CROWN LANDS BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8471, 23 January 1891, Page 3

CROWN LANDS BOARD.

The regular meeting of the Crown Lands Board was held on Thursday. Present: Mr. T. Humphries, Commissioner, Messrs. Moat, Bagnall, and Gill. Land Transactions. —The Commissioner submitted the following list of transactions since last meeting : —Ordinary cash sales, five, for 420 acres, £'294; deferred payment, three, for 197 acres, rent £17 10s ; perpetual lease, five, for 710 acres, rent £29 Is. Rk-classification of Lands. —A notification was received from the Under-Secretary of Lands, stating that Hia Excellency had approved of the resolution of the Board re classifying the lands at Whatawhata, Pokeno, and Weymouth, as suburban lands, and that tue advertisement would be gazetted. The letter was received, the Commissioner stating that the land was already gazetted for sale. Kauri Timber Company.—This company applied for a right of way through the northeast x'ortion of section 44, Okaka, Crown Lands, to remove kauri logs now standing on sections 46 and 47. Mr. Humphries said there was no objection. It was a small area of about 30 acres, but he thought they should make a charge, say of 30s a year, equal to 5 per cent, on the value of the land. It was agreed to offer the lease for a year to the company on these terms. Manoapai. — Mr. P. M. Mackay had written to the Marine Department asking if they would lease the harbour reserve adjacent to the Mangakaramea Wharf, and the Commissioner of Lauds was requested to obtain a report on the nature of the reserve, and the price at which it should be offered at_ auction or leas«. To this the Commissioner reported that the land applied for was Crown laud pure and simple, and the application from Mr. Mackay had already been under consideration by the Lands Board, and further, he was informed on the 12th inst. that the matter had been deferred pending information being obtained. The area it appeared was a small one of two acres adjoining the landing reserve, and it was agreed to offer them in two sections of one acre each, on perpetual lease, under the Act of ISB7. Thames.—Mr. J. A. Miller had applied to lease Harbour Island, in the Thames Gulf, near Coromandel, and the matter had been referred to the Surveyor-General to report as to the ownership. He said he believed it to have beeu included in a deed extinguishing all the iNgatipoua claims to that part of the coast. The Commissioner said that he had made inquiries from everyone he could think of, and they thought there was little in it. It appeared that the applicant wished to clear away some scrub, in order to afford more room for birds to rest on. The island was a very small one, off Waiheke, and the object of the applicants seemed to be to acquire it for guano purposes, and wished to make more room for the birds. The matter was allowed to stand over.

RoTOKOUKO.—Thomas Oster wrote stating that lie did nob wish »uy subdivieiou of section liVt. Ho asked that the section should stand intact with the iinprovemeats added, and ht; would take his chance of getting it when offered for selection. He thanked the Board for recognising the claim. The Board had already decided to subdivide the section, securing to the applicant his ditch or drain, and it was agreed to adhere to the former resolution.

Raglan.— Albert Leon Vetter, of Ngaruawahia, forwarded a money order for £1, and aeked for a transfer of his section to his brother, aa he waa called away to France. The Commissioner said there were improvements aud a house on the land, and it was agreed to authorise the trausfer. TiMBKR Floating License. — Mr. Drinnau had applied for a license to float timber in the Tokatoka River, near Kaukapakapa. Several settlers objected, amongst others Mr. filias, who now attended to support his objection. The rangers, to whom the matter had been referred, now reported on the application, describing the conree of the stream, and the cultivation on its banks and the nature of the land. They considered Mr. Elias's claim for damages was exaggerated, and suggested that a bond of £1000 should be taken from Mr. Drinuan as security against damages. Mr. Elia3 pointed out that he lived on one side of the creek, and his grass land on the other, and he and his cattle liad to cross twice a day. He could not erect a bridge as it would be carried away by the timber floating, and the banks were constantly being carried away. If this was continued he would be driven out of the district. Iu reply to Mr. Humphries, Mr. Elias admitted that while he had been paid to allow the timber floating to go ou he did not then object. McLcods had given him a promissory note for £25. This was before they Lad a license, and he then had some control over them, and could tell them they must not let off tile dams when his cattle were in the creek. Now lie had no control at all. He aaked some members of the Hoard to go aud see for themselves, and lie would pay their expenses. The timber could be got away overland, but it was cheaper to get it by the river, but why he should be sacrificed for their interests lie failed to nee. After Mr. Elias retired, the matter was discussed, and it was agreed to grant the timber floating license to the Messrs. Drinnan conditionally upon their being at the expense of making a survey of the creek through Mr. Klias' property, and entering into a bond of £1000. MjsOELUANKOUS.—S. Crawford was granted permission to transfer his perpetual lease snetiou at Maketu Co Norman Kerr. J. A. Watson's application to have the price of the S. K. portion of lot 1'27, Aotea, Great Barrier, reduced, was declined. It was agreed to accept the surrender of the perpetual lease of Jemima Richards for sections 14 and 15, block XII, Maketu, and a number of sections in Tokatoka and Omaru were ordered to be advertised for forfeiture. Harriet Garlick, whose application for a Crown -jrant for lot fit), Okalui, had not been forwarded iu proper time, now applied for ite issue, and the Board agreed to recommend it. Ranger Wilson repotted on the kauri on the land adjoining the One State forest in Block X., Mangakahia. It was resolved to offer the timber rights by auction at an upset price of £20. J. Keatley was granted permission to capitalise his deferred payment section, Ruapekapeka. Ifc was resolved u> offer by auction the liax .standing on Crown lands near Mercer. G. Harrison was granted three months' leave of absence from his homestead settlement at Okaib.au. Flower Brothers made a similar application for leave of absence from their homestead at Mareretu, but as the conditions had not been complied with, the application was refused. The Bank of New South Wales applied for a lease under the Coal Mines Act for section 45, Kamo, at a rental of 10a i>er annum, and a royalty of 6d per ton. The area was a small one, and the request was granted. Occupation of Lands.—The chief ranger reported as follows: -I have the honor to submit reports of inspection of 38 perpetuallease selections. The total area taken up by the selectors now reported on is Gll.Sa lr 9n. Twenty-seven of the selectors have complied with the improvement conditions of acceptance. Of the remaining 11, some have complied to a certain extent, others have not complied. Those who selected first-class lauds were requred to bring into cultivation 13a lr 4p. They have brought iu 15a 2r. Those who selected second-class land were required to effect improvements to the value of £61(5 Is 9d. They have made improvements to the value of £3279 O.i 6d. 1 have also to submit reports of inspections of sixdeferred payment selections. The total area taken up by the selectors now reported on was 795 alr 3p. Five of the selectors have complied with the improvement conditions of occupation, and one selector has not done so. Those who selected lirst-clasa land were required to bring into cultivation 100 a 2r 24p. They have brought into cultivation 145 a. Those who selected second-class lauds wore required to effect improvements to the value of £10 0s 9d, and they have made improvements to the value of £22 ss. The report was received, and its satisfactory nature commented on. Applications fob Land.—The following applications were received aud dealt with : — J. A. Parkes, for lot 59, parish of Pepepe ; .7. Donaldson, for 400 acres uusurveyed laud in the Taheke block; J. Kllis, for an area of uusurveyed land in the parish of Paremoremo; R. H. M. Fortuna, for land in Block I, Rangitaiki; R. J. Macfarlane, for land in the parish of Koheroa; J. Palmer, for land in the parish of Aotea; and C. Gardener, for land in Komokoriki. The treasurer of the Women's Home, Parnell, begs to acknowledge the following subscriptions for December : — Mrs. Roberton, £1; L, 5s ; Mrs. Williams, 5s ; Mrs. Bassett, ss; Mr. J. M. Lennox, 10s; marriage offering, Bishopscourt Chapel, December 18th, Us; Mr. Ksvan, Lower Remuora, £1; Mrs. Kinder, £1 ; Mrs. William Atkin, £1 ; Mr. J. Mains, £1; Mrs. Colenso, £1; Mrs. J. L. Wilson, £1 Is; Mrs. James Russell, 10s. Also, Christinas numbers of Illustrated London News and Graphic, from Messrs. Upton and Co. ; parcel of clothes, etc., from a country friend : parcel of clothes and pieces, from Mrs. A. Clark; baby's swing, from Mrs. Harris; and tea cosy, watch pockets, and pincushion, to be sold for the benefit of the Home. Any contributions however small in money, clothing, or household requisioes will be thankfully received by members of the committee—Archdeacon Dudley, Rev. G. H. Preston, Mrs. Cowie, Mrs. Kenderdine, aud Mrs. Kinder, or by the matron, Mies Hall, May Cottage, Parnell, to whom orders for washing ana needlework may be sent.

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