WASTE LAND BOARD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 654, 30 October 1874, Page 3

WASTE LAND BOARD.

The following items of interest we extract from the Otago Witness : CLYDE. EXPLANATIONS. The District Land Officer, Clyde, wrote suggesting that the Board should get some person other than himself to value the improvements made by Dawkins and Pierce, Cromwell. He did’so in consequence of a reflection made upon him at the Board meeting m the discussion of the valuation to be awarded to Mr Marie. The statement of Mr Strode that Marie had been “unfairly tr«ated ’’ had the appearance of a reflection on him.

Mr Strode said he never had the thought in his mind of reflecting on Mr Simpson. On the contrary he had always expressed himself confidently that he thought that Mr Simpson was one of the most competent officers on the Goldfields. His (Mr Strode’s) remarks did not apply to Mr Simpson’s valuation, but to the action of those opposing Mr Marie. What he had said was that Mr Marie had prospected the ground originally, and that he had been somewhat hardly dealt with.' Other members of the Board expressed the opinion that Mr Simpson was under an entire misapprehension. It was resolved to record on the minutes that the District Land Officer was under a misapprehension as to the Board’s opinion of his action in the matter, that the members had no intension of reflecting on him. Further, that it be explained to him that the reason why his valuation was not followed in Mr Marie’s case was that the Board was guided by evidence which Mr Simpson was not aware of, APPOINTMENT. Warden Robinson was appointed district land officer at Naseby in the room of Mr Stratford, resigned. CROMWELL APPLICATION YOR QUARRY LICENSE. The application of Mr R. Kidd for a quarry license for half an acre near Cromwell was declined. A Mr Sharkey wrote that ha bad worked the quarry Mr Kidd wanted- for soma months, and that were the application granted there would be monopoly in the supply of building stone to Cromwell, SETTLED AT LAST, Re Molce Creek copper lease, Mr Strode mentioned that, according to the request of the Board he had seen Mr Stout, who pointed out the different portions of the lease to which objections had been made by the lessees. Mr Strode then went over the points objected to, the chief i one being, that work should be commenced and continued without intermission from the time of signing the lease. The lessees wanted the time of commencement of work to be extended to three years from date of lease. They had expended L2OOO in testing the lode, and had submitted data to parties of practical experience in England, and tho v found it would not pay to work the lode at the present rate of cartage from Moke Creek to Dunedin. But it would pay to do so when they had railway communication, j

The several proposed modifications were agreed to, with the exception of that providing that work be commenced three years from the term of signing the lease. The term reduced to two years.