WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1155, 17 January 1874, Page 3

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

The usual weekly meeting was heH on the Bth instant. Present— The Chief Commissioner, and Messrs Butterworth, J. Reid, and Clark, COAt, LEASE AT LEANING ROCK. The consideration of 0. T. Marie's letter, with reference to his application for a coal lease of section 117, block 11, Leaning Bock, adjourned from the previous meeting, was resumed. Mr Gillies, of Gillies and Street, appeared for the applicant, who, he said, was the original finder of the coal, and should reap the benefit of it. An application for the same block of land for a coal lease was read from Thomson and M'Lellan, for whom Messrs Sievwright and Stout's representative appeared, saying that Marie merely wished to establish a monopoly of the coal, and would not work at it for the benefit of the district as Thomson and M'Lellan would. A letter was read on the subject from Mr S. Howard, objecting to the land being 1 leased, as the ground was auriferous, and he intended to apply for a prospecting' claim there. The Chirp Commissioner, said that the consideration of the matter would be adjourned until Howard's letter could be produced for the advice of the Warden. PRKSBYTBRIAN CONGREGATION, WYNDIIAM. Mr Edmund Smith, on bohalf of the Presbyterian Congregation, Wyndham, applied to purchase 20 acrei of laud at thu south-east ang-lo of the Wyndliam Town Reserve. The Chief Commissioner said that these bodie: must go in like the public aud purchase their quartei acres. After a slight discussion, it was determined not t< grant the application. GLENKENICH. Mr Connoll, of the firm of Connell and Moodie, ap plied, on behalf of James Rogers, to have the plan o section 1, block "VIII., G-lenkenich, approved, and t< he allowed to purchase the land. He said that < resolution had been arrived at, to the effect that tin improvements should be valued, and the land put uj to auction. Thirty acres, however, had been snr veyod instead of the 10 acres applied for, and this in eluded a good rieal of land that Rogers did not want He would ask the Board to take these circumstance into considnratlon, and grant the land to Rogeii under the 36th clause, rather than compel him t' purchase at auction with such a small valuation, ajj In the latter case, he would be forced to compete It his own house. It was decided that this land should be sold at lad of special value, by auction, the upset ptice to be i per aero, with the valuation of Mr Adams to the cct of survey added. ' •WAITAKI ISLAND. Mr "Webb, of the firm of Webb and Fulton, applfl on behalf of Walter R. Cairns, for the lei.se of a island in the Waftnkl, between Marewhenua qd Kurow, for grazing pu poses. , 'Hie CnißF Commis-uoneb said that he did ?t think it would be desirable to le iso any of this hi, except to runholders or freeholders. j The Board declined to grant the application. „ PASTORAL LEAHB. j Mr Barton applied, on behalf of Messrs T. an^T. White, for the issue to them of a lease for run No. (4, Province of Otago, for a period of ten yews, ovenhe residue of the license under which the land was pw held. He said that this was the land that had Jen the subjeot of so much litigation. In the caso hffd, tlio Jury had {riven £10,000 damages for lujuryp- , V

tamed through the loss of the lease, subjeot to the ' lease not being granted to White until a day which had now passed. He now applied to the Board, and might state that, during the trial, Mr Smith, the counsel for the other side, had stated that thee would be no difficulty in the way of obtaining the lease. Mr Anderson, of Smith and Anderson, said that on behalf of Mr M'Kellar he opposed the application, on the ground that the matter was sub judice. There was only the verdict of the jury, but no decree had been made. The matter was still the subject of litigation, and would be further contested. The Board had no power to grant separate licenses to either party, and ne would oppose the application. The Chief Commissioner said that the Board could not act in a matter of this kind without legal advice, They could not act without something from the Supreme Court, and at the present time they had nothing of the kind. Mr Barton said that if the application was granted, his clients would have the £10,000, and the £10,000 added to it, and would then get the lease. He would not pray the Board to interfere in the matter, but he would ask them to make a note that he had appeared and applied /or the granting of the lease. The Chief Commissioner said that no order would be made in the matter, but a note would be made of the application and the objection. •WATBB EACE. A letter was read from Mr Wm. Turton, solicitor for 3. W. Bobertson, renewing his application for a water race from the One and Two-Mile creeks, as pegged out, or failing that to the boundary of Queenstown. The CgEP Commissioner said that the only safe course would be to refer the matter to the Queenstown Corporation. 1c was ultimately decided not to grant the application. IiESJJKVE rOB. BENEVOLENT PIJHPOSKS. A certificate was read from Mr Justice Chapman, to the effect that the reservation of part of run 237 for benevolent purposes was a legal one. The certificate was noted. UPPER TAIEIU FERRY HKSERVE. The Board then considered the application of James Turnbull, to purchase the Upper Taieri Ferry Reserve, 30 or 40 acres. The Cihei' Commissioner said that the land would first be surveyed,_ and then the consent of the runholders in the vicinity got. It was decided that the application should be referred to the District Land Officer for his advice. TOKOMAIKIiIO. An application from James Lambert to purchase section 7, block XXXVII., Tokomairiro District, was considered. Mr M'Gowan informed the Board that a road was being: surveyed, and the section divided. The application was refused, the land applied for being unsurveyed. TREK PLAOTISO. Mr Brown appeared for J. and A. Gray, and renewed their application for section 1, block 1., Coast District, for the purpose of planting trees. This was the first application of the kind that had come under the notice of the Board, and it was resolved that it should be re1 ferred to the Government for its decision. COMPENSATION. The difference between the Government and Mr Mathew Holmes, as to the amount of compensation he should receive for the proclamation of the Traquair Hundred over his 'Run No. 57, was referred by the Government to the Was,te Lands Board for settlement under the terms of clause 101 of the Waste Lands Act 1872. It was decided that Mr A. W. Morris should be requested to act as arbitrator tor the Board, and, if he accepted the office, Mr Mathev Holmes should be requested to appoint liis arbitrator. PRANKTON. J. A. Douglas applied to have section 1, block XVII., Frankton, put up for sale. It was decided that the valuation of the District i Land Officer should be obtained, and the land then be I put up for sale under this vtluatlon. AUCTIONEERS. The following are the auctioneers for 1874, appointed by the Board ;— On msru, S. Shrimski ; Waikouii i, E. M. Spedding ; Dunedin and Outram, J. Milner ; Tokomairiro, J. C. Arbuukle ; Balclutha, Driver and Co ; Mataura Bridge, D. Macrorie ; Lawrence, J. C Arbuckle ; Naseby and Hill's Creek, T. Stanbrook ; Clyde, T. Stanbrook ; Queenstown, J. O. M'Ardell. MID-WAJLATJP. An jpplicition was made by H. Macklin for a coa mining lease of 20 acres, uasurveyed, in the MidWakstip District. Thi application was referred to the District Land Officir for his report. SURVEY CHARGES. A recommendation was read from the Chief Surveyor to the effect that the rate for cutting bush lines should be Increased from Is 6d to 2s 6d Itwas resolved that 2s 6d should be the rate until the Chief Surveyor reported to the contrary. I TOI TOIS HUNDRED, A; communication was read from Mr J. R Richard/on, saying that he would send a draft for his asS'ssnent, and also protesting agilnst the Government maiagement of the Toi Tois Hundrod. 1 was decided that the Ranger should serve notices on all license holders, and that wairants should be issied against all defaulters on his report. lie Board then adjourned.