MR. CALCUTT AND THE WASTE LAND BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 3734, 10 February 1875, Page 2

MR. CALCUTT AND THE WASTE LAND BOARD.

The following is the letter which the Waste Laud Board to-day refused to receive : T mm. Goodwood, February 2,1875. •• Thomson, Esq., Chief Commissioner, Waste Land Hoard, Dunedin, Sir, On the 7th October last X made, as you are aware, an application to the Waste Land Board to reconsider its decision as to the upset price of a certain section of land situate m the Moeraki district, the decision of which application was postponed until the 28th October; and, as appears from the minutes of the Board on that day, it was resolved “that the Ranger report on the value of the land.” I have been waiting patiently since that date for some final answer from the Board to my application ; but not having received any, I am compelled to ask you to be good enough to cause me to be informed of the nature of the Ranger’s report, and what it is the iufceution of the Board to do iu the matter. It has been stated to me that (in defiance of the Board s own resolutions) tbe land in question was offered for sale by auction at Hanmden on the 22.id December last but that no bid was made for it. If this be trus it goes, firstly, far to prove the soundness of my reasoning as to the value of the land, an.i secondly, the injustice I have mer, with at the bauds of the Boardinasmuch as, after informing me that mv case was postponed, and subsequently that the Ranger should report on the value, this very piece of land was put up for sale, without the Board thinking it necessary to inform me in any way of its having deliberately gone directly contrary to its unanimous resolutions. In thus slightly—in the meantime—commenting upon the apparent style the Board timiks it proper to conduct the public business of the Province, I am quite sure that some of ihe members thereof would scorn to mislead annoy, and cause me considerable loss, us I have been caused iu this matter, having, as the fact Vta fcsleaVe ’ P endin S the Board’s decision, nearly 400 acres unfenced, and consequently to me useless for stock; and in thus writing, I venture respectfully to appeal to the sympathy of Mr , Butterworth, who, from his long ani extensive experience in matters connected with land in this country, and judging moreover, from the very highly practical and intelligent remarks made by that gentleman at *he Board meeting on the 7th October, he, above all others, will so well understand me. In bearing this my testimony as to some of the members of the Board, I wish it distinctly understood that 1 specially except yourself, as! very much fear that, possibly almost unknown to yourself (at any rate I hope so), you have allowed a personal dislike to myself to temporarily overshadow that liberality of action gigantic breadth of intellect, splendid intelligence, aptness, and progressive ability shown by you for so many years, not only as Chief Commissioner of the Waste Land Board (for in. that capacity you have shown yourself a perfect emperor), but as Chief Surveyor, and more especially as Provincial Engineer in winch position (more, perhaps, than in any other) as evidenced iu the magnificence and newness of design and durability of structure of the bridges built under your supervision, and in the consummate skill shown in the selection of the position in which many of them are were placed, you fairly exceeded all expcctation; and I think it may be fairly assumed that your name and memory will he preserved as it deserves to be, green for ever in the remembrance of a long-suffering community,—l have, 4c., D o o- - - , Th omas Calcutt. ,■ j* J^ in ce writing the above, X have ascertamed from the Government auctioneer that the laud in question was offered for sale, but not a bid made.