Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 1427, 29 March 1879, Page 12

Waste Lands Board.

The ordinary weekly meeting of this Board was held on Wednesday morning, and was attended by Messrs J. P. Maitland(in the chair), Horace Bastings, J. W. Thomson, Clark, Bradshaw, and Green. MAORI HILLOCKS. The report of Mr Warden Stratford on the application of Messrs Ross, Braden, and Eichardt, for 800 acres of land for agriculpurpo3es, at Maori Hillocks, Dart district;, was read. The report, in an abridged form, was published in this journal on the 19th of February last. From it we make the following extract:— "The Maori Hillocks Flat contains about 1000 acres of good arable land, aud, as is stated above, is applied for by Messrs Ross, Braden, and Eichardt. The land is all that can be desired for agriculturists. The soil is good, and the climate is fane for wheat. The land is fairly watered, close to a splendid bush, and sufficiently raised as to be unassailable by the Dart in flood times. Messrs Biaden and Rosa are neither dummies nor speculators, but men of considerable means, and practical knowledge of farming and raising stock. He believed that if the land falls into their hands they will make a good use of it. They will have to spend at least £1000 in preliminaries, and will induce other settlers to squat, and form a nucleus of a future town, at the head of Lake Wakatip. As to Mr Eichardt, he has, the Warden believed, already invested about £8000 at Queenstown, and made for himself a prosperous business in a calling for which he is so well adapted that it is not likely he would exchange it for farming. The Warden proposed that this land be surveyed into three farms of 320 acres each, and leased under the agricultural system." Mr R. Gillies appeared on behalf of Messrs ,Ross, Braden, and "Eichardt. In reading the report, the Chairman remarked tliac the Warden was^uunecesaarily I discursive, and had gone out of his way to make observations tnaß really did not atfect the matter. ' Mr Gillies said Messrs Ross, Braden, and •EichardVs application had nothing whatever to do with many of the questions the Warden had tonched upon. The report, how- ; ever, showed that the statements that hid been made in their favour were quite ' accurate, and it was proved that there was plenty of other land available m the district. Mr Bastings Baid the Board must take care they did not parb with all the high land in the country, especially alter the experience of laßt winter. A lot of runa had been thrown up lately, and if they did not take care they would have large tracts of country lying idle. Mr Gillie 3 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 he 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 question. After a little further discussion, it was resolved, on the motion of Mr Bastings— "That it is not desirable at the present time to open the laud referred to, in the manner deßired by the memorialists." KAITANGATA CREEK. The consideration of Mr John Tobin's application to purchase a fellmongery site 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 bemg granted en the ground that the land in question was required for purposes connected with the drainage of the lakes. Mr Gillies could not ag^ee to the terms suggested, and the application waa therefore refused. KUROW. The Under-Secretary for Grown Lands wrote with regard to the resolutioa of the Board of the sth instaut, re land in Kurow Blocks. He said that that while the Govern • ment recognised the importance of opening lands on deferred payment, he would suggest the advisability of selling a portion of the 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 111, Kurow blocks, as for deferred } ayment, amounting to about onehalf of the area, and that the remainder be declared of special value in consequence of its proximity to constructed line of railway, and sold at the upset price of £3 per acre. " Messrs Grekn, Bradshaw, and Thomson dissented from this resolution, approving of the whole being made deferred-payment land. The deferred-payment sections marked are : — Block I, sections 7 and 9 ; block X, sections 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, IS, 16, and 17 ; block 111, sections. 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 10. SHOTOVBR. 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 ; and the Board adopted the recommendation, and decided that the land should be declared open for application. | " BENGKR. The Under Secretary 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 22s 6d, as the Board considered they were of special value. GROWN TERRACE HUNDRED. It was resolved — " 1 hat the sections within the Crown Terrace Hundred not 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 2p,m,