WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1159, 14 February 1874, Page 9

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

The weekly meeting of the Board was held on the sth inßtant. Present —Mr Strode (in the chair), and Messrs Butterworth, Clark, and J. Reid. MINUTES. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. THE TOIS TOTS HUNDRED. Mr Gillies presented a petition from several settlers on the Tois Tois Hundred, asking the Board not to enforce -payment of the assessment by distress warrants, as had been determined at the last meeting. He said that those who had sent in proper returns had rendered themselves amenable to the law, whiUt others had not Before such an extreme measure was taken he thought that a searching investigation should take place into the matter. A letter was read from Mr Hughan the Ranger, in reply to Mr Richardson s letter, in which there was a complaint of the mismanagement of the Tois Tois Hundred. He was not aware that false returns were made. The boundaries had been kept as well as it was possible to keep them, and if there had been mismanagement the Wardens were as much to blame as be was. Mr Gillies said that all the petitioners asked was that they would have a fair hearing in this matter. The case of the Tois-Tois Hundred was not a solitary one. The petitioners were compelled to pay for more cattle than they had running, while others were not called upon to pay at all. Mr Clark moved that the Board should adhere to its former decision in the matter. Mr Reid seconded the motion, which was carried. In answer to Mr Gillies, the Chairman stated that before the distress warrant* were put in, another demand would be made upon the Bettlers. RESERVATION. "Warden Carew reported on the application of James Parker, that the watershed of the Water burn in the Traquair Hundred might be reserved for gold-mining, and eaid that if the application were not granted there would be the risk of sale of auriferouß land. The Board decided to have the land reserved. N.Z. AND A. LAND COMPANY. An application was received from this Company, asking to be allowed to take up their pre-emptives on runs 209 and 211 in a square block, so aa to include a portion of run 255, which was held by them by arrangement with Sir F. D. Bell. The Board decided to adjourn the consideration of the matter for a week. COAL LEASE. Messrs M'Kellar and Thomson applied for a coal lease of section 117, Block 11., Leaning Rock. Messrs Norwood, Marie, and Phillips objected. Mr Stout appeared for the applicants, and Mr Gillies on the other side. Mr Stout said the question for the Board to consider would be as to whether another coal pit would be beneficial to the district, and whether existing rights would be interfered with. He had another petition, in favour of the granting of the application, setting out that a large number of wellknown men in the district wished the coal lease to be granted. Some of them were the principal business men at Clyde, and if Marie had supplied them properly they would not have supported the application en the other side. Mr Gillies said that a number of the signatures on the petition presented were those of persons who were not known in the district, and who were not interested in the matter. He had a petition from a large number of residents in the district in favour of Marie being protected from interference. _ He thought, however, that personal evidence should have much more weight with the Board, and he might say that on the other side the only personal evidence given was that of a partner of the applicants. In favour of Marie, he could call Mr Marshall, Mr Pat terson, and others. Mr Marshall informed the Board of the finding of the seam of coal by Marie in the face of great difficulties, and also of the work that had been done. When in the district Marie had always supplied him, and he never felt the want of a second pit. To grant the lease next to Marie to anyone else would do him a serious injury. # A witness named Patterson gave similar evidence. Mr Gillies stated that the section 117 would have been applied for by Marie in the first instance had he properly known the lay of the coaL Mr Stoxit stated that the petition, presented by Mr Gillies was signed by Marie's agentß, and by a large number of miners. There were few names of business men on it. Afier some further discussion, the Board decided that the evidence before them was insufficient that a second coal-pit was required. Mr Strode said they did not think much of either of the petitions. If another coalpit was wanted, let the Council pass a resolution to that effect and lay it before the Board, when the matter would be re-opened. TUAPEKA BAST. There was an application by Mr J. R. Dansen, for a copper-mining lease of block 1., section 8, Tuapeka East. A report from the Warden was read on the subject, in which he *aid that he had not been able to find the spot, but the laud about did not appeal to be auriferous. The Board granted the application at a rental of £20 per annum for the fiwfe two years, £40 tor the following three years, and £80 for the remainder of t&e 21 yean' lease.

An applicatioa was heard from J. Michael, for a lease of section 16, block XIX., Tuapeka East. It was decided to put up the land to auction as land of special valne, on account of improvements, upset price 21s per acre, improvements to be valued. ISLANDS OF THE WAITAKI. Mr Webb, on behalf of Mr W. B. Carnes, applied for leave to occupy the two largest islands in the Waitaki river, for grazing purposes. These islands, he said, were at present infested with rabbits, and were a nuisance to the neighbourhood. There was no opposition to the application, which waß merely for a license to occupy with six months' notice to quit. The application was granted at a rental of £5 per annum. THE CLUTHA. An application from Mr Ralph Moir to purchase an island in the Clutha, opposite block 11, Hillend, Bection 46, a bush reserve, was heard. The Board decided that nothing could be done in the matter until it had been referred to the Ranger for a report. TAPANUI PROGRESS COMMITTEE. This body requested that a sale of Crown lands, advertised to take place in the Glenkenich District, on the 10th instant, should be held at Tapanui, instead of at Lawrence. They also asked that the balloting for deferred payment sections should be held at Tapanui, instead of at Lawrence. Resolved — Not to grant the first request, as sufficient notice had not been given ; the fecond request could not be granted, as the law would not allow it. The Committee also requested that sections 12, 13, and 16, block, 7, Glenkenich, should be reserved for coal. The applicatioa was complied with. ETTRICK. The Board then proceeded to consider a | request that the unsold sections at Ettrick j should all be advertised for sale at the next auction there, and also that 30 more sections should be laid off. Both these requests had been agreed to by tho Government. It was decided that the unsold sections should be advertised for sale. The second request was not complied with. TABLE HILU A petition was received, praying the Board to withhold from sale sections 1, 2, and 3, block 111., Table HilL Resolved— That the land should be withdrawn from! sale for the present, and that the Board should recommend that the sections should be reserved permanently. LAND SALES. The Board resolved to recommend that land sales should in future be held in the Provincial Council Hall, Dunedin. PASTORAL LICENSES. There was an application from the Hon^ Mathew Holmes for a license to depasture on the Traquair and West Taieri Hundreds. Decided to issue the licenses. j CROMWELL DISTRICT. An application by John (Perrian to purchase land on Run 245, near Cromwell, and reported against by the District Land Officer, who, however, recommended that the applicant should be allowed to p\irchase the few acres round his house. The report was referred back with a request for further particulars. BOARD OF ENQUIRY. A letter was read from Mr Margetts, declining to fill the office of member of the Board of Enquiry for the Lawrence district. Resolved to ask the Board to suggest the name of a suitable person. The Board then adjourned.