WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Southland Times, Issue 2116, 14 May 1875, Page 2

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Thoesdat, May 13. Present— The Chief Commissioner, Mr Mitchell, and Sir John Richirdson, who took his Beat for the first time as a member of tho Board. LAND. Hector McNeil obtained 80 acres, being section 73, block 8, New River Hundred. Me Bean Brothers applied for 2 acres in tho beel of the Matauru river. The Board seemed to be in doubt as to whether it could deal with such an application, It however lapsed, as no one came forward to support it. H. S. Hunter obtained 90 ncres. being soction 40, block 11, New River Hundred ; and John Wilson, 00 acres, being section 41 in the same block and hundred. It was mentioned as a matter of regret that there waa no provision in the Land Act under which the Board acted to enable the Board to placo a special price on agricultural land contiguous to railway line?, the two preceding applications being for land so situated. comprised in sections 2, 3, and 4, block 3, Winton tluudred. A. and M. McNeil applied for 210 acres, being land reserved under the deferred payment syatem, on run 329. The application was refused, pending the decision of the Supreme Court a 9to whether the reservation by the Superintendent of land for deferre.t payments in Southland was legal ; and it was decided that, in the event of the court ruling the reservation to have been illegally made, tlu application of Messrs McNeil should be entitled to prioriiy of consideration. PROTEST-APPLICATION. Mr Robert Gourlay wrote, stating that he was informed that certain persons were applying, for paper factory purposes, for the coal reserve now occupied by him, on the Wuiroumu Crock, near its confluence with the Mataura. He objected to this. He had bought all right to the lease from the original grantee, Mr William Wearing. He had also applied for a lease to the Board, which had been refused, on the ground that the reserre had not been surveyed. That ground of objection no longer existed, and he now respectfully requested the Board to issue a lease in his favor at its earliest convenience. The Board decided to hold Mr Gourlay's communication over for consideration at next meeting. CONCERNING- PAPBE MILL SITE. It Wftß resolved, cm the motion of Sir John

Ftichardson, that a copy of tho resolution passed by the Board on the 14th April, respecting a sife or n papermill at the township of Mataura, should bo forwarded to Mr Lumsden, M.P.0., with a request that Mr Lumsden might inform the Board what result had been attained in the matter. LIME QUABBY. Mr James Stuck sent in a written application for a lease of 5 aores of the quarry reserve at; Limestone Plain, for Hoio burning purposes. During a conversation arising out of the application it transpired that, so far as the Board was nwar?, no practicable form of Mineral Lease existed within the province. The Chief Commissioner produced ono form which had emanated a me time ago from the Provincial Government offices ; but he described it as being interminable. He remembered showing it once to a man who thought of entering on a coal-mining career, but on beholding it the man became terrorstruck, bolted instunt&neoin'y, and had never been heard of since. Sir John Richardson thought that no mortal man with hia senses about him would sign such a document. Mr Stack's application was held over for further consideration. A LAPSED BI&HT ALLOWED TO BEMAIN &OOD. Mr David Proudfoot wrote stating that he had been unable to obtain sawmill plant within the specified time (six mo iths), for his sawmill licenses in Longwood Forest and Spar Bush. The plant was, however, on the way to those places, and, under the circumstances, would the Board allow him to remain still entitled to the licenses ? Tho Inspector of Forests -wrote recommending Mr Proulfoot's request to the favorable consideration of the Board, and saggqeted that, in future, tha time within which all applicants for sawmill licenses had to find their plant, otherwise to forfeit their right to licenses, should be extended from six to twelve months. The Board agreed to allow Mr Proudfoot's title to remain good for other six months. ADJOURNMENT. Having referred Mr Henry Hirst, of Orepuki, who applied for leave to extend a fence, to the Wardon of that goldfleld, the Board adjourned.