Management of Crown Lands.

The Crown lands arc dealt with by a special Act of the New Zealand Parliament, under the supervision of a Cabinet Minister, designated the Minister of Lands. In each land district there is an executive officer, called the Commissioner of Crown Lands, who is intrusted with large discretionary powers controlled by statute.

The colony is divided into ten land districts, and for each there are appointed from two to four Commissioners, who, with the Commissioner of Crown Lands as chairman, constitute the Land Board of the district, to which all matters connected with the management and control of the land is remitted. All business relating to the sale, leasing, disposal, and occupation of Crown lands, and all questions or doubts respecting such disposal, or the meaning of any enactment relating to or in connection with Crown lands, or to any matter or thing done under such enactment, are heard and determined by the Board. The ordinary routine business is transacted by the Chief Commissioner. The work of classifying land for sale or lease is also intrusted to the Board.

Each Land Board sits weekly at the chief town of the district, and transacts business in public. Thus the people are brought into immediate contact with the machinery of the Board.

Doubtful cases are often referred to the Minister, who at present is the Hon. John McKenzie, the author of the liberal land-law of 1892. But any person aggrieved or dissatisfied with any decision of the Board may appeal to a Judge of the Supreme Court, whose decision is final.