C.—l.

Lands for Selection. During the year 463,178 acres were taken up on various tenures, the number of selections being J,342 under all headings. These figures include some 707 sections, comprising altogether an area of 64,813 acres taken up under miscellaneous leases and licenses, so that the selections on permanent tenures numbered 635 sections, covering a total area of 398,365 acres, "lhe following table gives the selections of Crown lands for the last five years : Selections under all Tenures. Year ending Number. (Acres). 31st March, 1933 1.354 280,518 31st March, 1934 .. . . ■ ■ ..1,118 285,166 31st March, 1935 .. .. •• •• 1,036 302,915 31st March, 1936 .. .. •• ..1,037 210,026 31st March, 1937 •• 1,342 463,178 The total of 463,178 acres selected during the year includes lands taken up under both permanent and temporary tenures, and also town and suburban lands. The permanent selections of rural lan s only were as follows : —

The lands dealt with above comprise both areas offered for the first time and areas which became available for reoffering through various reasons. The figures for entirely new rural areas selected during the year are as follows : —

Receipts. The receipts for the year from all sources (excluding, of course, Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account receipts) totalled £1,402,596, an increase of £126,086 on last year's figures. The receipts for the last five years have been as follows: Year ending 31st March, 1933, £742,820 ; 1934, £1,020,198 ; 1935, £1,259,790 ; 1936, £1,276,510 ; 1937, £1,402,596. Postponements, Remissions, and Abreabs of Rent. Rents, the payment of which remained postponed at the 31st March, amounted to £98,593. Arrears of'rent at the 31st March (including arrears in respect of the current half-yearly charge) totalled £94-2,858, while remissions for the year totalled £170,977. Rebates. For prompt payment of rent 17,195 Crown tenants were granted the usual rebates in terms of section 123 of the Land Act, 1924, and section 59 of the Land for Settlements Act, 1925. These rebates amounted to a total of £41,798. National Endowment. Of the area in the national endowment, 6,449,230 acres were held under lease or license at the 31st March by 4,311 tenants paying an annual rental of £137,582, while a very large area (partly, however, covered by existing leases) had been set aside as provisional State forests, tor further particulars re the national endowment see parliamentary paper C.—l 4. Educational Endowments. An area of approximately 797,292 acres of education endowments under the administration of the various Land Boards is leased to some 4,147 tenants, who pay a total animal rental of £125,610

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Number of Rural Total Area Class of Land. Sections selected. selected. Acres. Crown and national-endowment land .. ■ • 214 215,158 Settlement land .. ■■ •• •• „ ' Education reserves, &c. .. •• •• •• ' Grand totals .. • • ■ • • • 282 225,422

Number of New Rural j Total Area selected Class of Land. Sections selected. for the First Time. Acres. Crown and national-endowment land .. 64 59,853 Settlement land .. •• •• •• > Educational reserves, &c. .. ■ ■ • • • • '' ' Grand totals . • • • • • • •