Waste Lands Board.

Otago Witness, Issue 1488, 22 May 1880, Page 13

Waste Lands Board.

The weekly meeting' of the Land Board was hold on (chairman), 11. Bastings, J. Grcon, J. B. Bradshaw, Wednesday, and was attended by Messrs J. P. Maitland and H. Clark. Tho following business was transacted :— ] 'SUHItENDKR. OP TIMBER LICENSE.

Messrs Connell and Moodie, on behalf of Mr John M'Farlane, applied to be allowed to havo tho surrender of his timber license 970, Olenkcnich, accepted as from Ist January, 1879. The amount ot rent duo to date was about .640.

Mr Connell, for the applicant, explained the circumstances under which -the surrender was applied for. The opening of railways had enabled the Southland millowners to monopolise tho trade, and Mr M'Farlane now found himself utterly unable to use tho timber on the area included in the license.

The Board granted tho application, Mr M'Farlane, who was present in person, stating that he had cut no timber whatever on the area since Ist January, 1879. • ,^kj, il WAKATIPU. '

Mr Warden Stratford reported upon tho application of Mr C. C. Boycs to purchase 2500 acres on Run 315, Kawarau, stating that thero was no objection, provided due notice was given by advertising.

The Board agreed to order tho application to bo advertised.

The District Land Officer, Olydo, forwarded an application by the Colonial Bank of Now Zealand to purchase section 1, block I, Opliir. This section had been sot apart as a reserve for public library purposes, and the Library Committee wrote that they agreed to the Bank having the section, as tho Athensoum was intended to be built on section 2.

The section having been Crown-granted to the Superintendent in trust for the Library Committee, the Board had no power to deal with it, and tho application had consequently to be refused.

Further applications having been received for sections r in Kelso township, the Board considered the advisability of making sections 24 to 32, block XI, Kelso, suburban deferred-payment sections, but it was considered inadvisable to do so.

Mr John Weir asked permission to take up another suburban deferred-payment allotment along with that already granted to him. — Request declined.

TUAPKKA,

A number of settlers at Tuapeka Mouth forwarded the following petition :— "We, tho settlers and residents of Tuapeka Mouth and neighbourhood, respectfully ask that you will, in the interest of settlement, take the necessary steps to cause Run 106 to be surveyed in pastoral deferred-pay-ment and agricultural-lease allotments. ■ "The run is occupied by James Smith, Esq., and tho lease expires 2nd September, 1881, the area being 6600 acres of land of excellent quality, bounded by the Tuapeka River and immediately adjoining Tuapeka We&t, where the finest grain and heaviest yield in the Colony are produced.

" The land from its situation is well adapted for small pastoral areas, while some of the more levol and choices spots could bo surveyed in agricultural sections. It is situato about seven miles from Lawrence, and will be easy of approach by a good road, which is now being made from Lawrence down the Tuapeka River.

" The Board is awaro that the whole of the adjacent land available for settlement has ior some time been taken up and occupied by bona, fide settler.^ many of whom are both able and desirous of extending their present holdings, to do which they sineoroly hopo iho action of tho Board will enable them."

(Signed by 32 settlers.) The Chief Commissioner, baid the lease of tho run expired in March, 1882, so that if the prayer of the petitioners were now granted it would involve tho payment of compensation. Mr Clark said 30,000 acres were now open for settlement in tho Tuapeka district, much of it quite as good as the land on Mr Smith's run, and he did not see the advisability of opening a,ny more at present. This was one of the runs tho Board had agreed to re-lease.

Mr Bastings said there couid be no doubt that the land mentioned in the petition was o£ better quality for agricultural purposes than the great bulk of that now open, but until the lease expired ho did not see that anything should be done in the matter. Other members agreed that the land should not bo dealt with until the lease expired, and the following was minuted :— " The memorialists to be infonnedthat tholeaße of Run 106 doos not oxpiro until March, 1882, and that at the present time a large area of land in the same district is open for purchjvso as pastoral deferred

payment land. The Board will give the memorid, every consideration when it comes to deal with the land in question."

ROIiD-MIXISff LEASES.

The lollowinv applications were approved :— Edward Tiij.l-u .ui<! others spuuou 2, block 11, Bannockburn ; I[. ,). o'opL, bix-lioji XI, Mock XII, J-'kipiiois (Jreek.

.VilUUl.r/t'UIUL LEAMS.

'lho lollowing application w<.vs approved :— Thomas LlalhicsOii, section 9, block X, Shotovor.

MlSl'iltAli LMA-sKV

Notice of the Board's intention to grant the following minoral leases was ordered to be advertised :— John Short, section 9, block I, Bannockburn ; Edward M'Nuliy and William Mutter, section 21, block I, Uromwoil

EAST GORE*] On the application of John Ballantine, the Government were recommended to group sections 14, 15, and IU, block XXV, East Gore.

Tho Board agreed upon the following resolution :— "That it be notified that 20th August, 1880, be the date on and alter which the land within blocks IV, V, and part of block XI, Mcunt Hyde district, and part of block XVI, Maungatua, bo open for sale or leaso."