THE LAND BOARD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14976, 23 April 1909, Page 8

THE LAND BOARD.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l see in Tuesday’s issue a paragraph in your agricultural and pastoral topics that the Crown Lands Department, at the suggestion of Mr G. W. Forbes, have opened a. block of land on renewable lease at tho mouth of the Hurunui. Now, your informant is entirely wrong, as Mr Forbes had nothing to do with the opening of the land, it being a matter for the Land Board to administer and the present lease being nearly expired. • My attention was drawn to the matter by a letter from Mr George Gibbs, of Seargill, that there was a demand for the land from small settlers in tho district, and if I would endeavour to get the land put to ballot so as to give the small settlers a chauce, and, it being entirely iu accord with my own feelings on the matter, I put the correspondence before the Board at the January meeting- Now, the Act stipulates that all Crown lands bo put up to auction, but the Board were unanimous that we could put tins land up to ballot as there was a tenant on part of the land already, and if it had been put to auction, the present lessee being a large proprietor, would have outbid everybody else. Now, T don’t mind you giving Mr Forbes all the credit you can, but I certainly object to giving him credit for what he bad nothing whatever to do with. The matter was for the Board, and the Board alone, to deal with. Trusting you will give this the same publicity you gave the paragraph.—l am, etc., JOHN ALLAN, Late member of the Land Board. Waikari, April 21.