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The number of leases on the books still show a steady increase, which it is confidently anticipated will be more than maintained during the coming year. The revenue received was somewhat less than estimated, but this shortage is fully accounted for by the loss in timber royalties, due to the curtailment of operations in the early part of the year on account of the unsatisfactory state of the market and the closing-down of nearly the whole of the mills during the late strike. It was also anticipated that additional revenue would be derived from a large area of new lands that it was intended to offer for settlement, but the surveys were not completed in time to permit of this being done. However, these surveys are now finished, and it is hoped that the lands will shortly be upon the market. The additional work has been cheerfully carried out by an efficient and energetic staff, to whom are due my thanks for the satisfactory manner in which the duties assigned to each have been performed. H. D. M. Haszard, Commissioner of Crown Lands

CANTERBURY. Lands offered for disposal. During the past financial year the Land Board disposed of, under the Lands for Settlement Act, 8,904 acres to thirty-six new tenants. Further particulars are given in a separate report. There were disposed of at public auction in the Waiau and Springfield Townships twentyfour sections, comprising, an area of 16 acres. There were sixteen tenants placed on 938 acres of reserves offered for lease by public auction. Three pastoral runs were offered by auction, one of which was in the Mackenzie Country. The two others, situated in the Ashburton County, were offered with a residence clause, as provided in section 54 of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1913. These two runs were passed in, and are now being offered at a lower upset price on the same conditions. There were two sections, comprising 365 acres, disposed of under education lease, and of Crown lands six sections were disposed of under the optional system, comprising 1,417 acres, in the Oxford Survey District. These lands were originally bush, but now partly cleared by the sawmiller, and being partly burnt. Land Revenue : Payment of Rents, Arrears, and Rebates. The total revenue for the past year amounted to £206,055, being an increase of £3,799 over the previous year. The total amount of rent in arrears at the 31st March, 1913, exclusive of current payments, was £6,084. The amount of rents postponed came to £3,123, under section 13 of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1912, which makes a total of £9,207 actually outstanding, which is less than 3 per cent, on the annual rent roll. The total sum allowed for rebates for prompt payment of rent was £11,442, the number of tenants who participated in this privilege being 3,803. Freehold. Two perpetual-lease holders acquired the freehold of 120 acres to the value of £135. Five occupation-with-right-of-purchase tenants acquired 925 acres for the sum of £1,057. Under the legislation of 1912 five tenants of lease-in-perpetuity Crown land acquired 2,499 acres, to the value of £4,265, and one renewable-lease holder of settlement land acquired 2 roods, at a cost of £123; and two renewable-lease holders converted to deferred payment 28 acres, the annual instalments amounting to £190. There were eight village settlers who obtained the freehold of 354 acres, to the value of £811; and one farm-homestead holder acquired 71 acres, to the value of £170. Forfeitures and Surrenders, There were altogether twenty-three forfeitures, comprising 1,302 acres, the annual rent amounting to £521. There were three surrenders, comprising 184 acres; annual rental, £149. Nearly all these transactions were caused by the lessees refusing to sign their leases as a way of avoiding further obligations. Land Laws Amendment Acts, 1912 and 1913. Under the provisions of section 27 of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1912, eight licensees of pastoral runs applied for an extension of their licenses on account of loss of stock through heavy falls of snow, four of which were granted an extension of three years each. The provisions of section 13 of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1912, which provides that the postponement of rent through any actual disaster or other sufficient cause, have been taken advantage of by a small proportion of the tenants in this district, and will have a beneficial result. It was found that thirteen pastoral runs, comprising 32,343 acres, came under the provisions of sections 56 and 57 of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1913, which entitles the licensees to a renewal of their licenses for the same term as the original licenses, at a rental to be fixed by arbitration. There have been about twenty inquiries from lease-in-perpetuity holders of settlement lands with regard to the purchase of the freehold under section 60 of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1913, none of which have been completed. Rangers' Reports on Crown Land. The tenants on the cleared bush sections that were disposed of at Oxford are making good progress.

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