WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4117, 29 April 1875, Page 2

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

The usual weekly meeting .of the Board, was held:'yesterday,, the following Members being present:—The Chief Commissioner {in the ehai?}, Messrs "Bastings, ' Uuttenrortli, Clark ' awl I). ReuL V; ;' ' -•;•■ RELIXQmsMME-Vr O*> DKPKURKI) PAVjrKXT KEC- ■•■■■■' think. . Mr Rota.. Cameron, haying lodged two .. ap]>l»e»tifms for deferred payment sections, and .1 Iteiug «ueecssful in ballotting, both in Dunediu i •and rnyercargill, now requested the Board to i be allowed to reliwjuuih one, and obtain .a.] refund <rf the deposit;lodged on it It was | ; resolved that the deposits should be returned |on extra **sctious. The Provincial Solicitor's

opinion to be obtained a? to whether one "-perj son tan apply for more than one section under the deferred payment clause 49. y'\ " , QUEENSTOWN BO^VHd""OF ENQUIRY. |1 \ ' Mr B. Hallenstein's resignation as.a.membej* of the Board of Enquiry at Queenstown was accepted. \_-~ * . ! UNbORVEYED SECTION—ROCK"^VND PILL.VK DIS- • TRICT., -, • j Mr James Heavey complained that section 4, block 111., Rock and Pillar dibtrict, taken by him in 1874, was still imsurveyed, and asked the Board for redress. The matter was referred to the Survey Department : ™" PURCHASE OP LAND ON RUN 369.' : ..The District Officer at Clyde transmitted the ruhholder's consent to the purchase of land on ran 3C9 by Mr R. Bennet for section 42, block ll.7Teviot! district, and Mr' U'Ren for section 43 of-the'sameiilock. The applicar ..tions.were approved. -.. i ■^.APPLICATIONS TO PURCHASE. V •'• | The following applications to purchase at £1 per acre were approved, conditional on survey fees beiui? paid :—Jno. M'Murtrie, section 30 { Alex. Walker,, section, 35.;. Robt ,Thomsoni section 34, block VI, Tiiapeka East District.1 Ihe following .were approved :-r-J. Sutherland and D. G. Poison,' section 32,' block VI., Tua; peka East; D. O'Brien, section 19, block VI. ; Tuapeka West; Jno. Docherty, section 15> block,VL, TuapekaEast.-- ; r : .-:.■.....-. i Mr Adam Baiii, of Beaumont, applied to purchase 700 acres, on Run. No. 178, Spylaw! Station, south of and adjoining the Island Block. The : minute recorded by the Epard stated the land was not open for application. : WITHDRAWAL OP APPLICATION FOR EXCHANGE^ . OP LEASE. .....! Mr J. S. WorthiiiKtoii, Provisional Trustee in Bankruptcy; asked to be allowed to withi draw his application for exchange of agi-icultu^ ral lease No. 3fi2c for deferred payment lease.' It was to obtain the opinion of the Provincial Solicitor. . . j VALUATION >'OR IMPROVEMENTS ON DEFERREDI PAYMENT SECTIONS. ■ The District Land Officer at Lawrence asked instructions with regard to charging valuation for improvements .effected on laud applied'for on deferred payment at Lawrence. The officer was directed to give effect to the Act. : RECEPTION OF APPLICATIONS FOR LAND AT * MACRAES FLAT. ' : Mr-Jjio..Neill, Secretary to the Macraes Pro-' gress Committee, requested that an officer: might be appointed to.. pay monthly visits to Macraes Flat, for the purpose of receiving appli-i cations for land. It was resolved that instructions should be given to the District Land; Officer. : .•.■■'■• ; - ; . ■ illl TEMPLETON'S DEFERRED PAYXrENTJsECXIONIN WAIKAKA DISTRICT. "- [ A communication was read, containing remarks by the District-Land Officer-at tnver-' cavgjll on a letter written by Mi-W. Shanks,, stating that section 14, block X., Waikaka dis~ trict, had been taken on deferred payments in' opposition to the terms-of the Act A letter; from the applicant, Mr W. Templeton, was also read. LICENSE TO OCCUPY LONG BEACH RESERVE^ - : Mr T. Pavleticb. applied for a license to oc-: ciipy Longßeach Reserve, section 53, block IV;, I ISorth Harbour and Blueskin district, and for^ leave to erect a jetty opposite the same. The Board resolved that a^ license for the reserve opposite section 53 should be granted, under clause 161 of the Waste Lands Act, at £1 per an'ium. APPLICATION TO CONSTRUCT DRAINAGE CHANNEL. The Board refused to grant an application by Mr_W. Bell, to construct a tunnel, tail-race^ or drainage channel, commencing at Shepherd's. Creek, and terminating at coal lease, BanhocKburn. ' ." .' -. - ■ ■■--■-.■..-. - IMPROVEMENT ON DEFERRED PAYMENT SECTIONS, j A report w.os received from. Ranger Hughan upon improvements effected on" deferred payment lands in block 11., Glenkenich district It was resolved that the Chief Commissioner should draw up a statement of facts. ■.■'■' MOUNT IDA MINING ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE. The Secretary of the above body forwarded a resolution passed -by them, recommending that a practical miner should be appointed a member of the Committee. A note' of the suggestion was made. .. ' SURRENDER OF COAL LEASES'AT PRESERVATION INLET. A letter was received from Mr G. Si Brodrick and others agreeing to surrender their coal leases for lands at Preservation Inlet, and requesting that, under the peculiar circumstances j ; of their case, the Board would recommend the j Government to refund the fees paid by them. The minute of the Board, set forth that the surrenders must be forwarded before the request of the lessees e.ould be considered.. • i ■ ' SLATE QUARRY AREA.- ■'.:: Mr J. T- Mackerras tendered a plan of this survey of shite quarry area on run 217, Kauroo, for a\ iprovaL It was resolved that the Government should be recommended to withdraw the section from the run. ■ COAL JUNE AT CARDRONA. . • • i! Mr James Corbett requested that two acres might be added to his application for a coal mine at Cardrona. The matter was referred to the District Laud Officer for his advice. THE SALE OF THE REIHSTON RAILWAY RESERVE^ ■ The following memo, by the' Chief Commissioner was read by the Clerk:— "As the Chief Commissioner does not concur in the opinions given by. the Committee appointed to investigate the circumstances attending the sale of the Reidston Railway Reservei: he avails himself of this opportunity -of -laying this before the Board The appointment of the committee, however, he must add, was' necessary, as .it has obtained evidence which Mr Shrimsld would not disclose to the Chairman of this Board. • "Ist Tlie Chief Commissioner, acting on behalf of the Board and. on the request of the Executive Council (2) .under date August 28th, 1871, withdrew all the unsold sections in Reidston from sale temporarily,- and--required his officers to record this in the' book's and maps of; the department, which was accordingly done. ; "2nd. The Chief Commissioner, acting on behalf of the Board, annulled this temporary reserve at the request of the Executive Council (13) under date April Ist, 1574; and required his officers to record this in themaps:ana books of the department, which was done accordingly, and the unsold sections were in' due' couree advertised for salt " 3rd. No officer of the Waste Lands Board, nor the Chief Commissioner, was aware of misdirection by the Executive Council till after the second sale of December, 1574, they being first made aware of it by the complaint of John Halket, 23rd December, 1874. ■' . , .; " 4th. He can state, with perfect good faith^' that had a suspicion of misdirection occurred to any of • the officers of the Board, or to lnmselfythey and he would have brought the same'to the notice of the Executive Council, stopping sales in the meantime till enquiry had been made, and in other cases this has always been punctually attended to. ' • : ■■■.•■ .-"sth. That for misdirection of the Executive: Council, Mr Slirimski, the local agent of this Board, is alone resi>onsible, he having written to ite proper member, the Secretary for Lauds and Works, under date March 28th, 1874; to this effect—' the line of railway '. has been formed, and in no way interferes with the. township (Reidstou).' Mr Slirimski is further to blame in having sold at the first sale in July, 1874, two important sections actually crossed by the railway, contrary to the telegraphic instructions of the salesman of this Board, Mr M*Goun, Under date 23rd July,. 1874, to .this effect, —' Regarding sections in lteidstoii,Bee,Dr Webster, and get my plan, sent to, hinrf by mistake, showing .sections to be reserved'ani Reidston for railway; Withdraw these from sale. If you cannot procure map, withdraw whole township from sale.' . _ "6 h. That the sile of two important sections crossed by the railway by Mr Shrimski perpetuated misdirection and confirmed the false Kicurity in which the Waste Lauds Office was placed, to the effect that the '' railways in no way interfered with the township.' ■"7th. That the plan of Reidston with the railway reserve marked on it was by mistake sent by the' Railway Engineer to Mr Willis, and by Mr Willis to Dr Webster, and hy Dr Webster to Mr Slirimski, which plan Mr Shrimski had in Ids hands at'the first auction, (July, 1574). Thus its contents were unknown' to the sidesman of this office, who conducts" this branch of the department : --'-'--"- -~ " Hence, to the Chief Commissioner's niindj 'the salesman is not to blame in allowing the second sale to go on; jior docs it in evidence appear that he even from outside sources had an inkling of anything being wrong." Mr Reid said he looked upon this memo, as a very pointed reflection' upon tlie' ProvincialExecutive. What he intended was that when this Land Department gave instructions to make a rfeserve, it was its duty to drawrihe attention of the Executive Government to the fact if it were proposed that such reserve should be sold. Once the Board was'put in possession of the knowledge that the land was • reserved, attention should be drawn to the fact For his part,-he thought it-was a very improper proceeding to read such a document to "the Board It would be sv very strange course if any member of the Board was to be-per-/ niitted to bring up and ruad a document re^ fleeting on all lim colleagues and an the Executive Government. Messrs Bastlvos and Butterworth also expressed disapproval of the course taken by tlie Chief Commissioner. The-CtnEV-CoMU>ssiuNEiisaiil-httJiail had-no other i>i>portunity of answering, the rtjijort of.the • .■Committee. "'■" ■ ' ... - * .:,,. 4 - lV i

Mr Bkii"), said that lie w7)ifldls6ye'that a nmiute be recorded stating- that the1 docuuient; bad Jkh.>k read,-Imt that the Board did riot->p-ivove of it, l^..st there should Imj any miscoiicei>tion he wished it to be dearly uiidewtood

that Ke'was-notr'aanember of the Executive whicjrhad taken the_action referred to. The? Cheek Com^missioneh said the document simply referred^to an officer of the Board wha was responsible to t him, and it was not intended to ca*.t any reflection upon the Extcutivei They were not, in any way, to blame in the matter. He was an Executive officer over the officers in the department, and he was bound to see justice done to them. He could not allow blame- to be put unjustly upon any one^oftthem; aiid the blame ought to be put upon the proper blunderers. It was resolved that further consideration of the matter should be postponed. The Board then adjourned for a week.