DOMAIN BOARD.

Poverty Bay Independent, Volume I, Issue 53, 24 September 1885, Page 3

DOMAIN BOARD.

On the conclusion of the Borough Council sitting on Tuesday evening last, a meeting of the Domain Board was held for the purpose of considering the application of Sir Aislabie, that the Board grant him the lease of about to acres of the Makaraka reserve in exchange for acres of land adjoining, but which would give the Board a road frontage. The reserve in question has recently been leased by Mr T. Corcoran, who wrote opposing the application. Mr Joyce did not think the Board would be acting fairly by the present lessee if they granted the request. Mr Corcoran had laid out a considerable amount of money and labor on that portion of the ground in question, and it was now asked that he give up 10 acres of good land for acres of barren sand. He (the speaker) did not think the Board had the power to interfere with the present lessee. If a road to the reserve was wanted, one could easly be got through a corner of the cemetry. Mr Townley opposed the application as being against the interests of the Board. He could not see why they should hand over 10 acres of rich grass for 7I acres of very indifferent land.

Mr Graham had been endeavoring for years to get a frontage on the main road for this reserve and now the opportunity was offered members of the Board wished to reject it. The reserve was leased to Mr Corcoran with

the proviso that the Board were em-

powered at any time to make the proposed exchange, which had been contemplated all along. Mr Smith had no doubt about the Board being empowed to make the exchange if it thought fit, a clause in the lease stated this clearly (read). If they got a frontage to the land it would add immensely to the value of the reserve.

Captain Tucker thought they could at any time get a road to the reserve. He could not see the advantage of the exchange. Here, the Board were asked to give to acres of good land for 7I- of bad land, and it must be borne in mind that the frontage was only offered for the term of the lease. The Chairman said there could be no doubt as to the power of the Board to make the proposed exchange if it thought fit to do so, as the land was leased under those conditions. It was

not that the land offered in exchange was more or less than that asked but the question was whether or not , exchange would so add to the value of the whole reserve as to make the exchange desirable. Mr Joyce moved that the application be not acceeded to. If the two parties concerned liked to make any arrangements between themselves they could do so, but the Board should not intert fere.

Mr Wilson had much pleasure in X seconding the motion, as he thought that if the Board were to make the pro- < posed exchange against the wishes of the lessee it would be very unfair. Mr Smith moved as an amendment that the application of Mr Aislabie be granted. Mr Graham seconded the amendment. Mr Joyce did not think this was an amendment to his motion. The Chairman then put the amend- * ment which was lost and the original motion was then carried.