OTAGO SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 17 July 1890, Page 12

OTAGO SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

The monthly meeting of the Otmgo School Commissioners was held on Tuesday, and attended by Messrs J. P. Maitland (chairman), T. Denniston, J. Walker Bain, and J. Green.

A memo, was received from the Town Clerk of Invercargill, who forwarded a draft of a bill which it was proposed to introduce into Parliament for the purpose of enabling the commissioners, to sell section 2 of 43, block 11, Invercargill hundred.— The Commissioners suggested that clause 3 of the bill should be altered by inserting the words " fixed by arbitration," in place of the words "agreed upon"

Messrs Bain and Denniston reported having interviewed Mr T. C. Bllis with regard to opening up a blook of land on run 301 , Te Anau, for settlement'and he stated that he should prefer the matter to stand over until the arrival from England of the lessee, who was expected to return in about two months.— lt wa» accordingly, deoided to allow the matter to stand over.

An application was received from Mr W. Smaill, lessee of section 2, block VIII, KMftaDgata, for permission to transfer his lease to Measri William and Alexander Ourrle.- Application granted. A memo, was reoejved from the Chief Surveyor of Dunedin, to the effect that two aorei had been taken from section 37, block VIII, Qlenomaru, for » road, and that it would therefore be necessary to reduce the rent of the leotlon by Is 6d per aore.— Noted. The usual monthly report wai received from Mr J. L. M'Donald, the commissioners' agent at Invercargill. He reported in the first instance on an application from Mr J. Welsh, lessee of seotion 9, block VIII, Bast Wioton, for a reduction of rent.— Bent reduoed to 2s per aore. He forwarded s letter from Mr John Daley, lessee of coal pit on part of section 10, block 111, Waikaia. surrendering the same.— lt wao agreed to accept surrender of the lease on payment of rent up to June 30. He forwarded an application from MrF. M'Gowan, lessee of section 1, block 111, Tuturau, for permission to sublet about one acre and a-half of the tame for three years.— lt was decided that the applicant should be requested to state for what purpose the land was to be sublet and uuon what terms. H% forwarded an Application from Mrs K. Quinn, administratrix of the late John Qnitra, lessee of section 7, blook VII. Otautau, for pel-mission to transfer the lease to Mr Robert Cupples, and stated that he saw no objection to the transfer.— Transfer approved. He reported that he had demanded arrears of Interest from Mr J. S. White, mortgagor of section 2a, block 111, Wendon, and stated that Mr White had paid on account of interest a seoond instalment of £1, and asked for time to pay the balance. He also requested the commission? « to instruot him as to what steps should be taken in the matter.— lt twnßt wnB deoided that the mortgagor should be allowed one month in whlph to pay the balance of the intere»t doe.— The Secretary stated that Mr White had been trying to make out in his correspondence to the newspaper! that the commissioners were turning him out of bis property, whereas the fact was that Mr flTbtoe W\d»n »rea of over Bs9 acres, .&K) of which

were freehold; 217 fares additional being under mortgage to the commissioners. All Mr White's buildings were erected on the larger area, the 217 acres of land in whioh the commissioners had an interest being merely ring-fenced. Mr M'Donald forwarded an application from Robert Qemmell, lessee of run 326 a, Waikaia, and the gravel reserve opposite seotions a and 3, blook X Waikaia, to be allowed to transfer his interest to Mr Alexander Gall and Mr James Sband.— The transfer was approved subjeot to all rent and rates being paid up. In a supplementary report Mr M'Donald stated that he hid attended the sale at Gore on the 2nd Inst, ef sections on run 103 a. whioh had lately bpen taken from that run. Some 8641 aoreß had been let at a rental of £680 a year, or on an average Is 7Jd per aore, the prices' showing a safisfnobory advance on the upsets. About 895 acres had been passed in. An application was received from Mr J. Greenleis, occupier of seotion 4, blook I, to have a piece of lind between his seotion and the bush for £1 per annum.Ifc was deoided to inform Mr Greenless that the land would shortly be surveyed and offered by auotion. Accounts amounting to £04 Is 3d were patted for payment.