AN EXPLANATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 472, 2 April 1909, Page 2

AN EXPLANATION.

A'Dominion reporter last evening, failing to findtlio Crown Lands Commissioner, brought those complaints before the notice of Mr. Kensington; Under-Secretary for Crown Lands. Mr. Kensington said ho belioved thoro wero two sections tliat had-boon withdrawn b.v the Crown Lands Board, and theso. were withdrawn in pursuanco of .a resolution : passed at the board's last meeting, after having heard the claims of lessees. Wlio.ii the Carrington Estate was pi'irohased, there were a number of lessees holding leases from Mr. Booth, and theso bad to provo their rights to sections as provided by law. Ho presumed the board was satisliod tlio lessees were entitled, and that was the reason tlio sections wore withdrawn. The Act stated that any original lessee, when an estate was purchased, had a pre-emptive right to a section, and ho presumed tho Land Board found ou)i that theso persons were original lessees, and were entitled to a section. Questioned as to tlio delay which occurred before' tho applicants wore notified of tho withdrawal of tlio sections, Mr. Kensington , said the Land Board only went up to Carrington two days beforo tho ballot, and they must have then discovered tho rights of tho lessees. The commissioner, however, would bo able to givo a moro definite explanation. Inquiries made locally by a Dominion representative elicited tlio explanation that ono or two sections were withdrawn by tho Land Board, but any applicants for theso sections wero permitted' to substitute anT ' other soction in their placo, right up to the moment of the ballot. Only 011 c person so affected raised any objection, and, at tlio eleventh hour, ho was permitted to go in for another section in tlio ballot. Tho withdrawal of tho sections was advertised a week or ten days beforo tho ballot, and if the author of tho present complaint did not receivo his telegram concerning their withdrawal till a day or two beforo tho ballot, that was probably because ho had not, until then, put in his application.