CROWN LANDS BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9087, 22 June 1888, Page 6

CROWN LANDS BOARD.

The Crown Lands Board held their ordinary meeting yesterday. Mr. S. Percy Smith presided, and Messrs. Pearce and Gill were also present.

Correspondence. — Correspondence was received and dealt with as follows :—From the Town Board, Te Aroha, applying for a grant of two acres on the bank of the swamp at the Government township, on the western side of the Waihou River, for the purposes of a gravel pit. Granted. From Mr. H. Smith, Utakura Valley, Okaihau, offering to surrender half of his section, as on account of the present hard times he could not pay the rent for the whole of the land. The application was declined, owing to special circumstances. From Mr. Mcßae, applying for a piece of land in the parish of Manaia : The request was acceded to. From Mr. John Pollock, Uruti, Kaiiwi, pointing out that he wished to take up 100 acres on the Kaiiwi block, and requesting that the land in question be surveyed by Mr. Baber's party. He also wished to "be informed upon what terms the sections would be thrown open? It was resolved, "That the land be offered after survey." From Mr. T. \V. Dowson, Kaiwaka, asking for permission to purchase two kauri trees on Crown land: The application was declined. From Mr. Thos. Varrah, Awanui, on behalf of Maoris residing there, asking to be allowed to cut a kauri tree out of the bush at Mangatete for the purpose of making a canoe: It was resolved to also decline this application. From J. S. Bond, Cambridge, requesting a permit to fence in sections 651 to 658, which were at present uselees, being covered with furze, sweetbriar, etc., and which he wished to prevent from spreading to his property : Whyte, M.H.R., supported the application, and it was agreed to lease the land in question at the rate of £2 per annum, no allowance to be made for improvements, and lessee to remove at once on notice being given. From Captain D. H. McKenzie, applying for 20 acres of land in the Waipu district: Granted. From Mr. \V. A. Carruth, inquiring whether the Government land forming part of the No. 2 block, at the rear of McConnell and McCleary's lot, was open for selection. The Board agreed to declare the land open for sale after survey. From Friar, Davies and Co., applying that sections 83, 92, and 87, Block VII., suburbs of Newcastle, be offered for sale by auction : It was agreed to offer the land for auction, together with a number of other sections. From Mr. F. W. Twining, asking whether the Board had taken any steps in regard to his application for land fit Maramarua, and whether he could not take up at once an area not to exceed 460 acres, and occupy it pending the arrival of the surveyor in the district : It was resolved that there was no objection to the land being occupied after survey. From Messrs. D. McCarthy and W. Thompson, Te Aroha, applying that pieces of land in that district be offered for sale: The applications were agreed to. From Mr. W. B. Montgomery, Auckland, applying to purchase a section of land at Beeson's Island, Coromandel: It was resolved to offer the land for sale by auction. From Mr. A. Jack.jun., Wade, requesting a provisional license to dig and remove kauri gum from 200 acres of crown land, and asking information as to the annual fee ; or would the Board lease it to him for 3d an acre for ten or 20 years : The Board decided to lease the property for three years by auction. From Charles Weber, Onehunga, requesting to be informed if he could retain possession of his land for a certain number of years, as he wished to effect improvements : It was agreed to retain the land as Government property. The Forfeiting 9F Sections.—ln reply to a memo, requesting her to show cause why her section at Okaihu should not be forfeited. Miss S. A. Donaldson wrote stating that she could only ask the Board's consideration of the fact ttiat that was her home, and although she had not continually resided on it, being obliged to earn her living, she spent as much of her time there as circumstances would allow. The land was not neglected in her absence, as other members of the family lived on it. She had contributed largely towarde defraying costs of Improvements, etc., etc., and it would indeed, be hard to forfeit it now for the_ sole reason that sne was unable to reside continually on it. It was decided to inform Miss Donaldson that she must reside upon the land within twelve months from the present time. Mrs. Margaret Graham, in reply to a memo from the Board similar to that forwarded to Miss Donaldson, stated that she had been under the impression that her husband might make improvements on his land on her behalf. The Chairman said that Mr. Hill, the ranger, denied having informed Mrs. Graham that this could be done. The improvements were now, however, being effected. The Board decided to inform Mrs. Graham that they would insist upon the improvements being carried out. Ranger's Report. — The report for the month of June of the Crown Lands Ranger, Mr. Hill, contained a reference to the case of Mr. J. D. Colebrook, who had taken up a selection at Awakanae in May, 1881. Under the conditions of occupation, selectors were required to commence to reside on the land within three months of the date of the selection being approved, whilst they were to erect a permanent dwellinghouse within eighteen months. It was now upwards of eight years since the selection was approved, and though the required area of land had been brought under cultivation, a house had not been erected, whilst the selectors had not resided on the land, and Mr. Hill suggested that they be asked to show cause why the selection should not be forfeited. Mr. Colebrook forwarded a statement of his case, showing that through a series of misfortunes he bad been unable to occupy his land. It was decided to ask Mr. Colebrook to show to the Board cause why he should not forfeit his selection. The ranger also reported that nearly three years had elapsed since the selection of. land at Awakanae by Mr. W. H. Whitehead was approved by the Board, and the conditions had not been observed, the selectors not having resided on the property, whilst a dwellinghouse had not been erected. The ranger suggested that Mr. Whitehead should be asked to show cause why the land should not be forfeited, and this recommendation was adopted. It was agreed to issue a Crown grant to Mr. W. R. McCall, that that of his father, Mr. G. H. McCall, to be allowed to lapse, as the latter was unable to occupy the land, having been unfortunately struck down by blindness. The Board also resolved to issue a Crown grant to Mr. G. Shrimpton, he having complied with the conditions of occupation.