WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 842, 7 June 1878, Page 3

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

The following business of local importance was transacted by the Board at its meeting on Wednesday last. May 29 The Chief Commissioner said the Cromwell questio rexata was once more before the Board. It now came up in the shape of an application by Cnlclough and others to purchase portions of section 1, block XXVII.

Mr James Smith, solicitor, said he appeared for the Borough Council in the matter, and Mr Kettle was also present on behalf of the tenants. He was in a position to say the question was a questio vexaf.a no longer, as an arrangement had been come to between the Council and the teuants. The Chief Commissioner read a letter from the Town Clerk, stating that a conference bad been held between the Council and the tenants, and that the result was the Council had agreed to request the Board to offer the land for sale to the tenants, with the exception of that portion on which the Town Hall stood, the proceeds of sale to bo handed over to the Borough Council. Ho said this appeared to be the end of the matter between the Council and the tenants. But a public meeting had since been held, and a different decision apparently come to. Mr Smith asked where the Board derived its information about this meeting.

The Chief Commissioner said the information came before the Board in a letter signed “D. MacKellar.”

Mr Smith had no knowledge regarding Mr MacKellar iu the matter, and submitted that the Board could take no notice of such a letter.

The Chief Commissioner would lay the letter before the Board, ami its weight or relevancy wouhl be judped. The letter gave the result of a consideration of the subject by a public meeting held on the citizens becoming aware of the result of the Conference between Council and tenants. The meeting had been called by the Mayor, and the objection to the Corporation’s settlement of the matter appeared to have been based on the ground that some of the members were personally interested. The action which the sub-committee, appointed by the public meeting, asked the Board to take, was to vest the reserve in the Corporation, and not to sell it as proposed. Mr Strode would like to know if the Board began to take notice of communications from other than the public body where it would land.

Mr Smith submitted that the answer to such a letter was that those who objected to the action of the Borough Council had a legal way of redress through the Supreme Court, where an order could be obtained to stay the objectionable proceedings. Mr Strode really could not see how the Board was to go beyond the public body. Those who objected must take their remedy in the Supreme Court.

Mr Kettle, as representing the tenants, agreed on their behalf to the resolution come to by the Borough Council. Ho would ask the Board to have the laud divided into allottments, and sold accordingly.

The Chief Commissioner said tho section in question was in tho position of being marked off on tho map as a Corporation reserve, but had not yet been legally reserved to them. The Board certainly had tho power to sell it, but not to deal with tho proceeds in any other way than to pass them in to the Public Account in the ordinary way. Mr Green suggested that the Board could recommend the Government to hand over the proceeds to the Borough Council,.

Mr Smith said no doubt a] recommendation by the Board would have due weight with tho Government. He would suggest that the sale should not be agre°d to until the Governmeut agreed to the Board’s recommendation.

The Chief Commissioner agreed that this would be a good plan. He would forward the resolution to the Government, and ascertain if they had any objection to the course proposed. Tho following resolution was minuted on the subject : “That the section in question bo surveyed into allottments, keeping in view as far as possible boundaries of present occupied by town hall; that the land be submitted for sale by auction with valuation for improvements ; arid that the Government be recommended by the Board to hand over the proceeds of such sale to tho Borough Council, Cromwell. The District Laud Officer to value improvements, and to suggest upset price.