The Land for Settlements Acts, 1892 and 1894.

Allusion has already been made to the dearth of Crown lands suitable for small settlements in localities where they are most needed—i.e., in settled districts, where the lands are frequently held in large estates, whose owners employ a good deal of labour. Not only is this the case in many parts of the colony, but there is also a want of land where the sons of settlers can obtain farms, not far from the homes of their parents. To meet this want the Hon. J. McKenzie, the present Minister of Lands, introduced into the Legislature in the session of 1892 a Bill intituled "The Land for Settlements Act," which authorised the purchase from private individuals of suitable properties for subdivision into small farms not exceeding 320 acres in extent. Under the provisions of this and the amending Acts several properties have been acquired, and subsequently divided into small farms and leased in perpetuity at a 5-per-cent. rental, on a capital value fixed at a sufficient rate to cover first cost, together with survey, administration, and roads (if required). The process of acquisition is as follows: Whenever a property is offered to the Government, if it is so situated as to meet the object of the Act, a report on it is obtained by a qualified Government officer, and, should his report be favourable, the question of purchase is then referred to a Board of Land Purchase Commissioners, composed of the Inspector, who is the permanent Chairman, three other Government officers, and a member of the local Land Board, whose training and duties qualify them to advise the Government as to whether the purchase is a suitable one, and as to the price which should be given for the property. It is only on the advice of this Board that the Government acts. In nearly all cases the properties acquired have been improved farms, situated in settled districts, where the tenants have some chance of obtaining employment in the vicinity. The amount which may be expended per annum under the Act of 1892 was £50,000; but the Act of 1894 extended this amount to £250,000, and it also provided that the limit of land which might be selected should be the same as under "The Laud Act, 1892." The Act also provides for the exchange of high-lying pastoral Crown lands for low-lying agricultural lands suitable for small holdings.

A new feature was introduced into the Act of 1894—namely, the power of taking lands compulsorily in cases where the Board could not agree with the owner as to price, &c., and where the Governor in Council decides that the possession of the land for purposes of subdivision is otherwise desirable. The amount payable to the owner is decided by a Compensation Court, composed of a page 8 Judge of the Supreme Court and two Assessors; one appointed by Government, the other by the owner of the property. Only one property has hitherto been acquired compulsorily, and that has since been disposed of on satisfactory terms. Up to the 31st Match 1897, thirty-three estates had been purchased and offered for selection, at a cost of £471,960, including roading, surveys, &c., which covered an area of 95,348 acres. At the same date there were living on those estates which had been subdivided and selected 1,051 persons, in place of the few who held those lands formerly. The whole of these estates at the date given, in some cases, had not been selected, but the farms leased were bringing in a rental of 4.98 per cent, on the capital sunk in them. This extension of the provisions of the previous Act should prove beneficial in providing homes for a large class of persons, who, from inexperience in the breaking in of new country or other reasons, are in a measure prohibited from occupying the waste lands of the Crown; and, moreover, as the properties acquired are all more or less improved, they seem to afford to the small-farmer class of the Old Country an opening for building up homes for themselves where their previous experience will be of use, instead of having to learn-often by sad experience—the methods adapted to a new and wild country.

"The Land for Settlements Act Amendment Act, 1896," contains special provisions as to the disposal of lands acquired under" The Land for Settlements Act, 1894," giving the preference to landless people, and requiring applicants for rural land to satisfy the Land Board as to their means to stock and cultivate the same and erect suitable buildings thereon. It gives the Board, in fact, a discretion as to who shall be entitled to apply for the lands. It also provides, in cases where buildings are on the land to be disposed of, that their value, apart from the capital value of the land, shall, with interest thereon at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum, be paid by the tenant in half-yearly instalments extending over a term of years.

There are also regulations as to advances by Government, to successful applicants for allotments, in aid of the cost of fencing and planting the same and building dwelling-houses thereon, and special provisions as to allotments for workmen's homes, the area of which should not in any case exceed 3 acres.

Regulations giving full directions to applicants under this Act have been issued during the past year, which should be in the hands of every one before applying for lands under this Act.