CROWN LANDS BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12930, 28 July 1905, Page 7

CROWN LANDS BOARD.

J he, fortnightly meeting 0 f the Auckland Land Board, held yesterday, was attended by the Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr. •Tames Mackenzie) and Messrs. J. H. Greenslade, M. W. Armstrong, A. R. Harris, and James Rensbaw.

I lie Under-Secretary for Lands wrote, stating that Mr. J. Courtney, of Kuaotuuu, had complained to the Minister that the annual rental of, his 120 aores in Block V., O'tama survey, district, under H.P.L., Was too much, and made a request that the matter be laid before the Land Board and a reply be sent to him (Mr.- Courtney) direct. The Board decided that they could not see their rtay to recomlheiid , a reduction upon the grounds that when the selector took up the. land he knew what he was doing. Mr. S. M. Vicary applied for 40 acres, described as section 6, Block V., Orahiri .survey' district, marked stock reserve under .section 115 of the Laud' Act, 1892. It was - decided to grant Mr. Vicary about 30 acres, subject to the Governor's approval, to be held under occupation with right of purchase, the price to be 20s per acre. It was decided to recommend the Minister to approve of . the application of Mr. ,1. C. Alien (Oil, behalf of the .trustees of the Methodist Church of Australasia) to purchase o acres 2 roods out of Block XL, Waharoa township, Matamiita settlement, for church plirposes, at £10 per acre. An '' application was , received from Mr. George I!. Jobliii for 2000 acres of iihsurveyed land, Block X;, Opotiki survey district, and Block XT., Waioeka survey district. The application was approved. It was also decided to remit (lie payment of survey fees. The Board refused the applications of Charles arid H. Eraser fot- 400 and 300 acres respectively at Koliunidhi, and to inform the Applicants that upon completion of survey the land will be opened for selection, when they could lodge their applications in the usual, way.. The application of Samuel Knight for 20 acres. Block XV., Oiiinemuri survey district, under M.D.L.O. Act; 1894, was refused, as the Warden, ill jy's report, stated that he was not- prepared to recommend any more of these leases at present. •, In regard to the application of William Chappell for 10 acres, Block XIV,, Oliineliiiiri survey district, under the M.D.L.O. Act, 1894, it was decided to leave the matter. in the hands of the Commissioner of Crown Lands. . It \vas decided to refuse , the Application of E. T. White for about 10 acres, Block XIII., Oiiinemuri, under the M.D.L.O. Act, 1894, iipou the ground that the land is required for residence sites; also, the application of F. O'Grady tor 5 acres, Block XIV., Oiiinemuri. in compliance with the Warden's report. The Board granted T. W. Ford's application for 416 acres, Blocks X. and XI., Oiiineintiri survey district, under the Haiiraici pastoral' regulatiohs, at an annual rental of 4d per acre; also, Win. Riley's application for 167 acres, Bldck XII., QhiiitkililH survey district, under the Hauraki pastoral regulations, at an annual rental*of 5d per acre. William Johnson applied for a year-to-year lease of 18 acres, section 18a, parish of Ruakaka. It wris decided to leave the matter in the hands of the Commissioner to grant a year-to-year . license at 20s per annum, and to allow 110 valuation for improvements or liability for survey in the event of a question arising with the adjoining ovViier for the fencing- of the land. The Thames Valley Co-operative DairyFactory, Paeroa, applied through the Minister for Lands for a portion of the paddock adjoining their butter factory, containing two or three acres* as a site for a bacon factory. It Was decided to grant the cooperative factory, a license from year to year of sections 33 and 47, Block XI., in the township of Faeroii, containing 1 acre and 27.8 perches, at an annual rental of £5. Thomas L. Crawford, owner of Section 65, parish of Onewhero, applied to purchase under the squaring-up clauso seotion 111, containing 11 acres, adjoining his section, which is fenced in with his land. It was decided to sell the land to the applicant at £1 per acre, with the consent of the Minister. It was resolved to withdraw section 1, Block XIII., Mangamuka survey district, from selection, District Surveyor Thompson saying that it should be reserved for the growth and preservation of timber. . The Board decided to throw the following sections open for selectionSection 65, Waikiekie village, 41 acres 1 rood 8 poles, at 10s'; section 232, Parenioremo parish, 30 acres, at 10s (loaded with £8); sections 51, 57, 58, and 59, Tata.ra.riki parish, from 10s to 15s per acre (section 59 loaded with £3 3s, half-cost of drain); section 4, Block XV., Tauranga survey district, containing 69 acres, at 10s. , ■ ... A memorandum was received from the Under-Secretary for Lands stating that applicants need not deposit Cost of surveys of lands taken tip under the Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act. 1903. Applications from W. J. Parker for an extension of 12 months from September, 1905, for the removal of timber (purchased by T. Pickens and subsequently transferred to him) standing on Block XII., Russell survey district (Para Block), at a ground rental of £30, were adjourned for a month. _ The Board withdrew from selection 1495 aores, Block 1., Aorigatete, and Block X., Katikati, being unsurveyed portion of 1700 acres opened for selection, so as to set it aside as a forest reserve. The Board decided to recommend the Minister to advise the Governor to declare that as the southern portion of section 95, parish of Matakohe, no longer contains gutii, such land be hereafter dealt With by the Land Board as ordinary Crown land*. T. F. Rowe. the holder of section 8, Block XXII., Mamaku township, was granted a year-to-year lease of section 9, ■ adjoining, at a vearly rental of £1.