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Dunstan Times, Issue 898, 4 July 1879, Page 2

The memorial to the Waste Lands Board from the residents of Earnsclcugh Hiding and neighbourhood (a copy of which wo subjoin) calls for more than ordinary attention, as, so far as we can understand it, the question involved is a very serious one. The facts are theso---For years past the Government has been asked to throw open for settlement a block of land on the Earnsclcugh Station, but until nearly a twelvemonth since to no avail, when Messrs Green and Clark, in the capacity of Commissioners under the Waste Lands Board, visited the district and examined the land. In this duty they w'ere accompanied by several residents—would be selectors-having seen the laud, they pronounced it good, and promised that the repeated prayers of the people should be granted, that im mediately surveyors weroidlethey should survey it and that, as soon thereafter, it should bo thrown open for selection. This is the first stop. The second step is—the Surveyors come upon the ground, but horror of horrors, instead of surveying the land applied for and shown to the Commissioners, they go amidst the hills and rocks and quartz reefs. It is against this the Memorialists now pray. As there is as yet no knowing what may be the reply, and the matter being sub jndke, we do not feel at liberty to deal further with it than we have, viz.—to give the Memorial and the circumstances that cause it. To the Chairman and Members of the Waste Lands Board, Gentlemen—We, the undersigned inhahi. tants of Earnscleugh Riding anil vicinity, desire to bring under your notice the fact that the block of land now being surveyed on Earnscleugh Run, and known as the Earnscleugh Block, is not being surveyed as petitioned for, or in a way that will bo conducive of settlement. 1 ho land petitioned for, and which was pointed out to Messrs Clark and Green, two membersofyour Board, was comprised within the following boundaries, commencing at a point at the foot of Conroy’s Gully, near Tunnel Hill, and running in a line to the old crossing of Fraser River, thence in a line to Messrs Strode and Fraser’s pre-emptive right near their homestead, thence in a line to adjaebnt hills, following the foot of same to the gorge in Omco Creek, thence along the foot of Conroy's Gully to starting point. Your petitioners find that instead of getting the land contained within the foregoing boundaries as petitioned for, that a very large portion of the best of the land commencing at the gorge in Omeo Creek, and running down to the Fraser

River, and beyond, is left out, and that instead one ot the most barren pieces of country in Otago, containing about six or seven hundred acres, and known as the Conroy’s range, is to be added, which will render a large portion of the block unfit for settlement. Wl Why this barren country should be put into the block when there is plenty of good land to make it up, is a mystery to your petitioners, and a great injustice to those who desire and have been waiting to settle on this land. It must be known to your] Board that land fit for settlement in this neighbourhood is limited, and when the people show a desire to settle, as in this instance, the Board should take their interests into consideration and throw open the land as petitioned] for, so the people could settle on it, and not in a way to prevent them, as will be the case in this instance it the present boundaries of the block are not altered. We would also point out that another reason why the barren country should be left out of the block, and that is that some of it is auriferous and contains quartz-reefs, one of which is now working. The Board will see by the foregoing that should they persist in having the block surveyed as at present laid off, a large portion of it will be rendered unfit for settlement, and would never hejltaken up or settled upon, besides it would prevent the development of quartz reefs. Therefore your petitioners would respectfully request that your Board will take steps forthwith, before the surveyor lays off the sections, to have the boundaries’altered so as to exclude the barren country above referred to, and add all that portion of land commencing at the gorge in Omeo Creek ,and taking Lin the whole of the] flat up to the foot of the hills down to the boundary of Messrs Strode and Fraser’s pre-emptive right across the Fraser River towards the Molyneux. Here follow about 150 signatures.