WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Southland Times, Issue 3312, 31 January 1879, Page 2

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

■:■— i-i 4sW: — The ordinary meeting of the Waste Lands Board was held yesterday. : Present-^Mr Pearson, Chief . Comihissibner ; ' and- Messrs Denniston, Pratt, Toshacb, and Kinross. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. An aj>plicatidn was received from Alexander Ross, for 50 acres Of land in the Forest Hill district. This, and an application by Carmichael and others for 200 acre3 ; of land in'the /Waiau district, 'Twere granted.' B. Ekensteen appeared -in person to urge an objection to the reserve of three chains" Of land for the line of railway (running through his property) on the Waimea Plains, from' Gore to the Elbow. He; pointed out. that such an extensive reserve of land, which could not be utilised, would harbor weeds and thistles, the se,eds of which wouLd be scattered - over the adjoining land, and cause serious loss and inconvenience to the settlers, which was what he feared in his own case,, and., caused him to raise the present objection. The Chairman said the land had been reserved. - according to. certain : regulations dealiug with, the matter, which provided that : three chains should be, reser ved through all ' Crown land and one. chain through private' land. Mr Lumsdeu— -The question is, was this particular section sold when the line- was surveyed;? .: vMr Spence; the chief survey oiybeihg called in, explained tha,t v the land-, in . -respect Of which the objection was raised, had been; sold : with a reservation as to land required fbr the " purposes of' a/railway. The line, though not at the time surveyed, hadbeen laid off on the map. v; -/'' : Mr Lumsden— Exactly ; the railway was contemplatedT^before the land was disposed of, and the purchase was made subject to a reservation. ■Mi\ Denniston — Did you f qllowwany prin- ; ciple, Mr Spence, in laying' Tof f.the line ? Mr Spence — I followed the instmctions contained in a circular' (produced) that was issued by Mr Carruthers, then at the head of the Department. " .. P ; , . .The Chairman /thought . three .chains too large a reserve, and he could quite understand; that it would, as; pointed- out-, by- the petitioner^ h&, .detrimental ftp the i nterests -pf.; /the settlers whose property adjoined the railway line.,. He could not see a,uy reason why they, f.hpuld ; not recognise 'the objection since it appeared' that the rme would, many case, be wide in some places and narrow in others. ' '/■'. ' ' -"■■'■' ""-- Mr Spence said that, his object had been to carry out the intention of the Board, whilst ' acting in accordance with "the /directions of the .Government. ; -. ;. '??'■ '•■■ . ;t Mr Pratt suggested that the matter should?;, be laid before the: Minister of Public /Works. Mr Kinross said he should support the objection. He had suffered himself from thistles and weeds, and consequently could sympathise wilh Mr Ekensteen. He considered a reserve of one chain quite sufficient.Mr Spence said when a , railway-was put through private property, the natural d'esije of those prosecntingthe railway was to take as little land as possible, but the idea amongst engineers was that two chains should in all cases be reserved, in the event of gravel being required, and for the purposes of railway extension, &c. It would be seen, therefore, that the chairman's argument as to the nar- f row width in certain places, was really favorable to the retention of the three chains where they had been reserved. , He had acted according to a general principle laid down, ahd what he understood to be the wish of the Board. He thought it would be rather hard now to, reflect on the course adopted. The Chairman — You are not called in question at all. It is the. business . of the Board to look after the interests of the settlers. The Public Works Department do not look at it from that" point of view— their desire simply being to push the railways ahead. The question is,' not whether you are' wrong, but whether the public anteresfc suffers from this reservation of three chains to which objection > is taken in the case under consideration. Mr Spence — What I contend is. this, thair as I have acted according to' a principle laid down, it should be allowed to remain. Mr Pratt apprehended that the question was very simple. So far the surveyor had .acted in conformity with regulations and custom, and now it appeared to him that application* must be made to the Public Works Department, as the Board had practically done with the matter. . Mr Toshach- quite " believed that, it was necessary to reserve two chains, for railway purposes, but thought three chains too much. The Chairman said the question, was what should they do ? Perhaps it might be well to ' call the attention of the Government to the fact that it was detrimental to the interests of settlers to have such large reserves. Mr Lumsden moved that Mr Ekensteen's objection be not entertained. ,. Mr Pratt moved as' an~ amendment that Mr Ekensteen be referred to the Minister of Public Works. After some further discussion the amendment was ' carried by the castinsr vote of the chairman. Mr Kinross then moved that after hearing Mr Ekensteen's objection to the three chain reserve for. railway purposes from Gore to the Elbow the Board ar.e_ of the opinion" that thg attention of tho 3si»istei. of Public !

Works Bteuld ; 7;be-direet^?to the fact that the reserve of three chains df land for railway ?purpose3, -;thmugh private property, was a 'serious incohyedience^to the settlers, iiias?hlhch as the-land & Served would simply harbtir weed* and thistles, the seeds of which /.woiildTspread te-th'e^jo'ining laud. ST^Mr 'T^iaehjexprjssed himself satisfied v with 'the -mQtib^.>as a simple expression of -opinion. He seconded the motion. ; Mr Denniston thought it a bold proposition ...in the . face. of. the public. -Works Departs "■nreht. ■""'■''■.-' ' 77" "A Mr Kinross — We can only differ. -Mi- Lumsden could not understand why the Board should act in opposition to the . Government: in this matter/ especially^vvhen -no one was / sufferings -any -paTticuiaT^hardship./ ? .. ■: '''.;-iPpAAA;: ..-•/".. ' ;■'■■. . x , A.vofce was taken, resulting as /follows.-.-r-For :the mption, Messrs Pratt, TBLinross, and Toshach .against, -Messrs ?Lumsdeh c ahd Deu/niston.. - , : P;p -.?./'/ : -/ „..??*.s ;T?-, 7-.:7----7 Ah application by Gillies and ; Co>.f6r 200 acres of the, Seaward ?, Bush, .Was held #ver7for fourteen days?f or further information. T; The application of John Bellamy for section 2.34, Forest Hill Hundred, 200 acres of which/to; be on deferred payment,; was granted..// .-., :•'■•;...',.,-' ...'." The General Manager of; Telegraphs, TDr. Lemon, wrote requesting that section No. 8, block 1, be reserved for telegraph purposes. The Board, after ascertaining that the ;se.ction was ;; not ; . required in connection with the railway, grante^; the request. 7 7 , ; .-.,. . -.'?, . _ 7; A letter wak /received fronvthe/Minister.pf Lands, enclosing a i-eqfet. from A: Lybns.Tto give ?0 acres for the Pi'esby teriah Church' at Limestone" Plains. ■- It being pointed' out that the land had been /Teseiwed, the 'Chief Comraissioher recommended ; plii'chasihg the liecessarylahd, and the Rangeir was ■ instructed to report on the value of . the. section -for quarryingand other purposes. " T'-?- ; . An- application was received from Alexander Mauson - for a-71ease Of his deferred payment section, Avhich; as the Raneer reported favorably, was granted. 7 7 The Rangeiy who also reported favorably on several deferred payment-/ sections in the . Taringatura district, the licensees having ap- . plied tp:le^e'Qr;.purcha^.T7.ireTsent?ih a /similar repo.rt.with reference ?tq, the TTWairiq /district.; px " / -P7P'";"pp""pp;;pA: ? The application of John Lee to be allowed valuation: for improvements to land at the Pyramids, was granted; resolved also that a portion be advertised for sale as town and surburban Sections. :/-: ; / ' A list of persons occupying Crown land, who had paid, no rent was read, and, ordered to/be advertised. ''■'■■■ X l X': r x"' A Xa pX-A-p . a ; In reply to Mr Lumsden as to whether anything had been 'done ; tb wards' tiaakihg- use of the vote of £2.000 to open up Seaward Moss. Mr Spence ; sai'd other business having been. }>ressing nothing had/ been done as .yet, > but : the matter would be/.a-ttendedto as soon as possible. 4 '•-"' • : " The Board then adjourned; : 7