THE WAIKOIKOI HUNDRED LAND SALE.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 27, 14 January 1875, Page 5

THE WAIKOIKOI HUNDRED LAND SALE.

*-— . logan's application reposed. A special meeting of the Waste Lands Board was held, to consider an application lodged by James L >gan for the purchase of lands in the Waikoikoi Hundred. At the opening of the proceedings the following members were preeent :— The Chief Com- •• issioner, Messrs Batings, Buf.terworth, Donald R«-iU. aid Strode. The Chit f Commissioner said the business for which the meeting was called was to consider an application by Mr Connell, on behalf of Mr James Logan, for a decision by the Board on Mr Logan's application oi dais- Jauuars 7th, lor the purchase of lauds in the Waikoikoi Hundred— [The particular description of the land referred to >s a- fjllows; — Sectional to 22 inclusive, and 25 to 31 inclusive, block 11, Greenvale distrif-.t ; al*o. s.'-ctions 46 47. 59, and 60, block HI . Glenkeuich district, being at HTfa of 2592 note*. Sections 20, 20 a, 22. 24 25. 27. 28 30 to 84 inclusive, block IL , Git'> ken'ch district; ais<> sections 1 2, 4. 6 8 9 : 10. 12, 13, 14, block VIII., Ureenvald ai-trict, being an area of 3541 acts. The Commissioner went on to say that as Mr L jgan was a relative of his, he would prefer not to be present while the marter was being considered, unless his presence was absolutely nedssa-y. The Commissioner then retired, aud Mr Strode took the ch.-iir. The Chairman rend the following memo, from His Honor the Superintendent : — '* Superintendent's Office, January 11th, 1875. "This is to certify that, with the advice and consent of the Ex<* -utive Council, on the 15 h Dec mber. 1874 I agreed to the land in the Waikoikoi Hundred, with the exception of sections 21 23, 26, and 29. b'O'ik IL, and sections 3 5. 7, and 11, block VIII., being declared land of special valut and sold by public auction in rerms of the 85'h s cMon of the Otago Waste Lands Ac, 1872. and to the land being withdrawn from taie at Ll per acre. '* J. Macandrew, Superintendent. '' Mr Reid said that he objected to this business being taken up, as he contendrd there was no application before the B ard The land applied for was not open for application, as would be seen by tne minutes of the Board and the memo, from His Honor which was just read. This land, as the members of the Board would remember, was declartd to be of special value, and directed to b<; sold at public auction under the 85. h section of the Waste Laods Acr. It appeared that Mr Logan wished to steal a march on the pubic, and put in an application for the land at tbe usual price of Ll per ac*e. He (Mr Reid) as a member ot the Bo*r<t, refused altogether to entertain that application in any shape, or give it an> footing at all, and he was very sorry indeed that a special meeting of the Board had been called to consider it. He thought it was giving the matter greater importance t: an it deserved. It should be tnated in the same way as any applicaion that might have been made by any other person who did not happen to hold the country in question. He would move tbe following resolution : — "That inasmuch as ihe laud in the Waikoikoi Hundred has been set a. a r t as land of epecial value, in terms of the 85 rh section of the Waste Lands Act, 1872, the land was not open for application when this application was lodged, and the Boird therefore declines to enter: ain the application." He hoped the Board would decide this point at once, because if it were decided that there was no application before the B >ard witnin the meaning of the Act, Mr Connell had no locus standi, Mr Bastings seconded Mr Reid's resolution. Mr Connell submitted that if he brought the application, and a» he was prepared to do, showed clearly and distioctly that tbe land was lawfully open to application, the Board, unless they heard him,. would be working in the dark, and doing a great ia* justice to Mr Logan. He had conformed

with the provisions ot the Land Act, and came forward the day the hundred was proclaimed open, and put in an application He submitted that if.the Board refused to hear his argument in support ot the application, it would be equivalent to an acknowledgment that his argument would s^ake them. If the Board had taken lawful and proper step* in opening the Hun dred for application they need not be afraid of hearing what he had to say. But he took it that Mr Reid's conscience — -— Mr Reid r bjected to Mr Connell being heard at all until the point he had sub mitttd was settled. He could assure Mr Connel tba* he (Mr Reid's) conscience was quite at ease. After a good deal of angry discussion, during which Mr Reid remarked that it was about time that the public saw what sort of people the Board had to deal with when they fouud men of meanp, who had held the country for years for a mere bagatelle, coming forward and trying to steal a march on the public — (hear, hear) — in an ; undehand way. The motiou waa put and carried. — * Times' report.