THE LAND-SEEKERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 104, 29 October 1909, Page 8

THE LAND-SEEKERS.

TO-DAY'S BALLOT. Exceptional public interest centered on the ballot for sections in the Hunua and Kaitikei survey districts, because it was commonly thought that many retrenched Civil Servants would be among the applicants. However, very few of the retired' entered their names for the lottery, and only six or seven names of ex-employees of the State are among the drawers of lucky numbers. Beforo the weeding-out process greatly reduced the roll, the army of land-seekers reached a figure between seven and eight hundred. Beforo the ballot took place, the commissioner (Mr. James Mackenzie) stated that there were 102 sections to be ballotted for, but not in the- way of an ordinary land ballot. This was an effort to place on the land men who were out of employment, or in casual employment, and could not take up land under ordinary conditions. Preference would be given to those who certified that they were out) of work. Successful applicants ■would receive a month in which to inspect the sections ; then, if they did not like them, they could surrender. If at the end oi the month they did not writo to the Land Board, stating that they were Eatisfiedj the sections would be forfeited, and others who had made application would get a chance. The commissioner also announced that if it was found that any information that had been given with applications was incorrect or untrue, the application would bo null' and void. Likewise, if anything, was discovered subsequently as to character or general eligibility which the board, in its discretion, 'decided should disqualify such applicant, his section would be forfeited. The following residents of Wellington and district drew sections :: — ■ Hunua district :— John T. Taylor (Wellington), section 5,. Block V., 200 acres; George Hunt (Wellington), 9, V., 76 acres; James Atkinson (Wellington), 7, VI., 103 acres; William Taylor (Petone), 14, V., 70 acres; William Green (Petone), 8, IX., 200 acres; William Wvatt (Kilbirnie). 9, IX., 103 acres; John T. Hobart (Wellington), 18, IX., 120 acres ; J. B. Marshall (Johnsonville), 21, IX., 130 acres; Henry Bromley (Wellington), 23, IX., 190 acres; Albert Cameron (Maranui), 25, IX., 170 acres;' Thomas Wainwright (Kaiwnrra), 8, X., 103 acres ; Harold Wilkinson (Wellington), 14, X., 155 acres; Philip Real (Wellington), 23, X., 120 acres ;* S. R. Johnson (Wellington), 25, X., 100 acres; Richard Belsey (Lower Hutt) 30, X., 109 acres ; Joseph Fry (Lower Hutt), 34, X., 100 acres. Kaitieke district : — George W. Haydon (Kilbirnie), 27, 111., 139 acres; William Fitzgerald (Petone), 1, VIII., 198 acres; John Hunter (Brooklyn). 3, XII., 200 acres; John Willis (Wellington), 4, XII., 185 acres; W. A. Waters (Wellington), 8, XII., 133 acres; Percy Gorton "(Wellington), 14, XII., 193 a'crcs. Ihe remaining sections fell to: John Mooney, Sydney Jarvis, James V?. Durie, W. L. A. M'Arthur, Ernest A. Newson, Robert Dowling, Alexander Dette, Julius Barry, Richard A. Woodhead, Gilbert M'Alpine, James Grace, Thomas Tracey, David Shaw, Alfred D. Keeys, Robert Cleaver, Francis B. Haughey, George N. Poulson, William E. Dennison, John J. Sheahon, Frederick Reynolds, Lewis J. Bacon, Herbert G. Hunter, Bartholomew H. Wallace, William Lang, William Green, Arthur J. Mullyn, Charles Pithams, Walter D. Brown, John Lawson, John Bones, Bruce M'Donald, James Pattilo, Malcolm Watt, Thomas H. Robinson, Christian Seton, Bert T. Ralph, James B. Davey, Robert Morris, Thomas Pearce, John Thompson, William LHarper, Richard Curtis, Arthur Naylor, Samuel Allen, Robert J. Spiers, John P. Ward, Robert M. Krebs, Edwin C. Hughes, D. G. Sansom, William C. Miller. John M'Leod, William 'E. Flynn, Samuel Hill, Francis Parker, T. M. Pecar. Charles J. Brown, John O'Donnell, James W. Brown, W. H. C. Rainsford, Andrew Stewart, Amos Hollingworth, Henry C. Jacker, Martin Anso, George W. Haydon, It. T. Roberts, George H. Wood, E. P. Syme, Harry Crowhurst, Charles Allen, Peter Flynn, James C. Murray, Alfred Hawes, Willie Gleeson, Alexander Watson, Herbert Tomlinson, Seth Coffin, -Victor A. Shore, E. E. Bacon, Percival H. Holmes.