General Summary.

The several purchases and leases completed and incomplete up to the 30th June last, and the total expenditure, are shown in the following table:—

The unexpended balance of the £700,000 voted by the General Assembly for the acquisition of land in the North Island was, on the 30th of June last, £254,595 17s. 11d.

The balances available to complete outstanding liabilities and new purchases that may be undertaken are—

	£	s.	d.
Auckland	82,972	1	10
Hawke's Bay	40,132	12	1
Wellington	90,857	4	7
Taranaki	40,633	19	5
	£254,595	17	11

As I before observed, a great deal of the delay in concluding the early purchases was from the want of a properly-organized staff of surveyors, as required under the provisions of the Native Land Act of 1873. But the difficulty was in a great measure removed by the energy of the Inspector of Surveys and the officers working under him. By his report, which has been laid on the table, it will be seen that a great deal of work has been done by his department. I will give his figures:—

North part of Auckland	236,566 acres completed
Thames and Waikato	52,919 "
Bay of Plenty	62,787 "
East Coast and Wairoa	406,745 "
Wellington	69,913 "
	829,030 "

Surveys in progress—

North of Auckland	18,000 estimated acres
Bay of Plenty	261,000 "
East Coast and Wairoa	376,720 "
Wellington	10,000 "
	665,720 "
Making a total of	1,494,750 "

It will be seen by honorable members from the foregoing statement that the Government has not relaxed in its efforts during the past year to acquire on reasonable terms an estate for the North Island which, as immigration and settlement progress, will be found valuable for colonizing purposes.