Q.—h

ANNUAL BE PORT.

The Under-Secretary for Lands to the Right Hon. the Minister op Lands. Sir, — Department of Lands and Survey Wellington, Ist June, 1914. I have the honour to Submit herewith the annual report of the Department for the year ended 31st March, 1914. I have, &c, James Mackenzie, The Right Hon. W. F. MasSey, Minister of Lands. Under-Secretary for Lands.

Land Legislation op 1913. Before dealing with the transactions and work carried out during the past year, I have to refer to the Land Laws' Amendment Act of 1913, and to indicate the important alterations' and additions made to the land laws' of this Dominion. Freehold. I Would first refer to the privilege conferred upon certain perpetual-lease tenants, and the holders of small grazing-runs on ordinary Crown lands, and land-for-sottlement estates by section 31 of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1913, to acquire the fee-simple of their holdings provided the limitation of area already laid down by statute is not exceeded. The tenants holding licenses' in the Hauraki Mining District Were also accorded a similar privilege, subject to the right of the Crown to the minerals upon the land. By section 60 of the Act the holders of leases in perpetuity of settlement land were given the right to purchase, thus placing them on the same footing as the tenants upon ordinary Crown lands who were granted the right to purchase by the Land Laws Amendment Act of the previous year. The following schedule shows the purchases under the provisions of the Land Laws Amendment Acts of 1912 and 1913 up to the 31st March, 1914 :—

Purchases under the Provisions of the Land Laws Amendment Acts, 1912 and 1913, up to the 31st March, 1914.

In addition many tenants are acquiring the freehold by means of the deferred-payment system, and at the close of the year 221 tenants, holding 32,467 acres, Were paying for the freehold under this system by yearly instalments amounting to £2,940.

Tenure. Number of Purchasers. Area Amount Received. Irdinary Crown lands — Deferred payment Perpetual lease Lease in perpetuity .. 9 3 517 A. K. P. 1,088 2 26 121 2 24 89,792 1 31 £ 8. 1,172 11 '184 3 88,163 1 d. 6 0 6 Totals 529 91,002 3 J 89,519 16 0 /and for Settlements — Deferred payment Lease in perpetuity . . Kenewable lease 10 42 47 34 4,576 15,146 3 15 3 16 0 27 1,461 0 15,380 18 11.902 8 8 9 9 Totals 99 19,757 3 18 28,744 8 2 Grand totals 628 110,760 2 19 118,264 4 2