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, 1939—continued.

EXTRACTS FROM REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS OF CROWN LANDS. NORTH AUCKLAND. (L. J. Poff, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) During the year no new estates were purchased, but steady progress is being maintained by settlers on estates purchased in previous years. Adjustments consequent upon applications made under the provisions of the Mortgagors and Lessees Rehabilitation Act, 1936, have now been completed with the exception of a small number of cases requiring to be dealt with by the Court of Review. The year has not generally proved to be a good one either for the dairy-farmer or for the grazier tenant, the former receiving a fall in butterfat-production, due to unfavourable seasons, and the latter a fall in market prices for wool, sheep, and cattle. AUCKLAND. (K. M. Graham, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) No new purchases of land or estates for settlement purposes was made during the year. Despite the difficult conditions which have had to be met, the settlers on our settlement lands are on the whole making good progress, and on the newer blocks progressive work in the effecting of improvements continues to be carried out which will lead up to satisfactory establishment in each case as time progresses. GISBORNE. (H. L. Primrose, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) No new areas have been purchased during the year. The Te Wera Estate continues 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. On the older settlements the majority of the settlers have established themselves and any reductions made as a result of investigations under the Mortgagors and Lessees Rehabilitation Act were very slight, but in the case of those settlements purchased for the settlement of discharged soldiers the writings-off were considerable. The settlers on the Glencoe and Repongaere Settlements were seriously affected by the floods of last autumn, so much so that one of the settlers was forced to resow his pastures three times after three successive floods in March, April, and July. During the year appraisements have been made of seven leases in the Kanakanaia Settlement for the purpose of renewal of the leases. In addition, thirty-five leases in the Te Arai Settlement are under similar action.

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I I ~ I Name of Estate. ! | holds" Principal Purpose lor which Holdings are utilized. j Present I ! ; I Southland. Allenby .. .. 5 .. Dairying .. .. .. .. Fair. Ardlussa .. .. 5 .. Pastoral .. .. .. .. Very poor. Beaumont .. .. 10 2 Mixed farming .. .. .. .. „ Brydone .. .. 2 .. Dairying .. .. .. .. Good. Campbell .. .. 5 .. Mixed farming .. .. .. .. „ Crichton Park . . 4 2 ,, .. .. .. .. Fair. Edendale .. .. 94 60 Dairying .. .. .. .. Very good. Ermedale .. .. 10 3 Mixed farming .. .. . . .. Good. Fern Hill . . .. 6 .. „ .. .. .. .. Fortification Hill .. 6 .. ,, .. .. . . .. Fair. Glenham .. .. 28 16 „ .. .. .. .. Very good. Knowsley Park .. 9 .. ,, .. .. .. .. Fair. Lambert .. . . 1 .. Dairying .. .. .. .. ,, Lamont .. .. 6 .. „ .. .. .. .. Good. Lora .. .. 3 .. Mixed farming .. .. .. .. ,, McCallum .. .. 4 .. Dairying .. .. .. .. Fair. Maori Hill .. .. 16 5 Mixed farming .. .. .. .. Good. Merrivale .. .. 44 15 „ .. .. .. .. „ Merrivale No. 1 .. 9 .. „ .. .. .. .. Fair. Merrivale No. 2 .. 7 .. ,, .. .. .. „ Monte Cristo .. 4 .. Dairying .. .. . . .. Good. Otahu .. .. 5 3 Mixed farming . . .. .. .. „ Ringway .. .. 4 3 „ .. .. .. .. Fair. Simpson .. .. 1 .. ,, .. .. .. .. Poor. Stalker .. .. 8 1 Dairying .. .. .. .. Very good. Strathvale .. .. 9 .. ,, .. .. .. .. „ Tamatea . . .. 7 .. ,, .. .. .. .. Good. Teihoka . . .. 2 .. Mixed farming .. .. .. .. „ TeWaeWae.. .. 4 .. Dairying .. .. .. .. „ Waiarikiki .. . . 7 . . Mixed farming .. .. .. .. Fair. Waikiwi Town .. 22 35 Suburban building-sites .. .. .. „ Totals .. 347 145