CROWN LANDS BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6822, 28 September 1883, Page 6

CROWN LANDS BOARD.

The fortnightly meeting of the Crown Lands Board was held yesterday. Present: Mr. D. A. Tole (Chief Commissioner and Chairman}, Dr. Campbell, Mr. J. May, Mr. B. Tonks. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

Opua Township,—The Under-Secretary of Crown Lands wrote stating that the Government approved of the sizes and upset prices of lots in the village of Opua, Bay of Islands, also of the change of name from Newport to Opua, and requested that the sale should take place in the latter name.— The Chairman said the advertisements had been published accordingly. Pigeon Mountain. — The Under-Secre-tary of Lands wrote stating that owing : to disputes amongst local, bodies the reserve in Pigeon Mour tain would not ■be vested in either,> but.would be administered by the Lands Board.—lt was agreed to, notify the local Boards accordingly. . Tauranga.—A letter was received enclosing cony of letter from the Minister.of Lands tqiQaptain Morris, M.H.R,,-.intimating that the'"unsold lots in Tauranga .would not be disposed of pending necessary legislation. Survey Claims. —At the last meetings letter had been received from Thomas Hawks,., claiming refund of certain . survey i expenses which he had incurred. . It had been submitted to tho Assistant SurveyorGeneral, who thought, the claim a just one, as-Mr. Hawks hsd acted on advice received from the department,, and recommended that. £'22 10s should be paid; -This the Board had recommended t3: the Government,"'and. a; :reply.was now received, ft asked on. what principles the . Board proposed' the payment should bo . granted, as whafrMr. Hawks did was at his own., risk.-—! ho Chairman: explained'- the- matter, and 11 .-was agreed : to ask the Government whether .the answerwas, to :b'e .considered final, as the Board.; adhered ; to it 3 former determination;. -.: .

, Iko.nsanl) Leass^Tlic.Chairman said:that: by the special .powers of -the Contracts Ac': a ; lease, of: a.port-ion of the foreshore'at the •Manukau- had heeir* given to -Mr< .John'.Chainbersiand others .to work the irpnsa'nd: deposits.-. .The .papers: had been transmitted, from -.the Government with instructions to ■reserve, all .rights of egress,, ingress, &c. — The;; :.Chairman. sajd .he .had written".to, Mr. Chambers to 3ubmit a form ot,;lease. for the Bo ,ird.!s.approval. ■ ■ ■"• ■■ ■■■■■--,"'-■■■•■v License to Float Timber —The Warden's Power .TO: Skll Ivadri,—The ■ Chairman said that at a . recent meeting, an'npplication had ; been made from Mr.. Robert Blair to float, timber , down- the, Waipaheke stream.', Hikutaia. The application disclosed, the fact that Mr. Blair had purchased from the Warden 2950 kaun trees. By dirtction'of tho Board ho wrote to Mr. Warden Kenrick askiug for an explanation. In reply,'ho stated that the only circumstance-'< which' led to the sale was Mr. Blair's application, and h>s deposit. He

,(Mr. Kemick) did not know that .his. power ;to sell was limited to - a few trees for building or mining.purposes. He (the Gh airman).telegraphed >to-M r;Kenrick asking him to refer to the authority undor which he. 'acted, and in,reply •• he directed attention, to, the .S'ith section of the Hauraki Mining Re ; gnlations, which stated that: the Warden uiay grant permission to cut. down and take kauri: trees on payment of £1,5s per tree.— The Chairman taid. he btl-eved the-intention of the.Act was to give permission on these 1 terms to take timber for mining or building purposes from goldfields lands, but not in this wholesale, "manner: ■ However; the appli: cation beforethomiiow -was for permission to .float timber.—-Mr. Tonka said he had a resolution to propose. : He thought this a most .extraordibary proceeding on:the part; of the Warden, lie agreed with the Chairman,, that it was never-intended that, the Warden should have power to giant a forest for speculative purposes, and if tho ; Warden possessed oucli power the sooner it was put a stop to the better, for it trenched on the prerogatives.- of ' the Minister. of . < Lands* and of, this B >urd. Ho proposed .; the resolution -as follows. : " The, .Board having become* aware, through the, application of Mr. Robert Blair- to obtain the right to float timber, through ■ the. ' Waipa'hckc- Creek,- that he has purchased: 2950 kauri trees from the Thames Warden,. respectfully, draws the attention of tho Hon. the Mmistor of Lands to this sale, as one which appears to trench on the prerogative of tho - Government; inasmuch as such a

wholesale alienation of forest could"* not. have been contuniplated under the Gold Mining, Districts Act, 1873; to be exercised by tho

Warden, but 6rie which.ought to rest with. . .the supreme authorities, arid: riot delegated to any local officer, unless pending the ultimate decision of the Government. , This Board recognises. 1 the necessity of timber being sold for mining or building purposes from the goldfiold forests, but not for wholesale exportation to a foreign market. The Board begs to place before the Minister of Lands a resolution recorded by this Board in April, 1878, to. the principles of which the Board still adhere. *'ho Board requests to be informed whether the Minister of Lands has, or has not, confirmed this purchase." The. resolution referred to ifi as follows: —"That in view of the return., laid before the Board showing the large area of forest land already alienated, and the, comparatively limited, area, of kauri forest under the control of the Waste Lands Board,. and considering that tho necessary supply of timber required by the public can be produced ..from said alienated lands, tho Ebard affirm as a general principle that it is for,the best interests of the district that no further leases of kauri forest land be at present granted. In passing the resolution, the Board has further in view the. detrimental climatic eflect which the wholesale destruction of existing forests would inevitably produce.' Mr, Xonks remarked that if such power existed, . the Government ought to have something to eay in it. He did net know that lie could add anything to tiifc resolution. From a .commercial point of. view, he might say that the supply of timber was in exces? of the ..demand, and mill-owners were shortening hands on 'account of large, stocks..—The Chairman pointed Out that that was not a question for this meeting..—The resolution was adopted,, and it was agreed to. forward it, with Mr. Blair's application, to the Government.

Takal'Una. Tbo Assistant SurveyorGeneral sent a tracing of reserves at Taka puna for recreation gionnds and cemetery.

, Mkkclr —Mr. .Scott Hunter,.' Chairman of the Town Board, made application for a town.hall\site.— Request granted* . KimKiur.—The Secretary of the Board of Sducatiba .asked for five acres in Kihikiki, for education purpbses, in lieu of other land which had been applied for, and which proved to be a muDioipar reserve.—The request was granted. . Tolago Bay.—Mr, W. F. Hay wrote complaining of the overgrowth of gorse and sweetbriar on unsold land in this township,: and asked the Board either to dispose of 'the land or abate the nuisance, as settlers could not keep their land clear while those pests were allowed to grow on the unsold: lands It was agreed to .offer the sections for sale.

Roadway.—Applications from' Edward ITarley, of Paparoa, auil J. H. Richards, of Opuawhanga,; to have roadways laid off to. thteir .homesteads,':were referred to the Assistant Surveyor-General.

Prospecting Licensk.—Three gentlemen applied for alicense to prospect formincrals ;at Okaihu.Bayof Inlands.—[t was agreed to ask them to .define, the land nad,area, in re- : gard:to which they asked for the license, and : to forward them a map. 'Timber Permit. — A .Hokianga. 'native asked for permission to take timber: .for building purposes, was referred to tho R.M. for his report, and a similar application from : a native at Waima-Mauku was dealt with i'n : the same manner.

Tukanoa Cukek.— T. Starkey asked to lease a, small island in the Tiirariga Creek, near Howiok.— The Chairman said 1 the .Government iiad asked the. Board not to deal with these islands, and it was. agreed to reply accordingly.

"'f . C6.ONTV .Eo nos ani> Roads. —The 'Chairman of the Waitemata County Council wrot's .asking what'amount -,of money was due to the' county from recent sales, aud. how: the Board would consent to it 3 expenditure.— The Chairman undertook to ascertain the amount available, and it was agreed to inform the; applicant that it. would bo neeessary .to submit a.plan o£ the roadaon which it was proposed to expend the money , for, the, Board's approval. 1 . ..

< r 'iiEA.vk. of. . Absence.—Leave of: absence from .their homesteads was rgranted to Mrs. Miller ior twelve months;, and John McKay for six months. .

: Applicat.ons. kop. Lajjd.—A number of applications to have lands offered for sale were received from , the Chairman of tho Freezing and Storage Company, and others. ,■

The only 'safe and sure.cure for gravel or urinaiy troubles, is hop bitters.. . Prove It. KeaeL V