WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 624, 3 April 1874, Page 3

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

At the usual weekly meeting of the Waste land Board, held on Thursday, the 26th ultimo, the following business of local interest was transacted:— The Board considered Mr. Phillips’s application for a coal lease on Section 117, Block IT,, Leaning Rock District. Mr. Warden Simpson was present, aud gave it as his ‘opinion that the ground should not be granted to Phillips ; but, as there were three applicants, it should be pat up to public auction. Hr. C. Cook, appeared in support of Mr. Bhillips’s application, and Mr. Stout on behalf of an application by Messrs. M’Lennan and Thomson. The Board decided to adhere to its former decision, and take no action until requested to do so by the Corporation. The following applications for exchanges p f agricultural leases under the Gold-fields Act for similar leases under theWasteLands Act, 1872, were heard :—Griffith Thomson and W. M'Rreen, Section 10, Block 11., diger-hill District; Griffith Thomson and W- M‘Breen, Section 16, Block 11., Tigerhill District. Posljnned. Mr. Warden Simpson brought under the notice of the Board the question of the reservation of thi water-races in the Roxburgh district. The' certificates in connexion with some applications for land in this district had been approved, and to be erred to the Survey department to deduct the water races. Mr. Wrrdcn Simpson reported on tbs subject of fencing on the Tiger-Mil Block. Ihe Board approved of Mr. Simpson’s sufiC’-3 lions.

SALE 1 OP THE WAKATIP BUNS. We extract the following letter from the Southland News: Sir,—On looking into [the matter mentioned ;by Mr. Joyce at tbo meeting, on Monday night, respecting the Wakatip lease , I find I was right in saying that the rental obtained was an animal one ; but he had been mislead by.a calculation in the Wakatip Mail ps to the average rate per acre of that rental, which was represented as being lid. per acre. As the matter is important, you will, perLaj.b. giveiVioSpSCS to say how it stands The following is the table given in the Wakatip Mail of the result of the sale : ~ a , . . No. Purchaser. ‘-D", Acres Bent 1 Wesley Turtdn ' 8,500 ; £485 2 Alex MTCenzie 10,000 355 3 George Ludiman 10.700 215 4 John Wither 5,400 95 5 David M‘K inlay. 15,800 370 fi John Howell 11,000 3SO j 7 .Wesley Turton 6,000 485 8 James Kiikpatriek 9,009 280 9. James Meiltlivjohn- 16,000 225 11 Lawton and Gardner 14,000 275 12 Ditto 23,500 490 13 Julien Bordeaux 14,000 365 14 John Buumeat 2c,000 110 15 Ewan Duncan 10,800 315 (less reserve) 16 Ditto 7.8 0 220 17 Julien Bordeaux 18,300 425 18 John Butcmeut 40,000 595 19 Ditto 35,600 205 2»> Julien Bordeau 24,000 ICO 21 Hubert M 'Moran 32,000 310 22 Ewon Duncan 20,700 470 23 War, Paterson 16,300 495 Total 375,100 £7,325 Now it will be seen that, assuming the figures here given to be that 37 5,000 acres have been let for a leutal of 7;32C7., the average rate per nereis not lib., buft under 44d. per,acre. but, on in.-; i,. i- ana lysing the uUv, it will be seen that the average rav or. Hie buck country greatly lies. 1 instanced the ease of M;. Bu'c-; ejit, because it fumed to me unit- nnp'tt.iine -hat. hcchudd he able to pay-a .re. tai of 4.0007. a y>ar. 1 lind he bought the leases of thru; runs, containing altogether about 101,Oi'O ac es, the rental of which is 9107., or an average of a small fraction over 2d per acre ; but tor (.no of these inns, containing 26,000 acres, his rent is only 1107., which is a trifling fraction over lit. per acre. On the otherjhand, Mr. Turton bought the lease of a run, containing 8,500 acres, for 4857. rental, which is nearly 13Jd. per acre, and another lease of 6,000 acres, for 4857. rental, which is nearly 19Jd per acre, being the highest of the lot. It will thus be seen that it is very questionable whether it would not be a bad bargain for the province to exchange the present rental of 7d per sheep for an acreage rental. For instance, in my own case, I pay a meat deal more for my runs at hag Valley than Mr Butcment has just got these for; and if the Government would exchange my rent I should be only too clad, as 1 should save many hundreds a year, | ayiog as I must next October nearly 2,0007 rent there, independently of anolhci 1,6007.. at my Ida Valley Station. For in must he remembered that, although pick'd runs of small extent will (as toe Wakatip sale has shown) yield a leutal of more r Lan cighteenp nee an acre, yet us pastoral country of a mountainous eharacte will not fo.ch more than 2d, and as the proportion of the provincial pastoral estate of this character is va-Uy the largest, the totai av. rage rale revived on an acreage rental, over the whirl* province, would assuie by De very muck less than the 4ijd obtained at Wakatip. The matter is very interesting to all classes,and should bo further itives.igat.d- But 1 am quite sure that the mure it is investigated the more reason there will he seen to support my view of reserving the remaining agricultural lands for settlement, and selling the pastoial lands for revenue. W'h.at Ithought before has tenfold force after analysing this table of the vVakatip leases. Give me •the ownership of the low-lying good lands fit for agriculture on my runs—let mo become the purchaser of these by following the delusive system of hundreds—and you may put up the back country for tale at the end of my leases, with all my heart. At that time I shall pay, like Mr Butement, 2d ao aero rent average for my back country, or (as is most likely) cot more than the Id per acre, at which he bought the lease I have referred to. There is not the slightest doirbt that 1 shall do much better than I should by continuing to pay the 7d per sheep Let me impress upon every one this absolutely certain fact—that the ordinary revenue gives no money to the Provincial Treasury for roads and bridges, and we have only to lock to the land fund for those. If you continue to sell your agricultdral lands as you are doing now, in the dcrtisive hope that at the end of the squatters’ leases you will get an immense pastoral revenue, you will find, when it is too late, that we have become the owners of the good land, and that you will have to take but a poor price for the rest. Your’e, Ac., F. D. BELL. Invercargill, March 25,1574.