired in fee-simple by 94 settlers under the right of purchase conferred by their leases. The balance —viz., 107,772 acres —is at present held by 803 settlers. The reports of the various Commissioners of Crown Lands, published in Appendix I, go to show that very satisfactory progress is being made on the settlements recently established, many of the settlers having commenced dairying operations, the Government supplying stock where necessary upon suitable terms of repayment. Inspections by Crown Lands Rangers. During the past year the holdings of 9,096 Crown tenants were inspected by the Rangers on the staff of the Department, the area covered by such inspections being, as shown in the table following, 3,910,178 acres. The improvements actually effected by these tenants were found to be well in advance of the requirements laid down by law, and the defaulters were not above the average of former years.

Table D.—Return of Number of Inspections made by the Rangers for the Year ended 31st March, 1913.

Revenue. The sum collected during the year amounted to £912,028 17s. 2d. The amount received in each land district was as follows : —

Table E.—Return of Gross Revenue received during the Year ended 31st March, 1913.

VII

Value of L rprovements. Numbi ;r of Den miters. District. Number of Properties visited. Area. Required. Actually made. <D M m a to S ° a, fe s § > ° CD 0 Jg O-OrH S fe xk U fa I™ fa I o H mckland tawke's Bay 'aranaki Vellington lelson .. tarlborough Vestland Janterbury )tago louthland 1,365 644 377 1,462 697 564 479 1,856 1,168 484 A. R. P. 299,383 2 26 336,078 0 8 112,176 2 1 403,085 0 0 289,061 0 0 313,165 3 39 24,673 3 15 1,367,611 0 15 686,781 2 26 78,161 1 38 £ s. d. 178,205 10 9 241,991 19 0 51,569 0 0 74,086 0 0 64,675 0 0 138,627 15 6 18,719 10 1 411,664 17 2 226,451 3 3 77,735 0 10 £ s. d. 421,926 4 9 714,259 1 5 149,006 0 0 204,921 0 0 132,758 0 0 322,447 1 1 84,593 0 0 719 499 10 6 401,326 17 8 129,384 7 6 48 10 24 50 73 8 17 103 161 26 117 42 7 43 96 27 39 9 58 11 107 1 2 48 272 52 32 95 217 35 60 143 219 53 3 5 1 26 ±6 Totals 3,910,178 1 8 1,483,725 16 7 3,280,121 2 11 520 i 27 1,178 9,096 449 182

Land District. Amount received. Auckland Hawke'sfBay Taranaki Wellington Nelson .. Marlborough Westland Canterbury Otago .. Southland £ s. d. 156,947 6 11 121,153 11 6 48,252 14 6 111,098 11 7 •34,101 15 7 36,895 12 0 21,886 18 2 202,256 13 11 126,545 11 4 52,890 1 8 Total 912,028 17 2