REPORT OF THE WASTE LANDS COMMITIEE.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume II, Issue 190, 1 July 1874, Page 3

REPORT OF THE WASTE LANDS COMMITIEE.

Wk take the following resolution* of the com tint toe in the Provincial Council, of which our member (Captain Morri**) was chairmen appointed to consider the Waste Laud Laws of the province of Auckland ;

The W aste Land Laws of the province should bo consolidated and reduced to one genera) system applicable to ail waste lauds. The division of iambs into town, suburban, and country lauds to be retained. '

Keservcs for educational, hospital, lunatic Asylum, and local purposes, to be made out of ail hinds before throwing open for sale. Town food suburban lands to bo sold for cash at upset price, to be lived as at present. Country lands to be classified into good medium, and inferior lands. * Lands of first and second quality to be dealt with under Homestead Act, deferred payment system, and for cash.

Homestead areas on first class lands to be as follows : —For any person of the ago of 18 years or upwards, 50 acres ; for any person under 18 years of age, 20 acres ; no one family to bo entitled to more than 200 acres.

Deferred payment areas on first-class lands to be as follows :--Foi* every person of 18 years and upwards, 100 acres ; for every person under IS years of ago, 40 acres ; no family to be entitled to more than 400.

Areas lor homestead and deferred payment a on second-class land to be increased 50 per cent, respectively.

In case of single men power should bo (alien to reserve similar urea adjoining his selection for one year, to meet case of marriage. Homestead Selections, conditions to bo as follows : —Continuous residence of selector and his family ; erection of dwelling within twelve months ; annual improvement 'to the extent of 1-lOth on open lands, and I-20th on forestlands ; period at which grant to issue to be five years 5 limber on selection only to bo used for fencing and domestic purposes until issue of grant. Deferred Payment Selections, conditions to be as follows ; —Lands may be taken up at rates fixed for cash as hereunder j ages to be the same us in homestead selections ; continuous residence and erection of buildings not required, but improvements and cultivation to bo 1-lOth on open lands, ami l-20th on bush lands ; m case of two or more applicants block to be put up to auction as between applicants only ; competition price to he paid half in cash, anti half at end of term of five years ; term to be five years, with power in special" cases to extend term for three years ; yearly rental to be five per cent, on upset price; excepting clause SfLtho other provisions of the Waste Lands Act, 1858, in reference to credit lauds, to applv to selections under Hub system. Cash sales to be by public auction at upset price for first and second-class lauds as hero under : Third-class lands to be leased or sold in largo areas aa follows : Minimum selling and leasing rale to be fixed according to circumstances of each area ; reservations to be made of timber lands and of all mineral rights. Special settlement blocks may bo sot apart for persons either about to come to the province or resident therein as follows No special settlement to contain less than ten families ; area not to be less than 1,500 acres ; conditions of homestead relative as to continuous residence and dwelling to apply ; remuneration to promoters to be in land at 5 per rent, on area settled ; conditions to bo submitted to Provincial Council at the next session for approval. Cash prices for first and second-class lands to be respectively fifteen shillings and ten eludings an acre. fa

■Agricultural reserves to bo made within goldfields as follows :—.that special provision be made to set apart first-class lands in the immodmate vicinity of any goldfield now existing, or which may bo hereafter opened in the province. Such lands to be laid off in sections of from five to twenty aero, »o be taken up by residents of such goldfields for lona fide occupation and cultivation under a system of deferred payments, extending over a period of five or more years • the first and succeeding payments to be in* such proportions as may be deemed advisable. Where there shall be more Ilian one applicant for a particular section, the highest bidder at auction amongst such applicants shall bo the purchaser. Provided that during the first twelve months any section so purchased shall be fenced and a dwelling house created thereon. All first, second, and goldfields hind maybe disposed of on the reservation of mineral rights. Timber lands to be dealt with us follows lhat in all timber lands permanent, reserves should be made. It should bo lawful to place certain timbered areas under the control of the Highway Boards, with power to them to issue licenses to ratepayers to cut timber required for fencing and domestic purposes. The rate of the fee to be fixed by the Board. The minimum fee to be fixed in all cases by the Superintendent. Boards to have the

power to increase the amount. Provision to be made for penalty for breach or evasion of the piovjsi'jus of the license. Ail license fees to fee revenue of tne Highway Boards. l imber land, not being permanent reserves, or not set apart for Highway Hoard purposes, to be disposed of in the following manner, viz. ;By sale of the freehold or by sale of leasehold ; by way of premium or loregato. Such sales in all coses to be by public auction or by tender, ’These provisions to extend to kauri and all other kinds oi timber. To secure immigration of small farmer das*, province should take special steps to reads suds people in the Home Country. Tr ; g surveys should not be a condition preliminary to throwing open land for homestead or deferred payment selection. Province should co-operate with Iho Native Lands Survey Department to extessd and finish tnunguiation eurvev. Alt forfeited lands under -JO acre and ether scrip system should bo resumed and again oturned sur set tiemeut and sale.

Provision should be made of an equitable nature lor Ino extinguishment of all outstanding Volunteer and other serin. °

Curt* ttl i'u)<! be (t>ken tjS'X *'Ul^ .i. , .... ,p , ■ , V'> N i-* ’ ? - «v»tnn to n.e aviMihoHiutn of fund" a» rf.. n’tn.- harm and prevent jihbeiy. V tussdh-u 101 is should not, E>e not opted on more e‘■ i■' i n ' ;. ; i vyriuaottt - - I'llicri'?, but should Vh* our>iod out sit such ft way us to ensure fullest responsibility and publicity. Keasouable limits should be placed upon areas to be set apart, for suburban lamia. In all eases where practicable communication alum hi be opened by roads nnd bridges w ith { blocks, Indore they are thrown open, j liovieeiai Government lands now available , should be s brown open under the Homestead Act.

Persons should he appointed to reside in vieinry of ohk ks to give information to intending settlors and to umUo *urvcvs. s sliouM bo Inker* to briuir rccommondations snio force by Act of Ataombiy at mxt S ’ l>s ’ s j“ ,> > ;s! ''l leferenre shots id also bo made m draft mg any Hill to the Minister. of proceedings of this Committee, nod the evidence before them.