C.-l

IV

It is expected that these privileges and concessions will be largely taken advantage of by the tenants during the current year. Special Districts for Roadiny. By the passing of section 50 of the Act of last year provision was made for the constitution of special districts for roading purposes. Under this authority all moneys accruing from the disposal of Crown lands within the district may, for any period not exceeding fifteen years, be applied in the formation or construction of roads and bridges either within or without the special district for the purpose of affording access to the lands within the district. Regulations to give full effect to the provisions of this section have been signed by the Governor, and came into force on the 19th March last. I have no doubt that advantage will be taken of the provisions of this Section in many localities where the settlers consider that the roading of the district can be more expeditiously dealt with under this concession than in the ordinary manner. Pastoral Rims. The pastoral-run tonure was' considerably improved by the provisions of Part 111 of the Act mentioned. Tenants holding land under this tenure now have, in cases where the runs are subdivided for closer Settlement, a right to select one of the Subdivisions. If a run is not Subdivided before reletting, the licensee is entitled to a new lease of the whole run. A new departure in regard to these runs is the provision relating to residence. The Land Board now has the power under section 54 of the Act, in offering runs for selection, to impose residence conditions whenever it is deemed advisable. Pastoral tenants have every inducement given them to expend their capital in improving and bettering the land they hold to bring it up to its full carrying-capacity. Crown Land opened for Selection during the Year. The area opened for Selection during the year under all tenures was 474,586 acres, being an increase of about 137,000 acres over the area offered during the preceding twelve months. This area includes sixteen Settlement estates subdivided and offered for Selection on the renewablelease tenure. Further particulars in regard to these estates appear in a later paragraph. Every effort is being made by the Department to render available for Selection the remaining Crown lands. The following table has been prepared to show the area opened in each district under the various tenures :—

Table A.—Land opened during the Year ended 31st March, 1914.

Lands selected. During the year an area of 500,396 acres of Crown land was Selected under all tenures by 2,051 persons. Under renewable lease the total selections were 539, covering an area of 213,400 acres, of which 148,273 was settlement land, made up principally of the sixteen land-for-settle-ment estates opened for selection during the year.

ttenewable Lease. Cash by Auction on Deferred Payment. * Lease by Auction and Application. Small Grazingruns. Pastoral Runs. Optional System. Ordinary Na «° n al-! Land lor Crown ™ d0 7" SettleLand - Land. ments - Cash by Auction. Village Allotments. La • Land. District. Ordinary Crown Land. endowment Land. Total. Auckland .. Hawke's Bay laranaki Wellington .. Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury .. Otago*, - . Southland .. Acres. Acres. 55,624 726 6,530 70,668 i 19,699 ! " 1,953 ! 3,542 645 220 1,417 3,799 43 21,802 3,930 i Acres. 38,059 4,690 7,837 1,151 933 Acres. 7,868 7,192 757 11,083 Acres. 9 !) Acres. 757f 11 14 260 Acres. 1,319 72 501 211 986 Acres. It 7 - 59|| Acres. 13,868 Acres. 2,746 Acres. 2,317§ Acres. Acres. 106,680 35,044 79,357 32,753 6,639 99,169 853 36,790 24,214 53,087 621 J,573 604 96,751 12 16 787 8,894 3,699 25,S46 9931 551 782 Mot 2,833 11,716 25,460 i23 Totals .. 182,137 55,468 162,090 25,460 8,461 L8 1,193 5,415 77 13,868 5,579 14,820 474,586 » Ljnd for 82 national endownn ittleinant. t Incli ent. 1[ Includes £ ides 10 acre 4 acres, Ch< ts land tor settlement, eviot Estate. t STi ttional ei ndowine it. §Hai Iraki paste iral leases. ]] Includ ss 43 acres