No. 13.
The Resident Magistrate, Taranaki, to Mr. Commissioner McLean.

I have the honour to draw your attention to the pressing wants of this settlement with regard to land, as more fully shown by certain statistics recently taken here. So far as they have been made, it appears that the number of acres in wheat is 525; in oats, 465; in barley, 44; in maize, 7: altogether, in grain crops, about 1,041. In potatoes there are, say, 268 acres; turnips and mangold wurtzel, 88; gardens, 120: together 476, which, with the former in grain, gives 1,517 acres; whilst the land in pasture extends over more than 4,500 acres, on which 170 horses, 1,800 head of horned cattle, and upwards of 11,600 sheep are kept by the European population; thus showing that, whilst the quantity of land under grain and other crops remains stationary, the pasturage, with the stock thereon, has within a few years more than quadrupled. The European population of this settlement now amounts to rather more than two thousand persons, showing a steady but not so rapid increase as might have been expected from the length of time it has been established. This arises from the want of land such as persons returning from the gold fields and others arriving from the Mother-country would select, if further blocks were open for their choice. It should be borne in mind that, with the exception of the Tataraimaka and Bell Blocks, both very limited in extent, no lands have been acquired for the settlement for many year's past. I would therefore urge the necessity of your continuing in this province as long as the interests of other districts which have claims on your services will permit, so that the negotiations already commenced for the purchase of land from the Natives may, if possible, be completed, and others set on foot, to be carried on during your absence.