[We are not responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]

Evening Star, Issue 2855, 13 April 1872, Page 2

[We are not responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]

To the Editor. Sin, —ln your leading article in last night's Star, commenting upon the action of the Waste Land Board in connection with Mr Poyuter’s application, you state that Mr Adams, the District Surveyor, failed to send in the plans of his survey within the time prescribed by the Waste Land Regulations (“ Otago Waste Land Act, 1866,” clause 45', viz., four months from date of application. In justice to Mr Adams, I beg to say th&t his plans were sent down and submitted to the Board within the prescribed period. The point which appeared to occupy the miiyls of some members the Board, was that by clause 6 of “The Otago Hundreds Peculation Aet, 1869, Amendment Act, 1870. ’* The purchase was declared to be made subject to the provisions of “The Otago Watte Land Act, 1866” (which allows four months for survey), and yet another part of the same clause declares that if the purchasemoney is not paid within twelve months, the runholder shall I e deemed to have declined to purchase. As the application was made on the 15th December, and the twelve months expired on the 14th January, if the latter part of the section were interpreted to overrule the first part of it, only one mouth was available for survey. Of this the District Surveyor was unaware. It is perfectly true that had not the regulations of the Board interfe ed the survey would have been completed within the m mth, and so no question raised. That it has not been so is no fault of the District Surveyors. I may also say, in justice to the Board, that no dcc'sion has yet been come to, and that the legal opinion submitted at the sitting on Wednesday was obtained by the express desire of the Board, in order to guide them, together with the opinion of their own counsel, in arriving at a judgment. 1 do not feel justified, in the present position of the matter, in referring to it further, nor should I hardly done so at all, but that I think it due to Mr Adams to make the foregoing explanation.—l am, &c. J. L. Connell. Dunedin, 12th April, 1872.