WASTE LAND BOARD.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2110, 9 February 1870, Page 2

WASTE LAND BOARD.

This Day. The usual Jweekly meeting of the Board was held in the Provincial Buildings shortly after noon. Present—Messrs Thompson (in the chair), Reid, ami Hughes. An application was received from Messrs Mollison and Robertson for authority to cut flax on Crown Lands in blocks 1 and 2, Clarendon and Waihola Bush Reserve, and in Waihola Township. Granted, with no exclusive privilege. Mr W. A. Tolmie applied for a lease of Totara Island for grazing purposes. The application was refused, Messrs E. W. Paterson and G. Baxter applied for a lease of sections I of S, and 2 of 8, 9, and 19, block 2, Clarendon, as a site for the construction of a flax mill. The application for a lease was refused, but permission was given to cut flax on the sections referred to. The application of the Union Church Trustees, Naseby, for leave to purchase section of block 1 (two roods), of that town, was referred to the Warden, and if he had no objection, the land was to be surveyed at the expense of the applicants. Mr W. A. Tolmie applied to have 600 ceres of block 2, Waipahu District, put up for sale at 10s per acre. The Board directed that the land should be surveyed by contract previous to sale. DEPUTATION. Mr MTndoe, M.P.C., introduced a deputation of settlers (consisting of Messrs Hammond, ' Porteous, Allan, Brunton, and Pride) fromMerton District of WaikouaitiHundred, and stated that a meeting of settlers in that district had passed a resolution requesting that certain alterations should be made in the Depasturing Regulations. Mr Hammond, the chairman of the meeting, and who was present as one of the deputation, would fully explain the matter. * Mr Hammond read the resolution of the meeting which was to the effect that the Government should be requested to alter the Depasturing Regulations, so that two head of cattle should he allowed to run without assessment on ten acres of purchased land in the Hundred instead of one head as at present. He stated that the settlers thought they should at least be allowed to run as many head of cattle as the land would carry, and he himself, speaking from practical experience in the matter, was of opinion that the land on an average would carry' two head of cattle for every ten acres. Another cause of dissatisfaction among the settlers was the want of adequate protection for the cattle under the new regulations. Formerly the Wardens had authority to punish anyone harassing or disturbing the settlers’ cattle. He (Mr Hammond) did not see in the new regulations anything that met such cases at all. They provided that one or more rangers might he appointed by the Government. Of course, the settlers could not expect that the ranger appointed by the Government would look after their interests as well as one paid by themselves. A somewhat irregular discussion then ensued, Mr Thomson being of opinion that the suggested alteration was more properly a matter for consideration by the Provincial Council. Mr Reid said, with regard to the appointment of rangers, that the Board would be only too anxious to allow the settlers to appoint as many as they pleased. The Board eventually decided to refuse to make the proposed alteration in the Regulations. The deputation, after thanking the Board for their courteous attention, withdrew. The Board then adjourned.