WASTE LAND BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 3543, 1 July 1874, Page 2

WASTE LAND BOARD.

The weekly meeting of the Board was held this morning; present—the Chief Commissioner, Messrs Butterworth, Clark, Bastings, and Strode.

Mr Eobert Clements applied to exchange his lease of section 2, block 17, and section 97, block 5, Sbotover, under clause 62. The matter was adjourned.

Mr James smith applied to purchase seventeen acres of block 1, Waitahuua hast, -o complete his property. Approved. Mr Robert Dodds applied to purchase 400 acres of block 6, Waitatmna East, Referred to the District Laud Officer, to ascertain if he has any objection, the land being within a goldfield.

His Honor the Superintendent requested that sections 19 and 20, block 3, Waihola, be temporarily reserved, according to the wish of the Chief Commissioner. Approved. Messrs Connell and Moodie brought under the notice of the Board the delay in the execution of the survey of Mr Oreawick’s application for a bush lease in '! uapeka district, and to request the Board to grant a temporary license, pending completion of survey and preparation of lease. License to is ue ; Government to be recommended to put on more surveyors in the Tuapeka district, owing to the number of claims await ing survey—many app icauts having waited for more than three jears. A complaint of illegal occupation of Crown lands—being block 3, Tuapeka East—against Patrick Keen was forwarded by William dattray. Referred to the Ranger for his report.

Oases were submitted for the Supremo Court in the appeals of Messrs Oakden and Browne and Robert Campbell, whose applications to purchase the Oamaru Hospital reserve had been refused. Referred 'to the Provincial Solicitor,

Mr George Miller fapplied to purchase his agricultural leases, secti m 3, block 17, and section 1, block 16, Shotover, which he had, on May 7, obtained leave to exchange under clause 62. Approved ; any expense incurred in preparation of lease to be borne by applicant.

Mr G. F. Richardson, for the Wardens of ’oe-Toes Hundred, brought unde the notice of the Board the non-payment of moneys payable by the Board for license fees re ceived and assessment collected for that Hundred. Also the wrong done to applicant by the action of the Board in issuing a distress warrant for his non-payment of assessment; and Ranger Hughan's contradiction of charges made against him ©f neglect of duty in the management of the Hundred. Mr Richardson said the Wardens wished to know the actual state the Hundred was in, as there was upwards of LI,OOO due to it from assessments, but none of this had been paid The Chief Oommissioner explain 1 d that the Board received no moneys —assessments were paid into the The matter would be investigated. —Mr Richardson then complained of the Board’s having heard a case against him, and ordered the issuing of a distress war rant, without his receiving notice of the case coming on. This appearing in the newspapers, made him appear to be a defaulter, and in fact, in one paper the adjoining paragraph was to the effect that “toe defaulter O’Farrell was supposed to have left for New Zealand.” He (Mr Richardson) thought the Board owed him an apology for causing his name to appear in such a lig&t, and in so close a proximity to that of a notorious defaulter ; and also that the Board should never entertain any application without first informing people who may be interested. The Board minuted that Mr Richardson having requested an apology, the Board distinctly declined to offer if. Mr Doughty, for Mr William Black, applied to purchase or lease sections 19 and 20, block 3, Waihola. Last week the application had been made to take the reserve off the land, but Mr Doughty now said he had found there was no legal reserve on it, and therefore applied to purchase or lease it. Applicant was informed that his Honor the Superintendent had sent in a request for the two sections to be temporarily reserved, and the Board having approved of the request they had been reserved under clause 35,

•’ Wheeier appeared in support of the following applications to purchase lauds held under agricultural leases, all of which were approved James Bridge, section 49, block 20, shotover ; Weorge Atkins, sections 43 aud 44, block 2, Shotover ; A. S. Oliver sections 55 56, 57, block 1, Leaning Rock : B Hallenstein, sections, 45, 46, and 47, block 4, Shotover; James Douglas, sections 14, block 21, Shotover.

Messrs Connell and Moodie, for Mr James fhoiupaou, applied to pm chase 655 acres of blocks 4 and G, Waitahuna East, deferred to District Land Officer to ascertain it he knows ef any objection, the land being within a goldfield.-- Mr Connell made some r<» marks in support of Mr Richardson’s complaint of applications k being received and

djalt with without parties interested receiving notice of them, and said that many clients of his had suffered from that cause. ' r Butterworth remarked that the Board was being well lectured ; and Mr Strode said he should like Mr Connell to briug forward one case in which injustice in the way complained of had been done to one of his clients. —Mr Connell replied that he could mention a dozen ; but the Chief Commissioner closed the discussion by saying that Mr Connell himself, as well as other agents often came to the Bard with a rush, saying, “ Oh. please get this granted, or taat settled, at once—we can’t wait,” without considering other parties in the least. Conditions under which a lease of 2,000 acres of lease jon the West Coast woul l be granted for Mess-rs Joseph Harding and Co.’s pro; osed fish curing establishment, were submitted, but the matter was adjourned.