Waste Land Board.

Otago Witness, Issue 1419, 1 February 1879, Page 28

Waste Land Board.

The ordinary weekly meoting of the Waste Lands Board was held on Wednesday, and wa tended by Messrs J. P. Maitland (chairman), H. Clark, J. B. Bradshaw, J. Green, J. W. Thomson, and H. Bastings. The following applications were dealt with:— GLENOJTARU. Messrs Connell and Moodie, for Mr Robert Andrew, applied for a saw-mill license over 100 acres adjoining land now held by him under license No. 11, Glenomaru. The area applied for was portion of 400 acres previously asked by a Mr Madigau to be sold, such request being grauted. Mr Madigan, however, had Bince withdrawn his survey fees, thus allowing his application to lapse, upon learning that a considerable time must elapse before the survey could take place. Mr Thomson knew the land, and considered it uhould be sold in small sections. In the meantime, pending that, he would be in favour of granting the application. Mr Green thought the land should ba at once put up for sale. He was getting firmly to believe that the best thing in the interests of the country was to get the whole of the bu3h into freehold at once. An enormous waste went on io bush uuder leasehold, and the only way to stop suoh waste was to sell the bush land. After some discussion, Mr Bastings jaoved that the application be granted, tne lease to extend over three years, and m this, as iv all similar cased, the rent to be paid in advance. After some discussion upon the last clause, which Mr Bastings said waameanttoprevent the tenant allowing the le.w to drop aftertaking the whole of the timber off in the first year, it was agreed to make it apply in the case of the present application alone iv the me lutime, and it was minuted that the lease be grante I for three years at 7s per acre per annum, rent to be paid in advance. WAIKAKA. Messrs Connell and Moodie, for Mr Thomas Reid, applied for lease of shingle bank in the Mataura River, between sections 13a and 13b, block I, Waikaka. It was explained that the shingle bank, which adjoined applicant's land, was covered with rabbits, applicant having killed as many a* 800 in one week lately, and that he was, therefore, unable to keep his land clear of these animals without having control of the bank refei red to. It was agreed to refer the application to the Eanger for report. TAKRAS DISTRICT. Mr Thomas Anderson, through the district land officer, Clyde, applied to have application No. 871 d, being section 1, block — , Tarras district, amended from one acre to Bix acres. The runholder having consented, the application was granted, subject to its being duly advertised. SURRENDER OF RUX, WAKATIPU. Mr Joseph Rogers asked to be allowed to surrender his depasturing license, No. 6, Wakatipu, rent being paid up. The applicant wrote that, owing to the heavy snowstorms last winter, he was unable to make profitable use of the land for depasturing sheep. The Chairman said the only course the Board could take was to recommend the surrender, and the last occasion upon which such recommendations were made the Government refused to act upon them. The rental was L 315 per year. The lease had four years to run. It was decided, under the exceptional circumstances, to recommend the Government to accept the surrender. THE WAIKOUAITI RONS. The Under-Secretary for Crown Lands wrote as to dealing with lands on Runs 76 and 77, Waikouaiti, stating that the Government had decided to set aside about one-third of the total area (20,000 acres) for sale on deferred payments, and asking that the Board should state the portions desirable so to be set aside. With regard to the remaining two-thirds, the Government proposed to have it put up for sale at 20a an acre and upwards. The Chairman said he had referred the matter to the Chief Surveyor, who suggested the following sections for deferred-payment purposes :— Section 1, block VII, 3802 acres ; section 10, block VIII. 1150 acres ; section 2, block X, 2490 acres. The Chief Surveyor evidently was of opinion the land would be more readily taken up in large areas, and from what he (the Chairman) knew of the country, he agreed with him. Other members expressed the same opinion. The Chairman Baid the Board couid not offer the rest of the land at LI per acre unless the block was declared a hundred, and he had telegraphed to that effect, but had not yet got an answer. Mr Green was strongly of opinion that, with regard to this block, roads on easy grades should first have been surveyed, and sections laid off to these ; and that a main road should have been laid off through it, connecting with the main interior line of railway. The Chairman said the Chief Surveyor had gone over the runs with the view of determining where roads should run. Mr Green believed roads were laid off as much by the beauty of the map as by the lay of the country. The recommendation of the Chief Surveyor with regard to the deferred-payment areas was agreed to ; and with regard to the other twothirds, the Board decided that the land should be put up at 20s per acre, and declared a hundred for the purpose of allowing such to be done. DEFERRED PAYMENTS. James Brand was granted a deferred-pay-ment license over section 64, block 111, Glenkenich. The following applications to purchase de. ferred-payment leases were granted:— J. _T. Robertson, section 5, block VIII, Crookston ; Thomas Kean, section 14, block VI, Kuriwao. The following applications to purchase exchange leases were approved : — Wm. Dawson, section 21, block IX, Toi Tois ; Wm. Adam, section 9, and sections 7 and 8, block 111, Leaning Rock. GOLD-MINING LEASES. The following certificates of application were approved :— Patrick Kerin, section 52, block VIII, Shotover ; John Kerin, section 51, block VIII, Shotover ; and W. J. Harrison, section 21, block XVII, Shotover. EXCHANGE APPLICATIONS. The following applications to exchange agricultural for deferred-payment leases were approved : — Samuel Dumbleton, section 33, block IV, Waitahuna East j Colin Robertson, sections 3, 4, and 5, block VIII, Waikaia; Alexander Robertson, section 19, block VIII, Waikaia. AGRICULTURAL LEASES. The following applications to purchase under agricultural leases were approved :— Wm. Simpson, section G, block VIII, Hillend ; James Cameron, sections 50 and 55, block VII, Waitahuna East j Johu Sutherland, sections 9, 10, 11, and 60 ; Daniel Keenan, sections 74 and 1 of 69, block I, Waitahuna We&t ; Donald J. M'Donald, sections 47, 182, and 183, block 11, Tuapeka East ; Hugh Rosa, sections 60, 67,

and 73, block IV ; Seppran Rowe, section 39, block V j Peter M'Gill, section 22, block VI, John M'Lean, section 1, block 11, all of Tuapeka East. SCHOOL SITE AT WAIKAKA. The Southland Education Board applied to have six acre 3of village reserve in block VI, Waikaka, set aside for schuol purposes. It wa* agreed to ask the Board to furnish sketch. TCTAPBKA MOUTH. With reference to an application which had been previously before the Board, by Mr A. M'Beatb, for a grant of a business site on seclion 28, block I, at Tuapeka Mouth, and upou which the Board had agreed to offer the whole section for sale, the Warden wrote that it was not advisable to sell the whole of such section, it being occupied by three different persons ; and the Board therefore minuted a<3 follows regarding it : — " Area applied for by Mr M'Beatb. to be offered at auction, with LIOO valuation, at LlO per acre, instead of whole of section 28, as previously resolved. Approval of Government to be obtained."