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HAWKE'S BAY. (F. R. Burnley, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) Many of the early renewable leases are due to expire at an early date, and valuations for renewal purposes are in hand. A number of applications have been made for revaluations under section 216 of the Land Act, 1924, chiefly from settlers who did not apply under the Rehabilitation Act and who now wish to have their rents adjusted. No new purchases were made during the year, and most of the settlers seem to be fairly well established. TARANAKI. (A. F. Waters, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) No properties have been acquired under the Land for Settlements Act during the year. Tapuwae Estate, which was being developed and farmed under Part II of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1929, has been taken over by the Land Development Branch and is being developed and farmed under the small-farms scheme. Land-for-settlement lessees, in common with others, have taken advantage of the opportunity to have their cases reviewed by the Adjustment Commissions under the Mortgagors and Lessees Rehabilitation Act. The investigations have shown that the values of dairy-farms in flat and easy country are fairly well sustained, but heavy reductions have been necessary in the case of sheepfarms in hilly country. WELLINGTON. (H. W. C. Mackintosh, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) No estates were acquired under the Land for Settlements Act during the year. The majority of tenants on settlement lands follow dairying, and have had a fair year. A large number of settlement tenants applied for relief under the Mortgagors and Tenants Rehabilitation Act, and their cases, with the exception of a few, have been finalized. It is too early yet to judge the effect of the adjustments, but as most tenants received concessions of some kind, they should be on the road to successful establishment. NELSON. (P. R. Wilkinson, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) No further areas were purchased for closer-settlement purposes during the year under review. Some settlers on the already established settlements made application for relief under the Mortgagors and Lessees Rehabilitation Act, 1936, but the proportion of applicants to settlers was small, so that it can be assumed that they are all now more or less well established on their holdings. The majority of settlements are sheep-raising propositions, and, although the season has been rather exceptional, on the whole stock has come through fairly well, but the latter end of the season under drought conditions will leave the stock in rather low condition for the winter months. Charges have been fairly well met, and no difficulty should be experienced in the future in that direction. MARLBOROUGH. (G. I. Martin, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) No new estates were purchased in this district during the past year. A considerable percentage of lands-for-settlement lessees applied for relief under the Mortgagors and Lessees Rehabilitation Act, and these applications have now all been finalized by the Court of Review. Five of the older-established settlements did not reveal any great difficulties as regards rents, but as regards the balance reductions in rent were granted ranging up to 64 per cent., and the average reduction granted to applicants on these more recent settlements was 34 per cent. WESTLAND. (B. King, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) There were no purchases of estates during the year. The settlers have had a fair average year for farming, and most are now sufficiently well established to pay charges as they fall due.

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