CANTERBURY SMALL HOLDINGS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2280, 14 November 1889, Page 2

CANTERBURY SMALL HOLDINGS

In connaotlon with our remarks oa tha flubjoot of the reaorvod runs whioh app9ar m another oo'uuau, th. following, from •'H^neard" of September 12 h, will be of Interest: — Major Steward aßkod tbe Mlnlnter of land v - (I) When the 280,000 aorea, or tbereibiuve, withheld from the dale of the Oiatorbary runa with a view to being disposed of m small holdings, Will be open for applio-tloi ? (2) Whethor, before auoh land ia cp n i. iho public fur purohase or leaaß. he will cau-.o tha came to be o'aß*!fied, and fu 1 particulars of auoh classification, with the pro or roat&l per aore, to ba advertised throughout tbe colony, and p.ciloola*ly throughout Oan lor bury, plainly indio.tlng the situation of the reapoctv. allotments by readily, and generally Intelligible descriptions 1 (3) If co, whon it may ba autlci pated that such information will ba thus available to tha general public? In patting the question, he ne^d only say that information on this bu' j ot was balng very anxiously looked for In Canterbury, Ha wou'd thorcfora be glad if the Mlni.te? would endeavor to give aa fall and explicit an answer ns he oould to

Mc Q. F, Rlohardson said, as to the first part of (he qaootlou — whon the laud withheld would be open for -pplfcitlon— he might say that tha whole question was a very awkward one, because It was asking tho Government to giv. an expression of opinion on matters that had not yet beeu absolutely deoided upon, and In advance of the tlma w ci the land o.u'd be dealt wltb. The Government wero making enquiries Int) tbe mate?, but thoee enquiries wera not yet complete, nor had the lino to be taken baen finally determined upon, Tbe first part of tho question could bo best answered (a (his way : Tbat no occupation could be givon until May, 1890. Is was possible th.t aome land might be put Into the muk.t prior to that with oooupatlcn on that date. Tbo classification or, more properly speaking, tbe v^lu.t'on of tbe land would be very oarefully gone Into by the Commissioner and by the Board before the land was dealt with, Aa to tbe descriptions that would bo given, the custom of the Land Department for a long time past ahowed that thla was a matter which bad been very oarefully attended (o. Iv every case, besides giving the block, there waa Btated In the notice tho main road, the nearest railway station, and auy river tho hnd might be fronting* tho best -known villages, rivers, railway eta tlons, and what not m the vlo'nlty of tho land were mentioned ; and, held, s plane were f yely o'rcnlatud, and not only block but key- plana w_._ given showing the surrounding country. He had noticed that m . formal paper that had come before blm <be description was short but full— '• Ashwick Flat. Stony laud alx miles from Falrlie Oreek Railway Nation," He thought, to anybody lv the Canterbury District that d?oorlptlon would be anfiiJlont. It had been asserted that strangers In bqsh-dlßtrlota ' had had difficulty m finding the land, and that proper facilities were not offered tbem : he had b.fore hfm one of the notioes whlob, varying aooordlng to circumstances appeare. ln every case—-" Intending selector, wlahlng to Inspeot the blook can ride from Pahlatua via, the Torltea Road to the T"raum9a River, and arrangements will be made by tb,. district Suveyor, Sir j, D. Ollmle, to send a guide to -how them over the seotlons. Tents will be pltohed on the Makurl Township reserve, which will ba available for the use of persons desirous of devoting more thin a day to the purposo," That was the sort "f thing that waß given as a direotion to sfcrangore. Major Steward — Is that In the advertliemontl

Mr G. F. Richardson— That Is on tho lithographed pUns, Major Steward said what he wanted tras that this kind of deßoription should be given iv the pipers that were olroulated throughout Canterbury, so that the Information would oome before the pnblio genernlly* The reatjU Woujd be mnoh better sale, or application, Mr Gr, F. Klmardson said the land was always suffiolontly advertised, and was very fally described on the UtbograpboS plans. The next part of the question waa, when it might h. anttoipated that such Information would be available. Under tho Land Aot of 1887, under whioh no doubt a considerable portion of this land would be pc(fc on the market, there was a long-p'io* public notification! and he would _tp tbat the first notifications of these lauds ooming Into the market would probably make thoir rppearance shortly after the New Year, He could not reply more' definitely. Major Steward thanked the Minister fot hia fall reply. Mr W- P. Reeves wished to know whether It was contemplated to brine; the land In very gradually, or pretty ninoh at the same time. Mc G, F. Richardson that was a mattdr he ooq'd got speak definitely about 4-h«,t the land bad beeji logked but, seeiu X ._ - -^ &ew wonld up foi a long time, ho thou**.. . * wv H_w bave to be liberal In bringing It m,