WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 756, 13 October 1876, Page 3

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

—o— At the regular meeting of the Waste Lands Board, held on Wednesday last, the following business of importance to our readers was transacted

The adjourned application of Messrs llanlon, Keleher, and M‘Arthur, to purchase land in the Leaning Rook district, Wai Keri Valley, was reconsidered.

A memo, was received from the Government, recommending that the sale of land be refused, the amount of compensation to be ascertained by arbitration. In the event of this being resolved, Warden Simpson to be asked to conduct the casebefore the arbitrators on behalf of the Government, and also to suggest an arbitrator.

MrDenniston: Of course the recommendation of the Government is simply a recommendation, and l ask’the Board to use their own judgment in the matter. I submit that there is nothing shown to indicate the reversion df the decision. W.e have only before us the statement of certain miners who were notr repressed, .at the original hearing. T&e Government decided adverse to them in the first instance, and the Board agreed with the Government.

The Chairman; The Government appear to have been quite misled, as the Board was. They do not seem to have had all the information, because even the Goldfields Secretary writes a very strong telegram to that effect.

Mr Denniston : The Government did not consider themselves bound to pay from tho public purse compensation for private interests.

Mr Gillies : ft was only adjoufned to allow the' Government to negotiate with the parties. Mr Denniston submitted that the Board should not be entirely guided by the recommendation of the Government.

The Chairman : Thfe'Board must be guided by the Government in a great measure, supposing that the Government have gone into the matter fairly, and they come down with a special recommendation. The Board cannot travel up the country themselves, and they trust to the Government to do it. Mr Gillies : There are two points in this case. There is first of all the refusing of the application or the granting of it. That is the part with which Hastie, whom I represent, has to do. The question of compensation my client has nothing whatever to do with, and 1 am not going to say anything about it. . The Government recommend that the application should be refused The Chairman pointed out that the Board was empowered to cancel the agreement, and pay compensation to the lessees.

It was resolved—“ That the sections of land in block 11., Leaning Hock 1 district, be refused to be sold, in 1 accordance with section 74 of the Otago Waste Lands Act, 1872 ” ; Mr Deniiiston : I intend to test the validity of the rehearing on an appeal. The Town Clerk, Cromwell, wrote that, through mining for coal and gold on a portion of the Cromwell Reserve by certain persons, a part of the main road has fallen in, and requested that the Board would take action to prevent mining being carried on in future.—Adjourned, awaiting Ranger’s report.

The District Land Officer, Clyde, transmitted Sir Francis Dillon Boll's application for a water race license at Poulburn, on Run 281.—Approved. Messrs Leary and Grant, on behalf of John Litchfield, applied to purchase sections 2, 3, and 13, block 11., Tiger Dill district, under deferred payment lease. —Approved.Mr G. Laffrancbi applied for permission to purchase the site on which his hotel and dwelling house are erected, situate about half a mile from the towhship of Cardrona. The survey not being submitted, the Board could not move in the matter.