19

C—l

Land Tenures and Transactions. The desire on the part of selectors to acquire the freehold of their holdings has been somewhat more marked this year than previously. Fifty-one tenants have acquired the fee-simple of an area of 7,861 acres. Of these fifty-one nine held occupation-with-right-of-purchase licenses, twenty-nine held leases in perpetuity, seven perpetual leases, one perpetual-lease village settlement, one occupation-with-right-of-purchase village settlement, three lease-in-perpetuity village homestead, and one renewable-lease land for settlement. New selectors still evince a partiality for the oecupation-with-right-of-purchase tenure, more especially as the right of purchase is now exercisable at any time after six years from the date of the license. Eighteen new settlers marked their preference in this way in respect of land offered under the optional system: Rebates of Rent. For prompt payment of rent, rebates amounting to £706 were granted to 723 tenants on Ordinary Crown lands, £4,979 to 703 tenants on settlement land, and £69 to 132 tenants on national-endowment land. Arrears of Rent. The amount of rent in arrear, exclusive of the current instalments payable in advance, is £605 in respect of all tenures. These figures, considered with the total rental payable, are most satisfactory. They reflect the result of a successful year by all classes of tenants. Postponement of Rents. Lessees to the number of fifteen have availed themselves of the right to postpone their rents in terms of the provisions of the amending Acts of 1912 and 1913, involving an aggregate annual sum of £1,270. The applicants for relief in the direction indicated are almost invariably recent selectors, who are expending their capital in improving and developing their holdings with the view of placing themselves in an independent position at an early date. Forfeitures and Surrenders. Eighteen tenants forfeited their leases over 5,823 acres through failure to pay the rental at the due dates, non-improvement of their land, or non-compliance with the residential conditions. One of these areas, comprising a small grazing-run of 2,833 acres, has since been relet. Sixteen tenants surrendered the leases of their sections, comprising 1,380 acres. Transfers. fc As the transfers form a considerable part of the work dealt with by the Land Board, and the work is of a very great importance, I have shown in tabular form the number of transfers approved under the different tenures, the area of land transferred, the value of the improvements effected, and also the consideration paid. As a perusal of the figures will show, the con-sideration-money is in some cases very high, and the Board has to exercise great care in investigating the, applications to see that the proposed transferee will prove a suitable tenant, and has sufficient capital outside the consideration-money to successfully farm the land.

In addition to the transfers completed, nineteen were declined by the Board for various reasons. Robt. T. Sadd, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

luml icr. 'Oil'. mprovemeiits. !onsi< leratiotl. •rdinary Crown lands — Lease in perpetuity Perpetual lease Small grazing-runs Occupation with right of purchase.. Occupation leases Pastoral licenses Miscellaneous licenses 42 12 14 20 13 22 4:0 Acres. 2,480 727 28,000 3,506 321 253,669 10,615 £ 5,774 1,834 8,201 1,331 1,113 No valuation Nil £ 11,313 2,901 18,655 3,202 2,321 13,537 515 Totals 163 299,318 18,253 52,444 /and for settlements — Lease in perpetuity Eenewable lease Small grazing-runs ... 49 11 1 6,270 26,257 1,085 18,277 9,190 899 45,049 21,870 2,000 Totals 61 33,612 28,366 68,919 fational endowment — Renewable lease Small grazing-runs 6 28 2,289 106,125 626 7,998 1,166 32,235 Totals 34 108,414 8,624 33.101 Education endowments 28 2,268 Nil 1,849 Grand totals 286 443,612 55,243 156,613