C.—l.

AUCKLAND. (K. M. Graham, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) As most of the settlements in this district are devoted to dairying, and as the season has been uniformly favourable, the settlers have enjoyed a fair amount of prosperity. No new estates have been purchased during the year. Galatea Settlement has been partially settled, but the greater part of it is worked by the Department as a sheep and cattle station. GISBORNE. (H. L. Primrose, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) No new areas have been purchased during the year. The Te Wera Estate is continued to be farmed by this Department, with very satisfactory results. The time has not yet arrived for the cutting-up of this station into separate farming allotments. HAWKE'S BAY. (P. R. Burnley, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) No further areas have been purchased during the year. The present settlers continue to make progress. TARANAKI. (A. F. Waters, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) There were no purchases of estates during the year. The average dairy-farmer should now be in a position to pay his way, but there are still a few cases where difficulty is experienced in collecting charges. The drop in the price of wool has seriously affected the sheep-farmer, but, while prices for stock keep up, his position cannot be regarded as unsatisfactory. WELLINGTON. (H. W. C. Mackintosh, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) No new estates were acquired during the year under the Land for Settlements Act. The majority of tenants on settlement lands follow dairying, and with the guaranteed price for butterfat they are able to make up their budgets of income and expenditure with more certainty and to know where they stand. Those who follow wool-growing have experienced a drop in wool-prices, which will restrict them, to a certain extent, in the development of their farms. A number of lessees of settlement lands have taken advantage of the provisions of the Mortgagors and Lessees Rehabilitation Act, 1936, and out of the total number of applications for adjustment received —viz., 1,180 —lessees on settlements contributed 350. The inspection work in connection with the applications is nearing completion, but it will be some months before the whole matter is completed. NELSON. (P. R. Wilkinson, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) No new estates were purchased for settlement during the year, and my general report applies to settlers under this heading. MARLBOROUGH. (G. I. Martin, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) No new estates were purchased during the past year in this district. With the exception of those on the older-established settlements the majority of settlers in this district have lodged applications under the Mortgagors and Lessees Rehabilitation Act, and these are being investigated by the special valuation committees set up for that purpose. WESTLAND. (B. King, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) There have been no purchases under the Land for Settlements Act during this or recent years. Generally, the more energetic settlers on these estates are making steady progress, and with the maintenance of prices for produce at their present levels no difficulty should be experienced by them in paying their way. The settlers have experienced a favourable year for farming operations, and as a consequence have been able to meet charges in a satisfactory manner.

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