WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3597, 15 August 1873, Page 3

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

The weekly meeting of this Board was held yesterday, when tliere were present —The Chief Commissioner (in the chair), Messrs Bastings, Butterworth, Reid, and Clark. '

APPLICATIONS TO PURCHASE.

Mr James Black applied, on behalf of Robert Black, to purchase his paddock at .fcrankton, which is about 20 acres in extent. It was stated that applicant had gone to much expense in fencing, planting, and otherwise improving the ground. The matter was referred to the District Warden.

Mr W. Gardner wrote requesting to be allowed to purchase 10 acres at Mataura Bridge for a manse site, or be permitted valuation when the land is offered for sale. A recommendation was made to the Government that the land should be cut up into quarter and five-acre sections, according to position, and declared open for sale.

The Board sanctioned the request of William Simmons to be declared the purchaser nf section 193, block 11., Tuapeka East district, under an agricultural lease.

Messrs Smith and Anderson applied to have J. F. Hitching declared purchaser of sections 10 and 11, block 11., Efctrick. Mr Herbert opposed the grant, and it was stated that a building known as the Camp Hotel stood on the ground, but was of no more value than the iron of wliich it was composed. A bill of sale was held by Mr Herbert over this building, and it appeared doubtful to the Board who was the legal occupant of the ground. The District Surveyor had assessed the property at £370. Mr Bastings was well acquainted with the land, and stated this to be a most ridiculous valuation Further consideration of the matter was postponed for a week. surveyors' fees. .The Chairman brought under the notice of the Board the complaints of certain land owners, alleging the charges of surveyors to be unjust. It appeared that by the present regulations, parties applying to have three or four thousand acres surveyed were bound by law to have it cut into sections, at 10s, and the surveyor could claim travelling expenses upon every section. The regulations were taken from those of Sydney and Southland, and a charge of 10s per mile could be made ; but when the surveyor had four parties in the one district to survey for, he could only charge each an equivalent part pf one surveyr Mr Bastings had heard of several residents m a district engaging a surveyor to serve them all in one visit. It was monstrous to think that a surveyor should have £04 for travelling twenty-eight miles, which he had known to be the case. o.i»u \s-_-j_._.i._.xj_j.-, aoLtx mc T>ravemnw expenses were fixed at 10s per mile. ° He considered that a moderate charge. Mr Connell, b<?.ing a practical surveyor, made a statement of what he considered to be a fair cost for surveying. It came very near to the rate that Mr Thomson had specified, being a mere trifle more. It was really a loss to surveyors, where they had small blocks to survey. The large- surveys were -exceptional, and merely made up the balance of expenses. _ Mr Bastings stated it to be the intention of the Government to make an alteration in the survey system. The matter was postponed for a week. EXCHANGE CANCELLED. James Wright requested to withdraw an application for an exchange of an agricultural lease of section 2, block IV-., Waipori.—Granted. TRANSFER OF LEASE. Mr R. Paterson, for Thomas Pollock, asked to have a transfer of Messrs Jackman and Jnglis's lease of Glenomaru bush reserve. The Board retained its sanction, pending the Ranger's report as to whether the assignees had fulfilled the terms of thei* lease relative to planting trees in place of those cut down. AGRICULTURAL LEASES. The following exchanges of leases were granted .'—Hugh Godwin, sections 9 and 92, block 11. ; James M'Guigan, section 40, block 111., and section 17, block V. ; A. Craig, section 4, block IV— all at Table HiU ; A. Stevenson, eection 24, block 1., Crookston ; A. Taylor, section's 81 and 82, block 1.,' Waitahuna. . OTHER APPLICATIONS. At the request of Mr George Cook, the application of Mr John Roberts, for a pre-emptive right of run 213b, was postponed for six months, m consequence of a defect in power of attorney from the Bank of Australasia, connected wifch the sale to Mr R. Roberts. Messrs Connell and Moodie applied that Mr F. E. French be granted a lease for seven- or fourteen years of septiori marked on the map as a quarry reserve, and adjoining section 27, block 1., Papakaio district, with the right of quarrying to be reserved by Government. The iuat^ ter was referred for the Ranger's report.