THE COLDSTREAM ESTATE

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1746, 18 September 1919, Page 11

THE COLDSTREAM ESTATE

GRAZING WITHOUT PERMISSION. A SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION. At Tuesday's meeting of the Canterbury Land Board, the Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr H. D. M. Haszard) made some pointed remarks about people who, without authority, grazed stock on areas acquired for soldiers' settlements. The matter was again referred to at yesterday's meeting of the board, when Mr Haszard stated that his remarks on Tuesday were meant for general application. He wished, however, to make a statement in regard to Coldstream. When Major Studholme's place was sold; about three weeks ago, Messrs Pyne, Gould, and Guinness, Ltd., telephoned to him inquiring if they could get grazing on Coldstream as a holding place until they could make somo other arrangements. To oblige them he had agreed to this, and, when he received information the other day that sheep were still on Coldstream, he had felt surprised that they were kept thero so long. Mr Boyle' had telegraphed him that the sheep had been kept on Coldstream with the intention of disposing of them to the successful I applicants for sections in .the settlement at exactly the same price at which they were bought, and that they had held the sheep with a view of assisting the discharged soldiers. Mr Has'zard stated that he thought it right that this explanation should be made, and that, in the circumstances, his remarks made on Tuesday would not apply to that particular settlement. If the soldiers got the sheep at the price given for them some weeks ago, in view of the rising market, it would be a big help to them.

Mr D. Stowell remarked that it would bo desirable that ballots for soldiers' settlements should be held before deplenishing sales took place. Mr Haszard agreed with the speaker, but stated that it would be difficult to manage. Mr A. Boyle, in a statement for the Press, says that, acting on instructions received from Mr John Grigg, he applied to the Commissioner of Crown Lands for permission to graze ewes on the Coldstream Estate until the ballot had taken place, to which he had agreed. He wished to emphasise, particularly, that the request was not for grazing rights for a few days, but until it was found out whether successful applicants wished to purchase the sheep or not.