WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5336, 27 March 1879, Page 1 (Supplement)

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

The ordinary weekly meeting of thia Board was held yesterday ccoruing, and was attended by Messrs J. P. Maitknd (in the chair), Horace Basticgs, J. W. Thomson, Clark, Bradebaw, and Green. MAORI HILLOCKS. The report of Mr Warden Stratford on the application of Messrs Ross, Bradeu, and Eichardt, for 800 acres of land for agriculpuri,o3ep, at Maori Hillocks, Dart district, •was read. Tho reuo.t, iv au abridged furm, was publish d iv this journal on the 19th of Februaiy last. From it wo make the follow ing extract:—"The Maori .Hillocks Flat contains about 1000 aor. s of good arable land, and, as is stated above, is applied for by Mcssjs U bs, Brubn, and E.clnidt. Tiie land is all that can be dea ed for agriculturists. The Eoil is and the climate is fine fur wheat. - Toe land ia fuirly watered, close to a Bpleudid bush, aud sufficiently raised as to be unassailable by the Dart in flood times. Messrs Braden and Rtss are neither dummies nor speculator?, but men of considerable mtan?, and practical knowledge of farming and raising stock. He beluved that if the laud falls* into their hands they will make a gooi use of it. They will have to spend at least £1000 in preliminaries, and will inducj other settlers to squat, aud form a nucleus of a future town at tho head of Like Wakatip. As to Mr Eichardt, he has, tho Warden believed, already iuvisted about £8000 at Queenbtown, aud made for lumsoif a prosptrous busiaoss in a calling for which he is so well adapted that it is not likely he would excliangy it for farming. The Warden proposed taat this land be surveyed into three farms of 320 acres each, and loased under the agricultural system." Mr R. (jilliea appeared on behalf of Messrs Rms, liradsn, aud Eichardt. in reading the report, the Ohaikman remarked t ft; tUe Wardtnwas^minecesaarily fJisqpniyo, h,»d had goao out oi his w»y to

make observations that really did not affeot the matter.

Mr Gillies said Messrs Rosa, Braden, and Eichardt's application had nothing whatever to do with many of the questions the Warden had touched upon. The report, however, showed that the statements that had been made in their favour were quite accurate, and it was proved that there was plenty of other land available ia the district.

Mr Bastings said the Board must take care they did not part; with all the high land in the country, especially after the experience of last winter. A lot of runs had been thrown up lately, and if they did not take care they would have large tracts of country lying idle. Mr Gillies pointed out that the Warden had recommended that the application be granted. Mr Bastings said he would not bind himself to the warden's opinion when ho had had an opportunity of forming one of his own on the subject, and stated that he had been in the part of the country in que3toa. .After a little further cliscißsion, it was resolved, on the motion of Mr Bahtinus— "That it is not desirable at the present time to open the land referred to, in the manner desired by the memorialists." KAITANGATA CREEK. The consideration of Mr John Tobin's application to purchase a fellmongery Bite on Kaitangata Creek was resumed. Mr Gillies appeared for Mr Tobin, The Chairman suggested that the Board should reserve, say ,nine links along the creek. If Mr Tobin would agree to this condition, the Board would have no objection to putting the land up to auction, or allowing Mr Tobin to purchase it. He concluded by reading a letter signed by Mr Aitcheson and another protesting against the application being granted en the ground that the land in question was required for purposes onnected with the drainage of the lakes. Mr Gilliea could not agree to the terms suggested, and the application wa3 therefore refused. KUROW. Ths Under-Sec-etary for Crown Lands wrote with regard to the resolution of the Board of the oth inataat, re land ia Kurow Blocks. He said that that while the Govern ment recognisid the importance of opening lands on deferred payment, he would suggest the advisability of selling a portion of (he above lands on immediate payment. It was resolved—"That the Government be recommended to open on deferred payment the sections previously marked on blocks I, 11, and IJI, Kurow blocks, as for deferred payment, amounting to about onehalf of the area, and that the remainder be declared of special value in con&equonce of its proximity to constructed line of railway, and sold at the upset price of £3 per acre." Messrs Green, Bradsiiaw, and Thomson dissented from this resolution, approving of the whole being ma'.le deferred-payment land. The deferred-payment sections marked are :—Block I, sections 7 and 9; block 11, sections 4, 6, 7, S, 9,10,13,16, and 17; block 111, sections 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 10. SHOTOVEK. Mr Lewis Miller having failed to execute his lease when called upon, the Warden recommended that his certificate (section 22, block XVII, Shotover district) be declared void ; aad the Board adopted the recommendation, and decided that the land should ba declared open for application. EENGER. The Undersecretary for Crown Lands wrote re dealing with sections 5, 6, and 7, block XIV, Benger, and stated that the Government desired that the same might be disposed of at auction as pastoral deferredpayment lands with improvements added.— The plans were approved, and it was resolved to recommend that the sections be offered at the upset price of 22a Gd, as the Board considered they were of special value. CROAVN TERRACE HUNDRED. It was resolved—" J hat the sections witbia the Crown Terrace Hundred nob already offered on deferred payment be sold as land of special value on account of its superior quality for agricultural purposes, at an upset price of £2 per acre." The Board then adjourned till to-day, at 2 p.m.