WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3242, 27 June 1872, Page 2

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

The usual weekly meeting of the Waste Lands Board was held yesterday. There were present—The Chief Commissioner, in the chair, and Messrs Reid and Hughes. Mr John M'Coll applied to purchase about 15 acres of bush reserve upon section 10, block VIII., Dimedin and East Taieri, and to include a spring from which he wanted to get water for the supply of his property adjoining. It was resolved that the land be advertised for sale at the rate of £1 per acre, and as land of special value, having been so long withheld from sale.

Messrs James Bewley and William Snow made each an application for permission to cut flax upon the Government lands at West Taieri. Their applications were granted, without exclusive privilege. During the consideration of the applications, Mr Reid remarked that the flax milling business was increasing, and thought other industries might be established in connection with it. We should, for instance, try and get sacks manufactured from flax here. Mr Thomson : I have thought of writing to one who manufactures largely in that way whom I know, to come out here to start such a business. Mr Reid : We have a bonus of £1000, but we don't know the conditions to attach to it. Mr Thomson : I don't know why the sack making manufacture should not succeed here. Mr Reid : I don't either.

Mr Charles B. Shanks, the district surveyor, reported as follows upon the auriferous nature of the land, 2000 acres applied for in the Waikouaiti district, at 10s per acre, by Mr William Gellibrand : —

Relative to the auriferous nature of the land applied for by Mr William Gellibrand (plans of which are annexed): Within the boundaries of the application there are 11 miners working, generally engaged paddocking along the banks of the main stream (north branch of the Waikouaiti River), and apparently satisfied with their prospects. From information received from the miners, the gold is very scattered, and requires a plentiful supply of water to work the ground properly, therefore, those miners not having water races, I am inclined to think simply reside there during the winter months, as there is abundance of fire wood, and a little gold to be had to keep them in provisions. The back country, which is very rugged and mountainous, is not considered to be auriferous, at least, to such an extent as is payable, at the same time they say it has not been properly prospected. One miner told me he had tried a number of the tributaries, but could get little or nothing after several months' work, and had to return ta the main stream. A few of the low terraces abutting on the river have been tried, the results proving unfavourable, but if a sufficient supply of water could be brought to command them the results might be otherwise, although the miners are not very sanguine on the subject.

Mi- Hughes : Has not the Provincial Council passed some resolutions on the matter ?

Mr Reid : Well, they have ; but I think we had better use our own discretion in the case.

It was suggested that land might be reserved for the miners on both sides of the river; but it was Btated that the land would not be of much use to Messrs Gellibrand if such a reserve were made.

The report of the Select Committee of the Provincial Council on the matter, and which was as follows, Avas read :—

Your Committee, having considered the petitions, and taken a large amount of evidence, report as follows :—lst. That the land applied for by Mr Gellibrand in the Waikouaiti Hundred is highly auriferous, and has maintained a considerable number of miners for years past. 2nd. That a number of men are now employed on the land so applied for by Mr Gellibrand and adjacent thereto. Your Committee, therefore, recommend that the boundary of the existing Goldfield be extended ia the following manner—viz., by including in it all that area in the Province of Obago containing by estimation twelve thousand acres, more or less : bounded towards the north by the main tributary of the south branch of the Waikouaiti river, which intersects blocks VII. and VIII., Waikouaiti Survey District, and by the Blueskin Commonage Reserve ; towards the east by the south branch of the Waikouaiti river, by block 1., Waikouaiti Survey District, and by Kiltnog Creek ; towards the south by the southern boundary line of Waikouaiti Survey District, and its extension westward to Silver Peak Hills ; and towards the west by the present boundary of the Otago Goldfields.

The petitions on <phich this report was based were, according to a Provincial

Council document, signed by "41 and 4G miners and others interested in the district of Waikouaiti."

Mr Reid : This Committee's report was referred to the Government for consideration. If it had been brought on for adoption, we would have opposed it. The application was referred to the Government.

Mr Edward Burrows enquired by letter whether the Board would be likely to grant another lime-burning license in the Queenstown district besides his own, as if it would not, he would go to considerable expense in making improvements so as to supply lime at a cheap rate. The answer j was that the Board could not come under any obligation not to grant another lease i should one be applied for. j Warden Robinson reported as follows ! on the application of the Otago Antimony Mining Company for a lease of 35 acres of land at Hindon for antimony mining : j —" From enquiries I have made, and my own knowledge of the locality, I do not think the granting of this lease can be prejudicial to gold mining. I have no objection to offer. To report fully upon the application, I should have to visit the ground. I will do so if required." It was not thought necessary by the members that the Warden should visit the ground. Mr Thomson to Mr W. S. Douglas, who appeared for the Company: Are you ready to take up a lease now of 35 acres ? Mr Douglas: We are ready to do so. It appearing that the land was on Mr Boyd's run, Mr Thomson to Mr Douglas: Then you will have to get the consent of the runholder. We can hardly otherwise give a mineral lease of land held by a pastoral tenant. If the runholder's consent cannbfc be obtained (he Government could reserve the land, but this is a roundabout way, and you should first try the runholder. Mr Douglas did not think Mr Boyd would offer any objection, and would have asked for his consent had he known it to be required. The matter was adjourned for a week, to allow of Mr Boyd's consent being obtained in the meantime.

Mr Andrew Robertson applied to purchase bush reserve section 33, block 11., Clirendon district, to complete his purperty. It was resolved that the land ap-

acre, as land of special value, having been do long withheld from sale.

Mr David Duncan wrote, stating he was d««»^- of purchasing an acre of land about two miles from ISTasebj/ on the Hamilton road, and asking on what terms the land would be sjld. The application, was declined, the Board not having power to sell so small an area of such land.

The application of Mr R. RossboLhani to purchase the reserve adjoining block VI., Portobello, at £1 an acre, was declined.

The Town Clerk, Queenstown, wrote intimating that the Council recommended the granting of the application of Messrs Williams and Archer for a site for a store and jetty opposite block XXV., Queenstown. The Board resolved to inform the applicants to furnish a plan of the site, and that if it were approved of, a license would he granted, at £1 per annum.

Plans of application for the following unsurveyed land were approved of, and the applicants were declared the purchasers :—Mr William Dermer, section 1, block IX., Mount Hyde ; Mr John Butters, section 60, block VIII., North Harbour and Blueskin.

Applications as follows to purchase land field under agricultural leases were approved of:—Mr A. B. MaUhowoj-boo--tions 134, 135, 13G, 137, 138-, 143, 144, and 149, block 11., Tuapeka East; Mr John Geeves, section 3, block X, Tuapeka East; Mr William Elliott, sections 4 and 5, block XVII., Shotover ; and Mr James Reid, sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 72, and 73, block VII., Shotover. Messrs Gillies and Street applied on behalf of the two last applicants. Mr John Douglas applied to purchase all the unsold land in blocks IX., X., XI., and XII., Hawksbury district, at 10s per acre. The land applied for amounted to about 4000 acres. The land, he was told, must go up to auction. Mr Douglas asked if he could not get the land surveyed in block, and so save the expense of a detailed survey. It was not the land he was after; he was purchasing it to save himself expensive fencing, and was giving the same price for it as for good land. If the Board would allow him to take the land as surveyed, in a block, it would be some sort of compensation for taking up the shreds and patches. Mr Thomson :It cannot be sold in a block ; it must have roads t© the back country marked off through it before it can be alienated; and it will have to be cut up into sections of not more than 320 acres each. Mr Douglas said there were no levels through these lands suitable for roads to the back country, to which access could be had by other means, and that he had endeavoured to get the survey done in this way with a view to making a reduction in the survey fees, which, under a detailed survey, would form a considerable addition to the cost. Could he not make an arrangement with the surveyor, to get him to do the survey at a lower price than the schedule rates ? Mr Thomson could not say about that, but it was prejudicial to the interests of the Government that the district officers of the department should be screwed down. It was resolved that the land be surveyed by the applicant, into sections not exceeding 320 acres each, and that it be then put up for sale, with survey cost added, to be repaid to the applicant if he be not the purchaser.

Mr Alexander Sinclair applied for a lease to occupy ten acres of the ground reserved at Portobello for a fortification site, for the purpose of cutting the wood, and cultivating the land, for ten years, at 10s per acre, being £5 per annum. Mr Hughes thought it a pity that that ground should be lying idle for years. Mr Reid was disposed to give posession, with twelve months' notice on either side. Mr Thomson : But if we give him a lease, we shall have also to lease to another, and another again, and so on until the place gets covered with peopled Mr Reid : That's just what we want—population. Mr .Thomson : But the difficul y will be to get them oft" if the land is required. Mr Reid : Ido not think it will be in your or my time, Mr Thomson ; at least, I hope so. The applicant expressed his opinion that the ground was "of no much use" for a fortification. Mr Thomson, remarking he had always thought that was a matter for the military to consider, asked applicant if he was a judge of it. Mr Sinclair did not reply. Mr Reid thought £5 per annum for ten acres was rather hard terms for so precarious a tenure, and on his suggestion land to the extent of 15 acres was granted to the applicant, on an annual license of seven years, at £5 per annum.

Mr Smythies, agent for Charles Benge, Kawarau, who had purchased Messrs Wrightson and M'Gee's interest in a coal mine there, believing they had a valid title, but had since found they had not executed their lease from the Board, requested that the lease might be Bent up, so that he might compel Wrightson and M'Geetosign ; or that Benge be allowed to

point.

apply for and have a license in his own name, Mr Reid thought the Board should not interfere between theparties. Mr Benge ougnfc to take steps to enforce his rights. Th^HHj lease not being executed by Wrightson. ***'"*"" the land should be open again to the public for application. It was resolved that if the coal lease be not signed by Wrightson the land should be open for applica.tion, the lease not having been duly executed.

The request of Messrs James Nichols and Thomas Martin, that the coal lease granted to Messrs Nicholas, Jenkins, and Edwards, be made out in their names as the purchaser of Nicholas and Co.'s interest, was referred to the Provincial Solicitor. It appeared that the latterhad never signed the lease, a fact Mr Hughes considered very strange, as he believed they were making a fortune oxxt of the mine.

Mr John Kerin's application for a pastoral lease of run 444, was declined. The land, which is an area of 5500 acres on the north-west branch of the Motatapu, the Board resolved should be assessed and put up for sale by auction, as it was considered there would be competition i&e it.

Mr Warden Robinson reported on the dispute between Mr Caleb Dongee andl Messrs! Pierce and Washer, relative to the removal of coal from an area reserved for the tail race of the latter, and which, intersected the former's coal lease area. It appeared that each party had offered to accommodate the other in the matter of support to ground, and leaving races to cross each other's land. It also appeared now that Mr Dongee had never signed his lease, and the Commissioner was instructed to take action on thafe