WASTE LAND BOARD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 853, 23 August 1878, Page 3

WASTE LAND BOARD.

The following letter, which must prove of interest to intending settlers on the land, was'reart'at the last meeting of the Waste Lauds Board “.Wellington, Ang. 6, IS7S. “ The Tuapcka County Council has drawn attention to the inconvenience which has ensued to applicants for rural lands on deferred payments by only getting one section in tlmae cases where the sections had previously been surveyed into much smaller areas than the maximum of 320 acres allowed hy the Land Act of 1877. “It is quite true that section 57 states that no person shall ho allowed to select more than one allotment, and in the interpretation clause (section 4) an allotment is defined to mean one section ; hut section 53 gives the Governor power to‘set apart such allotments of land as he shall see fit The spirit of the Act clearly is that the Land Board, with the consent of the Governor, shall have the power, within the limit of 320 acres, of determining what the size of an allotment is to be. No doubt, we could keep within the strict literal interpretation of the Act hy cancelling the original survey plans, and making others to literally conform ; but this would ho so certain to lead to future complications that it cannot be thought of. “ I am directed hy the Hon. the Minister of Lands to say that it will meet with the appioval of the Government if the Land Beard would, wherever it is deemed necessary, consider two or more contiguous sections as one allotment, so long as the aggregate does not exceed 320, acres in rural land and 20 acres in suburban , land. But lam to request that in no cace shall sections he cut into to make up the exact maximum area. “James M Tver row, “ Secretary Crown Lands.”