SOUTHLAND LAND BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1971, 14 November 1889, Page 9

SOUTHLAND LAND BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the board, held on Wednesday, November (5, was attended by the Chief Commissioner (Mr J. Spence) and Messrs T. Dennisfon §nd A. Kinross. 'Slip following applications fpr land were granted : —For cash : A. It. Hay, section 835, Hokduui (US acres); Walter Djnald. section 26, Niagara vitlflge; J. C. Colbeck, sections 35 to 39, blqck VII, Oteraroika (5H actp>); Michael Curran, section 77, block XX, Invercargi}! H undred. On deferred payment* j William Ourra'n, e&etiqn "?ti, block' 3^£, InyerotreilJ Hundred- G.H.Hitchcock', section 13, block XIX, New Itiver Hui.dred ; Charles Lake, section 4. block X New River Hundred ; G,eorge Brooks, seption 27, Mock Vir. Waik^wa : E4\7grd finch, teutons ? a.nd 8, block XXIV, East, Soro. C*n pm-petuql Jeasd ; John Fqxi section 703, Hokouu} ; L. P. Olaen, section 3" Nokomai ; E'obert Tirapany, section 10, block XII. Oterjumks Hundred ; J. L. Tresider, section 17, block 111/Walkftwa: Npife Hansen, vestiqna 14 wad, 15 block 111. Waikawa; Daniel Goulding, section H Week XIX. New Eiver Hundred ; James Inglis, sections *3 to 48, Wopi V, OftapMJtown Hundred, Seven applications to complete purchase were sanctioned, v The following -appHflatlons to transfer were f ranted t— Section -183. Forest Hjll Hundred, from ohn Berry to T, and B. Berry ; sections 15 to 18, blosk JI, Longwood, from 0." M. Forbes to 0. M. Porbes and Jessie A. Stewart j section J»3, blogk IX t Blverton, from James Barr to Andrew Ball } ieotion 333, Tarlugatura, from John Kean fa James Kean j «WJ4ou §91, HoJwnuJ, from Job,n Mookay to fcaohlan

M'Kenzle ; section 75. block VI, Jacobs Bivor, from the executors' of John Frew to Alexander Frew ; section 642, Hokonui, from Frank Collins to Andrew Dickson. J. W. Campbell (Gore) applied for a right to construct a water race. The route of the race being on a road, it was referred to the municipal authorities. James Wixon wrote applying for- a lease of an island, of about 10 acres, near the Neck, Stewart's Island!— Granted for five years, at £l"per annum. - The application of James Collins for a piece of land, cleared of timber, near sawmill area No. 183, was referred to the ranger for report. I "Alexander Fraserwas granted* leave to withdraw ] his] application for a, perpetual lease of sections 40 j and 41, block IX,' New Biver Hundred ;^ and his application to capitalise the same was sanctioned. * 't John Noble (fftitdgkjnson), Jaraea Davis (Portrose), Patrick Carr .(Winton), and others wrote asking if they (iould be reinstated on their holdings which they had, forfeited. It was Btated that in some cases nearly as'mueh had been paid as the revaluation amounted to'.— Tho Chairman said that in connection with this he had received a communication from the Minister of Lands, in reply to a memo, as to how to deal with applications by ex-licensees whose deferred payment holdings had been forfeited to be reinstated to enable them to obtain the benefits of the Selectors' Eevaluation Act, which notified' the board that there was no power given by the act to reinstate them. The board expressed their sympathy with those who .wished to, but, were prevented , from getting back their farms.— Mr Denniston suggested that if a short act were passed next session giving power to reinstate it would meet such cases. —The letters were referred to the commissioners appointed t o report on the holdings. James Haldane was given permission to change his agricultural lease to a deferred payment license. Timpany Brothers wrote offering £45 for the right to cut timber on sections 9 to 19, block IX, Otera-: j mika.— Left with the chairman to deal with. Simson. Blsworth, and Co. applied for permission to transfer perpetual lease section 15, block VII, Wendon, Irom William Walker to his wife, Patience ! Walker.— Granted. B. J. Horton, through Messrs Macdonald and Eussell, informed the board of having sold a piece o( section 61, block XVIII, to the Makarewa Hedgehope Biver Board, aud asked for an amended license for the section.— License to be recalled and a fresh one issued. Alexander Niederer made an offer of 3d per acre per annum for the lease for three years of sections 17 and 18, block VII, and section 4, hlock IX, Oteramika.—Beferred to the chairman, with power to act. David Gardner wrote with a view of ascertaining if he would be entitled to a revaluation of his holding and to a rebate, seeing that he had purchased it for cash.— Mr Denniston said that as the Bevaluation Act only applied to those who had not completed tho purchase of their holdings, It did not offer much consolation to those who had purchased for cash ; but there were scores of old settlers in exactly the same position.— Applicant to be informed that the board, while sympathising with him, had no power to accede to his wishes. George Thompson wrote applying for a revaluation of section 4, block IV, Longwood.— The Chairman said that this was one of hundreds of similar applications he had received. They were all filed, but were too numerous to be acknowledgedindlvidually.* Applicants probably expected an answer, and his reason for bringing this ona forward was to let them know their requests were not overlooked. The letters would be referred to the commissioners appoloted to inspeot, who would shortly visit the various districts. However, the Revaluation Aot only applied to those who selected prior to January 1, 1888, and Mr Thompsoa'B license was taken out in 1888.— To be informed accordingly. Section 2, blook XV, LongVood, having been taken up again, J. P. Young, the original ho der, applied for the valuation for improvements which had been paid.— Loft in the hands of the chief commissioner to deal with. George Kennedy was granted a lease of part of the quarry reserve in blook IV, Wyndham, under clause 25 of the Public Reserves Act. Adam Glover wrote offering 6d per acre per annum for a Rraziug right over section 29, block VI, Waikaka.— Accepted, subject to coal mining and o£her rights. T. T. liitchie applied for the right to construct a water racqat Pegasus to.divert eight Government heads of water.— Granting of application, subject to all prior rights, recommended. James Paterson offered part of section 9, bloak XIV, Chatton, for the construction of a tail race when required. — Offer accepted. Whealler and Valli applied for the right tp cut flax over 1200 acres in the Wairio district.— The area applied for to be reserved, but for every 200 acres £10 in advance per annum to be paid. A lengthy report of a meeting of settlers held at Eastern Bush, expressing their wishes with regard to revaluations, was read, and referred to the commissioner. ", ) • John Anderson wrote offering to take, over a section at Longwood lately occupied by his brother, who wa3 out of the colony. — The Chairman said that the board had no power to sanction a transfer, but the land would 'be thrown open' immediately.— Banger to report. . . „-'••, . ,v A petition signed by 22 pereons was forwarded by John Morison, requesting that any application made for a sawmill -site in Hillend Bush be refused, as the amount of bush was just sufficient to meet the wants of the settlers.— Action with regard to a sawmill site to be delayed. P. T. Finn, on behalf of Henry and Co., applied for a right to occupy a piece of land bounded on the north by Lake George, lor the purposes of a sawmill and woodware factory.— Eefused, the land applied for being part of the New Zealand ,Piue Company's area. With regard to an application of Brydon and Biordan for a eavvmill site in Croydon Bush, Mr Matthews presented two numerously signed petitions in support of tbe applications, aud several letters from persons repudiating, their signatures to a counter petition .—The land being within a State forest, and therefore not under the jurisdictfoa of the board, the application could not be entertained. The right to construct a water race at' Halliday's creek, Otara, was granted to B. W. G. Eich. John A. M'Donald applied to take up 75 acres, of unsurveyed land adjoining section 494, Hokonui. — The area being part of Brydon and Biordan's eaw 1 mill area, the application was refused. William Bgerton was granted permission, under State forest conditions, to cut timber on sections 3, 4, 5, and 6, block; VII, Wintfln Hundred. - Thomas Bowes applied to have deferred-payment septiou 617, Hokp,nu|. transferred to Wilfred F. Ward.— To be sanctioned when the requirements are complied with. William Shields was granted a Jicense to work upon a lignite reserve at Menzie's Ferry. T. J. Collins (Waikaja), for whom Mr Ha9fc appeared, applied for a reduction in tha value of his holding —It was decided that Mr Hast should put himself in communication with Collins and explain to him that the only way to get a reduction would be by allowing the .land to be put up again at aictioa.

W. F. Sinc'air applied for 100 acres near Joseph, ville.— Government to bo reeommeud.ed tq qpen it as a deferred-payment a.{lotra,eijt at 2iu per acre. Tho Hanger haying reported that the improvements on section 296 Forest Hill Hundred had disappeared, tbe board decided to waive tltf) Improvements in the event of any of|ei* tjeiug raad,e for the land.

W. W. Fergqaaon applied for a grazing right over block XIV, Oterainika Hundred.— Temporary grajing right grauted over part of the block at a rental of £S per acre ; miners to be allowed to run oattle on the same.

Wjtb rogftid to the leasing of section 12, hlock XIV. Chattou, for gnuing, at 3d per acre, to Jam s Paterson, Andrew Harvey wrote protesting against the action of the board in. letting the section privately and without advertising it. f{e stated that a previous application, qf c, Eimil^r nature was referred fco Iho warden, and he was positive that if publicity had been given to the effect that the land was open tor lease it would have brought six times the amount niid for it by Mr Patereon. He farther afarnied that t" e representations, ra.afle by K[r Peterson in applying for \i a§ to the number of diggers on tne grouW, <Sd,\ were false.— Michael Dillon applied for the right to giaze upon the section in question. — W. H. Edge also applied for "about }0Q J*or&s ia the mining township adjoining Waikaka.— Two petitions — one sighed T>y 12 and the o£her by 38 persons— accusing Eaterson of making false representations, and protesting Rgaiost the board allowing him to occuoy section 1? for erasing ans erqppjng purposes were VeadV %a petitioners asked 6hat the resolution giving Paterson the right be res.cmQ6d.--Wr Beade, appearing for J, lfi™*> £ald tne ?ec<ion referred to was }n ?he very heart of an auriferous d«triot, and if F-itergon was allowed to crop » fc *-ne miners would simply be shut out. There were 5Q miners at th.9 pla.ee novf-txos twq, as Mr Batergon baS aaia-ftnd in t(ie|r interests an 4 tho&e fif the general public he thought the resolution passed,, granting the lease of tha reserve, Bh,ou.l<* be rewinded,

—Mr Lamb said that if the section was fenced off and there was a crop on it, miners would sot care to go on to it.— Mr Denniston said it was one thing to ehab out and another to not care about going in. The board had reserved the miners' rights in the lease and if they did not exercise them it was their own fault.— The Chairman. eaid Mr Lamb* statement now did not tally with what he had said at a public meeting at Waikaka some time ago.— Mr Lamb, in reply, said he repudiated his remarks as reported. What he said was that he had no objection to the ridgeß being leased, but the flat he never thought of having leased.— The Chairman said tb.B board had not gone so far as the warden would have allowed in dealing with the reserve. The lease was only a temporary one— from year to year— and the board did not expect a high figure for so insecure a tenure as this one.— Mr Lamb ' said that a miner round there bad gone to considerable expense in fitting- up appliances and wanted to \rork ori the section. He knew he would not be turned off, but his working there would cause so much unpleasantness that he would rather not go oh at all. — The Chairman sajd the board was at considerable expense by these reserves, having to keep the rabbits down, and as they had tho power to depasture upon them, they as a matter of economy let tho section. Meisrs Smith and' Lamb had done . the rabbiting for the Government in the past, and he suipcpted they wished to continue doing so, and were aggrieved at this interference with the matter.— Mr Denniston said he would like to know what Mr Lamb's charges against r thq board -were; the mining industry had not been in any way interfered with by the lease. Did he expect that the remote contingency of this land being required for mining purposes was to deprive 'the Government of all revenue from it at present and al*o impose upon the Government tbe duty of destroying the rabbits ? Surely i hey b»d a r'ght to put a fence around it and let it for grazing. Mr Lamb'a charge implied that they were to keep it over for an indefinite period for him. The Eettlers and miners had about 1500 acres left on which to graze five horses and a few cows, and surely_ that was enough without this section. — Mr Lamb said that if they had had any intimation that the land was open it might have been let for a much larger sum.— Mr Kinross said that no one else having made au offer for the section, the board was justified in accepting Mr Paterson's offer. Similar allotments had been advertised and the highest they ever brought was about £3 per year. — Mr Denniston moved — " That the board, having heard counsel for the petitioners, and the statements of Mr Lamb on their behalf, sees no reason to depart from its decision. That in regard to future dealing -with the mining reserves at Waikaka, on the miners and settlers in the neighbourhood agreeing, in the first place, to undertake the duty of keeping down the rabbits, and ia the second to pay such rates as may be fixed for pasturage beyond the privileges of miners, the board will probably keep the reserves for the general use."— Mr Kinross seconded the motion, and it was carried. The board then adjourned.