6

a—i.

During the year the Crown Lands Ranger for the southern portion of Hawke's Bay District inspected and furnished reports on 249 properties. These comprised occupation-with-right-of-purchase, lease-in-perpetuity, renewable-lease, village, village-homestead special-settlement, and pastoral lands, and 198 miscellaneous inspections, valuations of education reserves, and reports on proposed schools to be established; inspections of river-snagging and blackberry-cutting contracts and fencing contract, Waipunga Valley; valuation of Sherenden and Waihau Settlements in conjunction with a special valuer; inspection and reports on noxious weeds. The total area inspected covered an area of 44,159 acres. The value of improvements required to be effected amounted to £51,400, and improvements actually effected £117,767. There were forty-five defaulters —eight for improvements and thirty-seven for residence. Bush felled and grassed. Each year the area of bush felled and grassed diminishes. The bush-clad district has already been previously selected and dealt with, but, according to the Crown Lands Ranger's report on holdings inspected, only 9,087 acres was felled and grassed. However, even this small area will add a good deal to the carrying-capacity of the land. Purchase of Fee-simple during the Year. During the period under review the tenants have not taken the same opportunity as in previous years of acquiring the fee-simple of their homes, only fifteen tenants, holding an area of 5,171 acres and 28 perches, taking advantage of the right granted them. As this privilege is now extended to lease in perpetuity under the Land Act and renewable lease under lands for settlements under more favourable terms, numerous inquiries have been made since the passing of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1912, and I have no doubt that during the forthcoming year there will be more holdings made freehold than in any previous year. Forfeitures and Surrenders. Under these headings on lands held under permanent tenures only five holdings, aggregating an area of about 18 acres, were dealt with. Considering the number of tenants on the books (1,926), it clearly indicates that this district has the right class of people to settle on the land. Transfers. The total number of applications to transfer submitted to the Land Board during the year was 182, of which twelve were declined. To show the keen demand for land in this district, and the high prices paid for the goodwill of Government leasehold land, I give hereunder the total number of transfers completed under the different tenures, the area of land transferred, the value of improvements effected, together with consideration paid. The question of high values paid for land has greatly exercised the minds of the members of the Land Board, and it has been the practice for some time now to see that the incoming tenant is in a sound financial position, thereby being able to properly farm the land to advantage. It appears desirable that, to further prevent aggregation, educationendowment leases should be made subject to the limitation prescribed by Part XIII of the Land Act, 1908. At present the only condition restricting the transfer of these leases is the financial stability of the proposed transferee.

Transfers completed during the Year ended 31st March, 1913.

Besides the above, there were three transfers under the Land Settlement Finance Act, 1909.

Number of Transfers. Area. Value of Improvements effected. Considerationmoney paid. •rdinary Crown lands — Occupation with right of purchase .. Lease in perpetuity Small grazing-runs Perpetual lease Pastoral runs Miscellaneous licenses 32 32 11 1 1 5 A. 18,783 8,795 26,171 29 3,450 1,095 ». 0 1 2 0 0 0 p. 11 10 4 26 0 0 £ 27,312 25,784 21,213 91 * s. d. 3 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 £ s. d. 56,142 15 0 53,312 0 0 56,901 17 1 349 19 0 t 1,070 0 0 Totals .. 82 58,324 0 11 74,400 10 0 167,776 11 1 ,and for settlements — Lease in perpetuity Renewable lease Small grazing-runs 39 6 1 11,059 912 1.213 1 0 0 17 6 0 27,168 15 2.802 9 1,781 18 9 0 0 45,086 12 5,443 0 $1,200 0 0 0 0 Totals 46 13,184 1 23 31,753 2 9 51,729 12 0 fational-endowment lands — Renewable lease 690 1 37 1,009 8 0 2,931 10 0 Iducation endowments 36 14,437 3 1 43,381 2 6 Grand totals 168 86,636 2 32 107,163 0 9 265,818 15 7 * Exchange of property. f No inspc stion required. % One-fifth interest