C.—l.

Summary of the Settlements established upon Estates acquired and dealt with under the Provisions of the Land for Settlements Act up to the 31st March, 1936 —continued.

EXTRACTS FROM REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS OF CROWN LANDS. NORTH AUCKLAND. (W. D. Armit, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) Settlements situated throughout the district experienced the general climatic conditions described in my report on settlement of Crown lands. The revenue improvement amounts to approximately 40 per cent, over the previous twelve months, due to the improvement in meat and wool prices. A general development improvement is taking place on most of the settlements with some assistance of Unemployment Board subsidies. No new areas have been acquired during the year. AUCKLAND. (K. M. Graham, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) With the improvement in the prices realized for stock and farm products the settlers in the older settlements experienced a good season, while in the case of the more recent settlements, which are for the most part dairying propositions, the position generally has improved and indications are that most of these settlers will become soundly established on their holdings. Galatea Station is still being worked successfully by the Department as a sheep and cattle station, and the results from the share-milking farms established on this settlement have been quite satisfactory. There were no new estates purchased in this district during the year. GISBORNE. (H. L. Primrose, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) Some of our settlements, more particularly Homebush, near Gisborne, have had more than their usual share of floodings, due to the excessive rains, but the water seemed to get away quickly. Homebush had three floods to contend with, but this is undoubtedly exceptional. Parts of Apanui Settlement have been eroded by the Waioeka River and many acres of valuable land lost, with consequential losses of capital and income. Many of our early renewable leases of settlement lands will expire shortly, and renewals will have to be soon dealt with.

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Name of Estate. holds" ' holds j Principal Purpose for which Holdings are utilized. Present I i ' I : Southland. Allenby .. .. 5 .. Dairying .. .. .. .. Fair. Ardlussa .. .. 5 .. Pastoral .. .. .. .. Very poor. Beaumont . . . . 9 2 Mixed farming .. .. .. .. ,, Brydone .. .. 2 .. Dairying .. .. .. .. Fair. Campbell .. .. 4 . . Mixed farming .. .. .. .. Poor. Crichton Park .. 4- 2 Pastoral .. . . .. .. Fair. Edendale .. . . 96 58 Dairying .. .. .. .. Very good. Ermedale .. .. 11 2 Mixed farming .. .. .. .. Fair. Fern Hill .. .. 5 .. „ .. .. .. .. Fortification Hill .. 6 .. Pastoral .. .. .. .. „ Glenham .. . . 30 14 Mixed farming .. .. .. .. Very good. Knowsley Park .. 9 .. Pastoral .. .. .. .. Poor. Lambert .. .. 1 .. Dairying .. .. .. .. Fair. Lamont . . .. 6 .. „ .. .. .. .. „ McCallum .. .. 4 .. „ .. .. .. .. „ Maori Hill .. .. 16 5 Mixed farming .. .. .. .. Good. Merrivale .. .. 43 12 „ .. .. .. .. „ Merrivale No. 1 .. 9 .. „ .. .. .. .. Fair. Merrivale No. 2 .. 7 .. „ .. .. .. „ Monte Cristo .. 4 .. Dairying .. .. .. .. „ Otahu .. .. 5 3 Mixed farming .. .. .. .. „ Ringway .. .. 4 3 .. .. .. „ Simpson .. .. 1 . . „ .. <. .. .. Poor. Stalker .. .. 8 1 Dairying .. .. .. .. Fair; holdings too small. Strathvale .. . . 9 .. „ .. .. .. .. Very good. Tamatea .. .. 7 .. „ .. .. .. .. ,> Teihoka .. .. 2 .. Mixed farming .. .. .. .. Good. Te Wae Wae .. 4 .. Dairying .. .. .. .. Fair. Waiarikiki .. .. 7 .. Pastoral .. .. .. .. Poor. Waikiwi Town .. 28 31 Suburban building-sites .. .. .. Fair. Totals .. 351 133