GROWN LANDS BOARD.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1289, 2 October 1880, Page 3

GROWN LANDS BOARD.

For the report of the following matters of interest to Waikato, which transpired at Thursday's meeting of the Lands Board, we are indebted to our Auckland morning contemporary :—: — , The Ngakuawahia Lands — The Chairman reported that he had received a telegram from the Minister of Lands, relating to the .Ngaruawahia suburban lands, that they again should be put up for sale, at ro early a date as possible The Chairman stated that twenty-four hours after the receipt of the telegram, the lands were advertised "for sale on the 29fch of October, the earliest date that was possible. Mr. Firth said it was a mistake to have dealt with the Ngaruawahia landß as the Government had done. — Mr. Tonks thought it would have been better to have sold the lands at Hamilton instead of Auckland'. — Mr Moat was of opinion that if any other place had been chosen, Ngaruawahia shonld have been that place. — The Chairman thought Auckland was the best place for selling lands so near as Ngaruawahia. It would ensure greater competition than if held in a smaller place. - Grant and Foster's Settlement scheme. — The Chairman said that he had received a telegram from Mr Eolleston in respect to the claim of Messrs. Grant and Foster to the land in the Te Aroha district. Captain Steele had been appointed to act for them in the colony in respect to such land. The Chairman, after receiving that telegram, wrote-to Captain Steele, asking him about the proposals he had to submit to the Board on behalf on his principals. Captain Steele replied as follows: — " Auckland Club, 29th September, 1880. — Sir, — I have the honour, as agent for Messrs. Grant and Foster, delegates of cai'tain Lincolnshire farmer*, to offer and agree to purchase from the Government of the colony of New Zealand 17,000 acres of land called Te Aroha, and described in that part of the attached plan tinted pink as also two natives reserves shown on the same plan upon the following conditions : — 1. The price not to exceed £1 10s per acre. 2 Ten per cent. of the purchase to be paid in London three months after the execution of a valid agreement confirming and completing the purchase. 3. The remainder of the purchase-money to be paid by five equal annual payments, the first ot such payments to be made fifteen months after the execution of the said agreement, and one of such payments annually thereafter until the balance is paid. 4. It being the intention of Messrs Grant and Foster to introdnee, for the purpoee of settling the above named lauds, none but sub&tantial and monied farmers, I am prepared, aa their a-ient, to enter into such reasonable conditions for the settling, occupation, and improving of said lands as the Waste Lands Board may suggest. As the gentlemen constituting the above Board must at once appreciate the great advantage which will accure to this province from the introduction of such valuable settlers, I venture to express the hope that the conditions suggested by them will be fair and reasonable to the proposed settlers. — I have &c, (signed) W. Steele. D. A. Tole Esq., Waste Lands Commissioner, Auckland." — In reply to Mr. Firth, the • hairman said the agreement with Messrs Grant and Foster was to hold the land for them until the Ist of November; there was no other condition but that it was to be sold for not less than L 2 an acre. He thought the conditions of occupation might be made similar to those adopted in the Katikati settlement. — Reference being made to Mr. T. Russell's claim for a certain portion of the land l'eserved for Messrs Grant and Foster, the Chairman said any agreement must be made subject to the clecisior in that case. He believed the Attorney-General was at present engaged in making some arrangement in the matter. — Mr. May asked if Te Aroha lands were superior to Te Puke. — The Chairman thought so. Besides, though Mr. Stewart got his land for 26s 3d per acre he had duties ta do that would not have to be done by Messrs. Grant and Foster. Mr. Stewart made not only a boundary survey, but sectional surveys, while the greater part of the land selected by Messrs. Grant and Foster is completely surveyed. He had asked the Chief Surveyor as to the price of Te Aroha lands, and got the following memorandum in reply from Mr Percy Smith : — "In reply to your memo, of this date I value the lands at Te Aroha proposed to l>e given to the Lincolnshire farmers as follows : I consider them capable of division into three classes, of different values, the price stated for each being a mean of the whole in such class. Surveyed lands, west of the river, 9231 acres, at £2 per acre, £18,462; surveyed lands, east of the river, 4578 acres, at £2 ss, £10,300 ; unserveyd lands east of the river, about 3700 acres, at 5s per acre, £925 : 17,509 acres, at a total cost of £29,687. The unsurveyed lands are unsuited ior settlement. Indeed, the larger portion is very broken, precipitous, mountainous, good for nothing but for firewood on them. The average per acre will thus come out on the whole between 33s and 34s.— S. Percy Smith, Chief Surveyor."— Mr. Firth knew the land well, and differed from Mr. Smith in respect to the value of the unsurveyed land. That was the only portion of timbered land in the district and would be of great value in consequence. Besides it was of an undulating surface, and presented sites for residences of unsurpassed beauty, with wooded vales and babbling brooks all around, while stretching away in front were miles of beautiful level land, which would soon be oovered with beautiful homesteads. The unsurveyed portion on the east side was worth at least as much as the other land, and certainly worth £2 an acre. The land was also auriferous, He had seen speci-

mens from the district. Some of the land was the finest in the colony. — The Chairman said Mr Smith's valuation was based on the immediate valuation. As deferred payment was asked for, the cost would of course be increased. — Mr Firth was very anxious that skilled and wealthy English farmers should come here, but he did not see why the Board should sell the public lands for less than their value to get them. The land should not be sold for less than 40s an acre. — Mr Tonks said New Zealand was not in good favor at present in the English money market, and he was very anxious to afford every facility to encourage wealthy farmers to come here. He would not stick out too much for a high price. — Mr Firth said the view of the English money market would come right in tune, but he did not think that selling the land at less than its value would make us be thought any more of in London.— Mr Moat inquired about the late reported discovery of gold in that district. — The Chairman said the reported discovery of gold was not far from a portion of this land. Within the last month he had been pointed out the spot where the gold-bearing quartz was found. — Mr Firth said the country about Te Aroha and on to the Wairere creek was filled with quartz stringers. He would show the Chairman specimens picked up from the land there, and he thought the Government should be informed of the auriferous character of the land in that district. — Mr Tonks thought what they had to deal with at present was to say . whether the land was to be sold, to fix the price and the conditions. — After some further discussion, in reply to a remark by Mr Tonks about Te Aroha being better situated for a market than Te Puke, Mr Firth said along the whole of the Aroha block there was navigable water. He I would be willing to convey any quantity and any kind of produce from there to Auckland for 10s a ton. He had spent I £10,000 in improving the navigation of | the Thames river. It was true he had done So for his convenience and profit, but when the adjoining land was being sold, he did not think that Government should take advantage o f private enterprise without some recompense. It would only be right if an additional price of £1 an acre were put upon the land directly benefited by the improvement of the Thames river. It was at last agreed, on the motion of Mr Tonks, that 17,060 acres of land be sold at 40s an acre — 5s to be paid four months after the agreement was signed, 5s eight months thereafter, and 10s at the end of the next twelve months, and the remaining 20s at the end of the third year. Considerable discussion took place as to the conditions to be imposed. It was at last agreed that the following be the principal conditions : — 17,000 acres to be disposed of ; 225 adults of 18 years of age and upwards to be introduced — two persons under 18 years of age to count as one adult ; 45 families to be settled on the block within six months after arrival in Auckland j 45 substantial wetherboard houses of no less than three rooms each to be built, continuous residence for three years ; onefifth of the land taken up to be brought into cultivation within three years; Crown grants to issue any time within three years upon the payment of the price in full, and the fulfilling^ of the conditions as to cultivation, improvements, &c. — It was agreed to inform Captain Steele of the resolutions come to by the Board, and to send to the Government a copy of the resolution of the Board, accompanied with a copy of Captain Steele's letter.