WASTE LAND BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 4150, 15 June 1876, Page 4

WASTE LAND BOARD.

At the usual weekly meeting of the Board yesterday, there were present—the Chief Commissioner, Messrs Strode, Reid, Clark, and Butterworth. The District Land Officer at Lawrence forwarded the application of Hugh Cox, to purchase four acres on the Weatherstones road, and adjoinihg the south-west of section 35, block X , TuapekaWest. Survey to be submitted by applicant before the Board will deal with it. A petition was received from the residents of Roxburgh, in iavor of the application of Andrew Nelson for a lease of ten acres north;iof section 34, block 11., Teviot district, for coal mining. Postponed for a week. Mr Ashcroft to receive notice of this decision.

The District Land Officer at Queenstown transmitted the application of Mr J. Peering .for a quarry area at Frew’s Creek, section 7, block 5, Mid Wakatip district. Accompanying the application was the Surveyor’s report thereon. Government to be asked to out up the Limestone Reserve, upon which the quarry is situated, into sections for the Board to deal with as may be decided hereafter. A letter from Mr Peter Anderson in reference to the occupation of Waikawa Beach by himself and others was referred to the Government for transmission to Mr Weldon. The report of the Diitrict Surveyor was read upon the complaint of John Fitzgerald, with reference to the survey of section 58, block 6, Tuapeka West district, asked for ea May the 25th. Resolved that Mr Fitzgerald has no just grounds of complaint. Ranger Hnghan’n report on the improvements effected by lessees under the agricultural lease system was read, as follows : ‘■‘ Sir,—l have the honor to report having inspected lands held under theagriculturallease system in Waitahuna and Table Hill districts. In general I find that the conditions have been complied with. There are now several blocks, of land fenced in with a ring fence, there being no division or boundary fence between the several leaseholders. This, of course, is not complying with the conditions, but I may say that the laud so fenced is very rough land, and fit only for grazing purposes, ibeg to attach a list of those who bold.land in the block - above mentioned.” It was resolved that the report be forwarded for the information of the Warden. A letter was received from a number of settlers at Waikaya, with reference, to the -water-rice license applied for by iVlr Michael Fitzgerald and others.—Referred to Mr Weldon. Ranger Hughan’s report on the application of Mi* 1 John Bruce for a ten years’ lease of Section'2, block 1, Kaitangata district, for .grazing f purpos6B, was read. It stated that there was very little timber on thf land ■Applied for, and there was.-no objection to the lease being granted. To be leased to Mr Bruce on Same terms as those in Otakia .district. ;

„ Mr Thomas George Pearce’s application * "to jurqhase sections 17 'to 22,-block 1, ’.■\V|uiahtma West, at LI per acre, was realised.

- Mr. A. p, Begg applied that sections 2 and H, block 5, KUnwao district, shonld be' open for application at LI per acre. The land, he stated, had been twice offered for sale without finding a purcßaser. To be advertised as open for application not less than thirty days at LI per acre. ; Mr H. Manders, for Mr McLaren, applied that his saw-mill lease might date from the present year, on account oT a difficulty which he had experienced in road-making and fencing. Referred to the District Land Officer for his opinion. Mr R. Gillies, for Messrs Aitken and Cameron, applied for a pastoral lease of 27,000 acres of new country, west of Waiaurawea Kiver and Lake Howloko, and north of a new lake—the Poteritere. They also Wished to abandon their application of May 10, 1876, for 10 000 acres,—Mr Gillies said that the Board would recollect that this application of Mr Cameron had come up for consideration before Mr Cameron had got a glimpse of the country, as it were, and had been trying to penetrate it He built a boat on the shores of Lake Howloko, and taking with him a supply of provisions, went out, and after navigating it, found the lake to be of much greater extent than it was previously supposed. Mr Cameron bad abo established the existence of another lake, and now applied for the country which he . had discovered. Appl cation had been ' previously made for 10,000 acres, which was then objected to, the members of the Board deciding to let the matter stand over until a proper sketch would have been submitted. That-sketch was now supplied, and he thought that it would prove satisfactory to both the Chief Commissioner and the Chief Surveyor, and it was a very minute one. The importance of the discovery was considerable, as it might lea to a convenient route to Preservation Inlet, on the West Coast. It was a veiy great accession to their knowledge of tint portion of the Province where the land is situated,— The Chief Commissioner said that the Board would have to reserve the right to settle disputed boundaries incase another explorer should go out and discover additional new country.—Mr Gillies added that .. .Jt woa.with considerable risk to life the applicant trade the discovery. The open !-<jonnfry is;- said to bo 27,000 acres, but it is v probably not more than 26,000 —Mr strode: " / The applicant having explored the country f is a reason for granting.tha application with-, f Ti tnft ; eompet»tien.—Application to. be granted ’ -'without- Cohipetitioo, ithe applicant haying country.: The right of defining’ ' be reserved by the Board. Connell dhd fqr Eefnscfi. bo

asked to section! se the whole township into quarter and four-acre sections hs may be deemed advisable.' Messrs Connell and Moodie, for Messrs Herbert, Howat, and Co., applied for a lease of land adjoining their sawmill occupation in the Glenkenich district. Postponed. The opinion of the Provincial Solicitor was read on the application of John Leitchfield to purchase -ections 2, 3, and 13, blfick 2. Tiger Hill district, held under a deferred payment lease. Leitchfield to surrender his lease before the Board can move in the matter.

The report of the Chief Surveyor was read in reference to the Tapanui Bush Reserve. From the report it appeared that the area comprised in section 68, block 14, Glenkenich—the reserve in question—was 321 ares 2 roods and 36 perches. On seventy acres of it nothing was left but firewood. On the remaining 200 acres the bush was in a fair state of preservation, He suggested that the seventy acres should be surveyed into five acre sections, and that the 250 acres be left as at present. As the survey of bush lands was very expensive he thought that it would be well to test the demand for small sections before surveying any of the large block.—The report was approved so far as cutting up the seventy acres was concerned.

Messrs Haggitt Brothers and Brent forwarded an account for LB, for law costs on behalf of Mr Burton in the case of Burton v. the Waste Land Board. —It appeared that Mr Burton’s application was in the first instance refused through a misconception on the part of the Board, but was subsequently granted.—The Board resolved not to recoin mend the Government to pay the amount, as it d d not consider there was any necessity of Mr Burton consulting a solicitor in the matter.