The Evening Star TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1872.

Evening Star, Issue 2805, 13 February 1872, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1872.

Thb eccentric notions of business of our Waste Land' Board, render further notice of their doings absolutely necessary. It is not merely badly constituted in theory, but is . really acting detrimentally to the character and material wealth of the Province. We ought earlier to have commented upon the perverseness of their last week s decision, but in consequence of other pressing matters, were obliged to postpone its consideration. Their proceedings in respect to the Clarke sale were—

In reference to Messrs Smith and Anderson’s letter, asking the Board to instruct the Provincial Solicitor to draw up, or peruse and settle on behalf of the Board, a case for appeal from the decision of the Board respecting Mr Clarke’s application, it was resolved—" That the Piovincial Solicitor be requested to confer with Messrs Smith and Anderson, with a view of preparing a joint case to be submitted to the Supreme Court.” Messrs Smith and Anderson also wrote to the effect that they were authorised to state, without prejudice, that Mr Clarke was willing to acquiesce in the late decision, on the understanding that the 1900 acres taken from the area applied for should be put up to auction within a reasonable time. The application was declined.

By the first resolution it will be seen that the Board have virtually withdrawn from that high position they assumed, of dictating conditions not warranted by the Waste Lands Acts, and concede, what they ought to have done in the first instance, an agreement on a case to be referred to the Supreme Court. Were it not that another proposition appears in the minute book on the same day, which might have been adopted as a final settlement of the question, without loss of dignity to the Board, and with very great advantage to the Province, the resolution authorising a conference of the Solicitors would have been unexceptionable, from the Board’s point of view. We consider such a course ought not to have been rendered necessary had there been a proper sense of honor manifested by the Board, and have given our reasons for that opinion. However, had it not been for their treatment of the second proposition, we should have taken for granted that they had evinced a desire, tardily, to retrace their crooked steps, and have abstained from further remark. But Mr Clarke’s solicitors propose what would have met eyen the political difficulty. They express willingness to acquiesce in the decision of the Board, provided the 1000 acres in regard to which they make such a resolute stand shall be offered at public auction. This, as far as we can understand, is just what the agitators up the country ask. They want the chance of buying it. It is already surveyed. Such a course will incur no extra expense, and Mr Clarke must take his chance with other persons avlio profess t® want to purchase. Of course, plenty will be said as to powers of purchase—a long pocket, and all that sort of thing; but it must be remembered that Mr Clarke bought this very piece of land, for Mr Connell made it a sine qua non, when the sale was negotiated, that this should be included. Strangely enough, the Board decline this very liberal offer. They will neither help themselves out of the slough into which they have fallen, nor be helped out. Let us, who are lookers-on, sec what the result must be to the Province. We presume, just for argument’s sake, that those 1900 acres of land are worth £I9OO. Persons resident in the neighborhood—and very good judges too—affirm it is not worth three shillings an acre ; of that we know nothing. Probably Mr M‘Kerrow’s report, if ever published, may throw some light on that subject. But assuming it to be worth £I9OO, that amount, less the deductions agreed to was tendered on the 31st January. On that date, a cheque for £31,000 was tendered to the Government in payment for this land, and declined, on account of its including payment for this trifling area. Had that been paid into the Bank to the credit of the Provincial Government it alone would have been a saving to the Province of fifty pounds a-week Already one hundred pounds has been thrown away in interest, and as this is the long vacation from January 31st to the day on which the decision of the Court may be given cannot be less than some six or eight weeks. Thus there will be a sacrifice of Provincial revenue equal to, at the very least in interestonly, of four hundred pounds. But this is only a portion of the cost. In all probability the decision will be against the Board, and if so, the chances are that an additional two hundred or two hundred and fifty pounda in legal expenses will have to be paid, so that one way or other, in the case of the adverse decision, a useless loss of about seven hundred pounds, or full one-half the nett proceeds of the sale of the 1,900 acres, will be sacrificed. If, on the other hand, the Supreme Court should justify tbe proceedings of the Board,

the land may remain unsold for an indefinite period, of necessity heavy legal expellees will have to be paid, and what unhooked fop perplexities may result cannot he anticipated. View it which way we will, the Board has taken a stand that must result in heavy money loss, and for what 1 To satisfy a political cry, urging a political Waste Land Board to repudiation of its contract. The cost, whatever it may be, should be set down in the Provincial Accounts “ To profit and loss—- “ loss in interest and law expences to “ keep Messrs Reid and Gotten in “office”—£7oo, or whatever the amount may be. We must have a non-political Waste Land Board. Government contractors are not allowed to sit as Provincial councillors, because they have an interest in the expenditure of revenue : on the same principle Executive Ministers and members of the Provincial Council should be excluded from every position affording means for bribery direct or implied : and the Waste Land Board is proved to be one.