Lands.

The public lands have also been dealt with under the deferred payment system, and by perpetual lease. The statistics of the first-named are compiled from 1876, and the latter from 1882. The returns to the end of the year 1888 total thus:—Lands finally alienated under the deferred payment system, 335,455 acres; let on perpetual lease, 361,302 acres.

The official statistics say, "The waste or Crown lands sold in each year prior to 1856 cannot be accurately stated. The total gross quantity of land disposed of up to the end of 1888, including lauds sold and lands disposed of without sale, was 19,244,344 statute acres. The figures under the head of 'Free Grants' (4,515,648 acres) represent in each year the total quantity of free grants to immigrants and naval and military settlers, grants for public purposes, native reserves and old land claims; also, from 1872, grants to natives under provisions of the Native Land Acts."

The colony is divided into ten land districts, enumerated below, with their total raceage and the area of Crown lands sold or otherwise disposed of from the foundation of the colony to the 31st December, 1888.

Of the land not disposed of some 13 or 14 million acres belong to the aborigines or to the Europeans who hold it from them, leaving some 33 million acres of Crown lands to be dealt with. Some 15 millions are open grass or fern country, 10 millions are forest, and nine millions are barren mountain-tops, lakes, and worthless country." Of the open grass country, some 11,000,000 acres are held lor depasturing purposes, yielding an annual rental of over £150,000.