SALE OF CROWN LANDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1893, 2 March 1888, Page 9

SALE OF CROWN LANDS.

A sale of Crown lands was held on Tuesday by Mr R. B. Martin, the lands offered consisting of pastoral lands, small grazing runs, township and rural lands. Before the hour for the commencement of the sale the attendance was so numerous that it became apparent that the sale could not be held in the Land Board room, and Mr Martin postponed the sale for half an hour and adjourned it to the large reading-room at Watson's Hotel, which was not too spacious for the purpose. Since 1882 no Government sale has been so active as the sale yesterday, the competition being in many cases extremely keen. Tho first lot offered, a rural lands section in Tuapeka East, was passed in without an offer being made; and this inauspicious commencement was followed up by the passing in of township sections in Glenorchy, Georgetown, and Waikouaiti, and only one of the Waipahi sections was quitted. This stage reached, a change came over the spirit of the scene. Tho suburban sections in the township of Kelso all realised prices far in excess of the upset. There were nine of these allotments, the upset being fixed at £4. Starting in most cases from that figure, the whole lot wete briskly cleared off at prices ranging from £9 to £21 each, Mr J. C. Brown securing five of the number. The reason of this competition is that the sections are in close proximity to the railway station. The suburban sections in Moeraki were comparatively neglected, only half a dozen finding purchasers, and at prices very little above tho upset in any case. The three small grazing runs in Gimmberburn received attention from several intending buyers, and were not knocked down until a material advance had been offered on the upset. Runs of a like character in the Highlay and Rock and Pillar districts were also bid for with spirit, nearly every lot finding a purchaser ; but the Swinburn run was passed in. In respect to the pastoral licenses the competition was restricted to a few bidders, but they sold very well, one of the Hummock runs put up at an upset rental of £400 per annum bringing £790, and another at Nenthorn, started at £400, realising no less than £1110. Large advances on the upset were' also obtained in the cases of the Lauder run, which fetched £355 after being put up at £250, and the Kingston run, which brought the same price from an upset of £100. The remaining runs were nearly all disposed of ; those at Gimmerburn, Blackstone, and Waihemo at an advance, and the others at the upset. We were unable to obtain full particulars of the sale last evening, but shall publish tbem in a future issue. The runs, with the exception of runs 255 aud 419 (particulars as to the sale of which we were unable to obtain), were disposed of as follows :—: — Euu 51A, about 10,460 acres, Waipori district; seven years. Upset rental, £180 per annum. £3^o - J C Buckland, purchaser. Kuns 171 a and 171b (grouped as one run), about ■}f>3o acres, Hummock district : 10 years. Upset rental, £130 per annum. £100 -M C Orbell. ltuns 171, 171 c, 171 d, 171f, and 171G (grouped as one run), about 1(5,520 acres, Hummock district; 10 years. Upset rental, £400 per annum. £790-H Orbell. Kirns 218, 218 a, and section 17, block 111 (grouped as one run), about 23,321 acres, Nenthorn district ; 10 year*. Upset rental, £400 per annum. £1110— 11 Orboll. Run 223, about 14,120 aere3, Lauder district ; three years. Upset rental, £250 per annum. £353— Laidlawaud Craivtoid. Bun 323 a, about 36,930 acres, Kingston district ; 14 years. Upset rental, £100 per annum. £355— W S Trotter. Run 325 a, about 18,500 acres, Cromwell district ; 14 yem-B. Upset rental, £300 per annum. Upset— Rattray (agent). Run' 217b, Hbout 17,170 acres, Waihemo district ; 10 years. Upset rental, £200 per annum. Passed in. Run 225, about 3530 acres, Naseby district ; three years. Upset rental, £111 per annum. £210— F Gt Togoon. Kirn 225 a, about 4300 acres, Blackstone district; three years. Upset rental, £127 per annum. £205— F G Pogson. Run 225n, about 7010 acres, Gimmerburm district ; three years. Upset rental, £210 per annum. £2CO— Pogson. liun 225r>, about 5450 acres, Gimmerburn district ; three years. Upset rental, £162 per annum. £205— Pagson. 1 Run 238 c, about 7666 acres, Wakeiield district; 10 years. Upset rental, £100 per annum. UpsetCowan. Run 23Sd, about 6860 acres, Wakefield district ; 10 years. Upset rental, £100 per ntmum. Upset— Oowan. Run 238k, about 8600 acres, Wakefield district ; 0110 year. Upset rental, £107. Upaet— Cowan. Run 238f, about 12,800 acres, Wakeiield district ; one year, UpseD rental, £165. UpseL— Cowan. Run 213511. about HOD acres, Wakefield district ; two years. Upset rental, £12 per annum. Upset— A D Lubucki. Run 2100, about 6044 acres, Curdrona district; nine years. Upset rental, £100 per annum. Upset - B. and N.Z.M. aud A. Company.