THE LAND BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 7470, 14 March 1888, Page 2

THE LAND BOARD.

The ordinary meeting to-day was attended by the Chief Commissioner, Messrs M'Kenzic, Logan, Clark, and Dallas. Peter Campbell intimated that he had made a mistake in the selection of his per-petual-lease section 39, block 4, Gatlins, having intended to purchase sections 17 and 18, block 4. He asked to be allowed to exchange section .39 for these two.—Declined. William Paulin applied for a lease of the village reserve and sections 25 and 26, block 1, Upper Wakatipu, he agreeing to undertake to keep the land clear of rabbits during the term of his lease. Ranger Adair intimated that he saw no objection to the applicant occupying the land.—Declined, the sections in question being notified as open for application on the 21st inst. Warden Wood, in reporting on an application by the Nasoby Pastoral Investment Company to purchase section 19, block 10, Maniototo, containing 203 acres, stated that he was not aware of any objection to the application being granted. —Approved. Mr W. L. Simpson, for Mr M’Leod, the perpetual lessee of section 8, block fl, Strath Taieri, applied to purchase the same under clause 16 of the Amendment Act of 1887. Being within a goldfield, application to be made to the warden.

Mr W. L. Simpson, for Thomas Fiddes, applied to have 000 acres reserved out of Kurow Run ‘23, as ho intended to apply for that area under perpetual lease.—After some desultory discussion the Chief Commissioner said that all the board could do was to forward the “ application for the consideration of the Government. It was not yet known what the Government intended to do with this run.—Mr Clark was of the same opinion. Instead of dealing with the small area in question it would be better to know what the Government were going to do in regard to the whole run.—Mr M'Kenzie thought they should draw attention to the fact that the run was practically unoccupied.—Mr Dallas : Not unoccupied, but it does not pay any rent.—lt was decided to forward the application for the Government’s consideration.

Robert and Samuel M'Lelland surrendered their deferred-payment license of section 7, block 15, Green vale, for forfeiture.—The license was declared forfeited for non-pay-ment of instalments ; the ranger to value the improvements. The Board recommended for the consent of the Minister the following applications to exchange pastoral deferred-payment licenses for small grazing run leases:—R. Williamson, section 4, Flock 16, Maniototo ; John Elder, section 5, block 14, Benger; Thomas Popham, section 13, block 10, Strath Taieri. Messrs J. Rattray and Son, on behalf of J. H. Preston, applied for a reduction of the rent of Run 203 a, as 120 acres of it had been sold to Mr Mann, They also asked for a refund of the rent from August, 1887, to March, 1889.—Rent of run to be reduced to the extent of L2 17s 4d ; the license being cancelled over the 120 acres sold.

In reply to a communication from the Board asking him to pay two and a half years’ rent—Lß4 13s 9d—due by him on section 1, block 4, Maniototo, P, M'Clusky requested an extension of time till Ist June next,—Consideration deferred for a week.

In reply to a communication from the Board suggesting that his section 1, block 7, Lower Hawea, should be made a small grazing run, D. M'Lennan stated that if he acted on that suggestion he would lose his improvements, which arc of considerable value, and he asked the Board to reconsider their decision and his application to obtain a part of the central ICO acres, and license the balance (220 acres) for grazing.—Consideration deferred.

VV. G. Rutherford applied to purchase areas of sixty and ten acres respectively on Run 243, as second-class land, at 10s per acre, burdened with valuation for improvements.—Approved, subject to survey fees and necessary roads, at 20s per acre. Messrs J. Rattray and Son asked that Run 328, Waikaia, be divided into two portions when re-let, and the eastern portion in Otago district, comprising an area of 2,000 acres of open land, bo offered at an upset rental of L 5. —lt was decided to recommend the Govornor-in-Council to re-offer the area in question for pastoral leasing for ten years as a separate run, the same being quite cut off by the Waikaia bush from the remainder of the run ; the upset to be LlO. The Chief Commissioner suggested that sections 20, block 9, and 27, 29, and 30, block 8, Akatore, be withheld from sale on account of tho bush on the sections.—Mr Clark said that there was a lot of timber on these sections, including a quantity of fine straight iron-wood trees ; and when a road was formed to the sections this timber would become valuable.—lt was resolved that the sections be withdrawn from sale ponding the ranger’s report as to the value of tho timber.