WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Southland Times, Issue 3295, 11 January 1879, Page 3

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

— . « A meeting of the Waste Lands Board was held on Thursday. Present— The Chief Commissioner, and. Messrs Denniston, Toshaeh, Pratt, and Lumsden. Philip Jones applied to lease a municipal section number- 49, block 3, Menzies Ferry township, at 6s per acre, under clause 149, Land Act, 1878. — Granted. Thomas Patterson applied to take up about 200 acres of land,- being section 247, Forest Hill district, under deferred payment conditions.—Granted. John Patterson applied for a license to cut firewood for domestic purposes in Spar Bush' reserve ; also,, for permission to apply for the northern portion of section 160, adjoining his present holding in ,Oreti district, under deferred payment conditions. In the course of conversation, Mr Pratt observed that the Under- Secretary had laid down clearly that in no case were they to grant a portion of a section. It was pointed out that the license to cut firewood could be "obtained from the office without application to the Board, and the permission to take up additional land was refused. George Langlands applied to take up sections 19, 21, and 23, Menzies Ferrytownship, as one allotment, under deferred payment. The application was refused, and it was agreed that subsequent steps should be taken to have the land at this township re-classed, so that it might be disposed of under deferred payment. Eobert Allison applied to lease section 49, block 7, Mataura township, at 5s per acre. — Granted for agricultural purposes only. T. H. Escott applied to know when the payment of rent under a mineral lease for the Longwood district, taken out by himself and partners, commenced. The applicant pointed out that six years ago they paid' a survey deposit of £69, but that the lease was not granted until July last. He thought the Board under these circumstancss should grant them.some concession in the way of a nominal rent for two years. -After a long conversation, it was agreed that the lease in question should date from the Ist- inst., instead of the 11th July, and that the balance of the deposit of £69 should be returned "to the" applicant after deducting the cost of survey, and a half-year's rent in advance. C. McKenzie's application to purchase a deferred payment section in New Kiver Hundred was granted, Kanger Mussen reporting that the residence conditions'had been fully complied with,, and that improvements to the the value of £447 had been -effected on the area. The Chief Commissioner intimated that Mr Mackay, Native Commissioner, had written to him, asking to have certain areas reserved from application for half-caste claims. They were'', 'always* changing -their claims, but this hacTto be "affinal thirig,'he Tmderstoods' 'A* long list of sections was appended to the application, aa<l it wag j-esomel that "toe

Chief Surveyor should -reserve the land on the maps. j The Chief Crrumissioner read the official iutimatiou of the appointment of Mr A.---i Kinross as a member of the Board. It was resolved that the usual notice should be given that the land at Waitnatuku township was open for application. The Board then adjourned.