WASTE LANDS BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5757, 30 April 1880, Page 6

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

The regular fortnightly meeting of the Auckland Waste Lands Board was held yesterday at -the office,-- Parliament - street. Present:—Mr. D.A. Tole, Chief - Commissioner, in the chair,' Messrs. Jos. May, W. P. Moat, B. Tonks, J. C. Firth, Dr. i Campbell. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. ADDiTro-VAi Waste Lawks.—The Chairman said the first matter he had to bring under the notice of the Board was to report a further addition of 81,000 acres to the waste lands of the district. They were situated in Hokianga, Upper Wairoa, Whangarei, Thames, Coromandel, Taupo, and Poverty Bay. There were y«t no detailed plans, but from what he knew the lands in Hokiauga and Upper Wairoa were for the most part good, well timbered, and broken. The Thames lands were hilly and timbered, the Poverty Bay lands were also mostly good. He hoped at the next meeting of the Board, or at all events at the suceeding one, to be able to place before them the detailed reports. Sale of Wairoa Lands.—He had also to report to the Board the result of a sale of lands in South Wairoa, which had taken place, and was conducted by the local agent. It was fairly successful. The total area sold was 13,310 acres, and the price obtained was £3700, or at the rate of 5s 6d per acre, a little over the upset price. The land was of third-class quality. The sale, no doubt, would have been more successful only that the bad weather prevented purchasers from Napier from attending.—Mr. Firth said that another cause was the depressed state o£ the money market. He thought that, under existing circumstances, it would not be wise on the part of the Board to push land on the market unless it was applied for.—The Chairman said the number of applications for land was i ncreasing for immediate payment or deferred payment and for homesteads, as the Board would perceive from the applications to be considered that day. He would ask. the authority of the_ Board to declare the lands which remained unsold at the recent sale, to be declared open for free selection. The necessary authority was granted. A Cehetery Site.—Mr. John Fisher of Pukekura asked that the district might be allowed to change the present cemetery reserve of 5 acres for another site which was more suitable. The Chairman said that the Board had no power to grant the request. It woull require an act of the Assembly to do what was asked.

A Request.—Mr. Robert Hunt ford requested that the Waiheke chapel and cemetery sites might be vested in the chapel trustees. It was agreed to forward the letter, without comment, to the Hon. the Minister of Lands. _ A Well Reserve for Epsom.—Mr. Dinnison, secretary of the Epsom Higkway Board, wrote asking that a reserve where the well was situated in Epsom might be handed over to the district. They had been at considerable expense in utilising this well.—lt was agreed to set the area (two or three acres) apart as a water reserve. Hot Spring at Kaipara.—Mr. Walker, writing from Helenaville, asked the Board to reserve the hot springs in Kaipara, and to lay off a road to it from Helens villa.—The Cnairman said he had written in reply to Mr. Walker that care would be taken by the Board that the spring would be reserved in the public interest. Hot Baths at Taupo.—Mr. Gallagher, writing to the Board, applied for the use of one of the hot baths in this district. He kept a hotel in the neighbourhood, and desired to erect an accommodation house at these baths for the convenience of tourists. The place in question had been purchased by Mr. Mitchell.—The Chairman said he had not yet been able to obtain any information in regard to the place referred to. The purchase of the block was, he believed, almost completed, and he would recommend that the letter be referred to Mr. Mitchell, the purchase agent, for his report.—The members of the Board expressed strong objections to giving the monopoly of those baths to private individuals, £ub coincided with the chairman's suggestion. School Site at Matakana.—The Chairman reminded the Board that at last meeting an application-had received from the Board of Education for a school site of two acres at Matakana. As the place applied for was on a landing reserve, the application wa3 postponed for further information. It was since ascertained that, exclusive of the school site, there would remain four acres, which was ample for the landing. Under these circumstances, the Board agreed to grant the two acres asked for by the Board of Education. Kawakawa.—Mr. John Marshall, writing from Kawakawa, inquired whether if he enlarged his house, as he would have to do on account of his increasing family, the value of the improvements subject to which his place was to be sold would be increased. It transpired that the place was already offered for sale subject to £20 for improvements, and the Board declined to entertain the proposition to increase the amount.

Permission to Remove Kauri.—John Maxwell asked permission to remove some dead kauri timber from a forest in the Hokianga. He would agree to pay 6d per 100 feet for the timber, which, if allowed to remain, would only rot away and decrease the value of the laud. He referred the Board to Mr. Webster on the subject.—The Chairman said the chief surveyor was at present on a visit to the North, and on his return he would no doubt be in a position to report on the application.—lt was therefore agreed to allow the application to stand over and, in the meantime, to communicate with Mr. Webster, and ask his opinion. Saxes of Waste Lands a.t Taur vxga.— Mr. Clarke, the Chairman of the Tauranga County Council, wrote to the Board applying that the sale 3 of Tauranga I slid-i might be held ia Tauranga iosteid of Auckland. He pointed out that is would be much more advantageous that people desiring to purchase were put to great expense coming to Auckland, and that many were unable to attend the sale?, consequently there was less competition and lower prices were obtained by the Board.—The Chairman said that although he would not object to giving it a trial, he must deny that the revenue suffered by having the sales in Auckland. There was always keen competition for Tauranga lands, and local purchasers were well represented by agent 3. The subject, however, had been brought under the notice of the Minister of Lands when he visited Tauranga, and he seemed to express himself favourably towards it. He (the chairman) therefore suggested that they should give Tauranga at least one trial, so as to compare the result of the sale held there with those held in Auckland. Several members spoke against it, Messrs. Tonks and Firth pointing out that others would be placed at great disadvantage if the sales were held at Tauranga, and that if they complied, every distract would seek the same concession. They believed that the Miuister of Lands would thank the Board for refusing.—lt wa3 agreed to refuse the request, on the ground that it would not be conducive to the interests of Tauranga or the colony to comply with it. Ok: UP. A. —Major Stoney, writing from the Wade, asked permission to temporarily occupy a, small area of three acres at Okuru, and he would be prepared to remove at any time he was required to do ao, without claiming anything for fencing or improvements. It was agreed to refer the application to Mr. Fairbairn, district surveyor, to report as to whether the granting of the application would interfere with public in-

SSt'a " a " ™'; IMMIGRANT LAXDORDJSRS, AND DKFERRS* Payment Lahds. _ The Chairman aauTl question arose, upon which he-moat ask th» •Board to express an opinion. When the Te Aroha lands sold under deferred payment Colonel Leckie was the holder of »/,'„!,• grant land order, and through hU ,„ a t ®: dered it m part payment for lands purchaatl by hiin under deferred payment. The o«W was received conditionally. He had reform! the subject to th e ciS stances, and received a reply referring the Board to decide. The question wm could an immigrant land order be received?' payment for deferred payment laadi Th« condition, of occapancy, &c., under the Im migrants Land Act, and those under the S". ferred payment system, were essentially dif ferent-in the former occupancy was optional although certain improvements were „ quired, under the deferred payment system occupancy was imperative. Was the Boa7d prepared to say they would accept the son as occupier instead of the father lli r j he c .°?'f Be e no objection, pro", vided the son rigidly fulfilled ail the conditions of a deferred payment sale—The Chairman said, another question was having granted that, was he to £ the deferred payment conditions, or can £ say that he will carry out the conditions of his land order?— Mr. Tonks saidcertainly, they would insist on the deferred deferf d m tho , BtriQ regulatioas'oUhe deferred payment system, he could see no objecmon. It was finally agreed to receive the land order as part payment, provided the applicant agreed to conform to th ; ferred payment conditions, and that he t»» j informed to this effect. Ra.gla.it Homesteads.— Messrs U. Wright and Lse, two homestead selectors in Italian district, wrote stating that they had fulfilled tbe conditions, and applied for their Crown grants.—The Board agreed to instruct tha ranger to report on the improvements effected.—-Mr. Firth asked how much homestead land had altogether been opened in Raglan?— The Chairman replied between SOOO and 9000 acres.-Mr. Firth asked what proportion that area bore to lands similarly opened in other districts ?—The Chairman said it was quite as large a proportion as auv other district.—Mr. Firth said he saw bv reports and letters in the public papers that some were_ of opinion that the Board was antagonistic to placing land in this district within reach of the paople by opening it an homesteads. The fact that the district had already so large an area opened under that Act was, he thought, a sufficient answer to that. He desired to set the public right as to what was the desire of the Board and the purpose of the remarks which he made at last meeting. The action of the Board wa3 a sufficient answer to the complaints made that they were antagonistic to placing lands within reach of the people. Land had always been placed within their reach on immediate payment, deferred payment, and homesteads, and there never had been a refusal. The remarks made at the last meeting, on the application to opea more land in the Raglan district under the homestead system, were in the interest of small settlers themselves. Having already 9000 acres of homestead laud there, if they opened more it would only be throwing additional labour into the district, where no facilities were offered for the location of capitalists. His remarks were not made in the interest of capitalists, but in the interest of the settlers themselves; for it wa3 a well* kaown fact that poor men could not go on land and live on it unless they could procure employment from their richer neighbours, or procure timber which they could sell. Frou the report of their rangor they saw f.h.'it, out of twenty homesteads in Raglan which he had inspected, only twelve had effected tha specified improvements after an occupancy of four years. Well, that was, perhaps, a fair average of success; but he much doubted whether, if they increased the number of homesteads, that average would be attained. Every facility had been placed by the Board in the way of those who desired to acquire land. The Board had never obstructed them ; but, at the same time, they had a duty to the country to perform, and that was to see that the lands were not sold so a3 to injure the persoD3 who take them up, and are of no benefit to the country.—ilr. May said he understood that whit Mr. Firth meant at last meeting had reference to the future as a caution tj be careful.—The subject then droppsd. Katikati.—Captain Stewart, one of the second party of Katikati settlers, applied for his Crown grant. He stated that he had fulfilled the conditions of settlement, and enclosed his receipt for payment ta G. V. Stewart. The application was referred to the ranger to report on the improvements. Te Aroha Block.—A memorial was received from twenty-five settlers asking that a portion of the Te Aroha block should ba opened for sale under the Homestead Act, as they wished to settle oa it. The memorial had been read at a former meeting, and its consideration deferred for a full meeting of the Board. In reply to inquiries from the members, the Chairman said the Co3t of the block purchase was only £13,000, and when to this wa3 added drainage, survey, &c., it would be folly £20,000. The area of the block wa3 about 45,000 acre 3, or, say at the rate 'of 93 an acre.—Mr. Tonks asked whether the country could afford to give land, purchase! at this price, away, when the country was so much indebted. After some conversation, it was agreed that the Council could not entertain the request contained in the memorial, but would be happy to receive applications from the memorialists for land in the north.

KA.uwAERAt.-Gi (Thames).—Mr. McCallougb applied to be allowed to take np certain lands in the Valley under the Homestead Act. As -the land was a portion of that which Mr. O. J. Stone had declined to surrender to the control o£ the Board, it being part of his lease, the Board conld not accede to the application. Tctahoa.—Mr. Bowler complained that he had a larger area cultivated thaa the ranger credited bim with. He aske 1 for a Crown grant, and said that he would obtain sonis one to reside in his place until the conditions were completed. It appeared that the applicant had obtained an appointment in another district. He had occupied the place during the specified term, but the ranger wa9 not satisfied with the improvements. The latter recommended that, on the completion of the specified improvements in November, the Board would deal with the application.—lt was agreed to insist on the conditions of the Homestead Act being carried out in their integrity, but in this instance the Board would grant an extension of time till November, to complete the cultivations. GtriiFXELDs.—E. Mitchelson, of DargavilU and Heremai (a Maori) applied for permission to dig gum over areas—in the first instance of 25,000 acres, and in the second of 30,000 acres.—The applications were ordered to stand over.

Applications for Laxd.—A nunibar of applications to have land, offered for sale, for lands under the deferred payment system and lands under the Homestead Act, were dealt with on their merits. The meeting then terminated.