AUCKLAND LAND BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14536, 25 November 1910, Page 7

AUCKLAND LAND BOARD.

A meeting of the Auckland Land Board was held yesterday, there being present the « Commissioner (Mr. E. 0. Gold Smith), ] Messrs. A. R. Harris, M. W. Armstrong, and J. Trounson. Ranger Shannon reported that he had made 15 inspections in Rangaunu and other districts, over an area of 3111 acres, improvements required £813, effected £868. There , were 12 defaulters. Ranger Jordan reported that he had made 31 inspections in Kawhia 1 North and other districts, oyer 8353 acres; improvements required £5840, effected , £14,510, nine defaulters. Ranger Steedman • reported having made 63 inspections in Piako and other districts, area 27,254 acres improvements required £6434, effected £12,944, 19 defaulters. Ranger Kensington I reported having made 22 inspections in < Matata and other districts, area 12,871 ( aores; improvements required £5869, effected £9877, 10 defaulters. It was agreed to recommend the Minister ' to sell two acres of land in the township of . Paengaroa for church purposes. It was agreed to grant tho Piako County ] Council permission to prospect for a stone i quarry on section 34, Block XVI., Waitoa ■ survey district, the area to be_ confined to 13 acres. If successful, the Minister to bo ' recommended to make a quarry reserve, and 1 the capital value of such land to be credited , to the Land for Settlement Account, and then be vested in the county. I The Coromandel County Council forwarded , copies of resolutions passed at a public meetinpj. urging the Government to give im- 1 mediate effect to the recommendation of the Board re the opening of waste lands on the Hauraki Peninsula for bona-fide settlement, and to to the Crown all mineral rights. _ Copies of resolutions 1 passed at a public meeting held at Kuao- i tunu in regard to the opening up of the , waste lands in the Coromandel County were < also received. The opinion was expressed ; that the system of tenure known as the , Hauraki pastoral lease was worthless for the purpose of encouraging settlement, and 1 that if the wast© lands of tho country were i to be used to the best advantage a much . better tenure was necessary. It was pointed out that the course followed in the past of * reserving miles of country round every little gold find had resulted in locking up large areas well suited for pastoral purposes, and . it was argued that the areas reserved for mining should bo reduced to what was ] probably auriferous, and that all lands out- > side those areas should bo open to settlement on the optional system. The recom- 1 mendations recently mad© by the Land Board in regard to opening areas for settlement wore approved. , It was agreed to recommend the Minister - to grant two acres of land as a site for the Marakopa Dairy Company's factory on the bank of the Marakopa River. The following schemes for tho expondi- I ture of thirds and fourths were approved: Coromandel County Council, £38; Ilagian ' County Council (Pukemiro), £27; ditto (Pirotigia), 14s lOd; Hunua Road Board, £11; Hobson County Council, £226 • Whangamarino Road Board, £77; Kirikiriroa Road Board, £13. 'Schedules of halves were approved as followsHokianga County Council, £790 and £764; Coromandel County Council, £202.