HAWKE'S BAY LAND BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 10

HAWKE'S BAY LAND BOARD.

SOME WARM PASSAGES.

A MEMBER EJECTED

NAPIER, August 14. There were some warm passages at the meeting of the Hawke's Bay Land Board to-day in consequence of some remarks made by one of the members (Mr Eustace Lane), who was some months ago elected to the board as the representative of the Crown tenants. Mr Bartram (Gisborne) moved, and it was seconded by Mt Hyda — " That in consequence of the many private interests involved in the renewal or otherwise of small grazing run leases, and the publication of details being, in fiome instances detrimental to and affecting the financial position of lessees, in future all questions dealing with small grazing runs leased under ' The Land Act, 1885,' be considered in committee."

Mr Lane objected strongly to the motion, and made a remark which Mr Bartram resented as strongly.

The motion was carried

Later on the board had under consideration an application for transfer of the lease of a section. The majority of the members were opposed to the granting of tho application, which Mr Lane supported . The Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr H. Trent), in the course of the discussion, said Mt Lane would admit that some of the other gentlemen on the board might have as good a knowledge of what was the proper action to pursue as Mr Lane. Mr Lane replied : " .Some of them arc not competent to decide." Exception was token to this remark, which Mr Lane declined to withdraw. The Commissioner adjourned the meetin cr in order to allow Mr Lane to get cool and collect himself, whereupon Mr Lane said he had his duty to perform. When the board resumed in the afternoon ~Mr Lane again refused to withdraw what he had said, and eventually the Commissioner asked the board's secretary (Mr Taylor) to remove Mr Lane. Air Taylor" left the room, and returned with Mr "Thompson, the chief clerk. They each took Mr Lane by an arm, and that gentleman rose without ies>istance, and was escorted out of the room. The door having been closed upon tho ejected member, the Commissioner said. " I suppose we may now igo on with tho business. "' August 16. As the outcome of the proceeding at Friday's meeting of the Haw he's Bay Land Board, Mr Eustace Lane, the member who

was ejected from t-Lfe meeting for refusing ' to withdraw a remark which was objected . to, has forwarded a letter to -the chair- ■ man, in the course of which he says i* * " Hereby I beg to notify you that any decision the boafd came to in my absence is illegal, and that you are liable for an action fo,r inciting to assault, and Mr Taylor and Mr Thomson foti assault. As, however, I care not one jotJ about the insult to my person, and as i eniiofse all the decisions the board came to in my absence with one exception, it ig only with regard to the interests to tlia one Crown tenant involved that I protest."Mr Lane then proceeds to state the grounds of his protest against the decision in question.