WASTE LAND BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 4281, 15 November 1876, Page 2

WASTE LAND BOARD.

The ordinary weekly meeting was held today. Present - Messrs Strode (in the chair), Butterwortb, and Clark The Chief Surveyor assessed the stockcarrying capacity of Run Ao. 46®, .lately applied for by Thomas .Qrr, at 400 sheep, and, from the roughness 1 of the country, advised that the upset price should be fixed at one farthing per acre.—Approved. Mr Thomas tanbrook, as agent for Nicholas Muro, forwarded default in payment gf coal lease at Chattoxi District, the other applicant having withdrawn in his favor.—Moro was declared to be the purchaser, and the completion of the lease ordered, ’

The Chief Surveyor reported on lands on Lull No. 108 (4,000 aefrea) .offered to b® surrendered by Mr James Smith, oh the condition that the lands were opened for application at 20s per acre.—lt was minnted that the Board did not see its Way to deal with the laud in question at present. ’ The application Ly Mr Charles Hilgendorf for the lease of a strip of Crown lands lying between block 24, Waihola District, andthe sea beach, was reconsidered.—Lease to be granted for fourteen years, at L 5 a year |or the first jev3n years and LlO a year for the remaining seven years, subject to a survey being made and a proper plan-being fnrnisbed by the applicant. _ J A A letter was considered from Mr Richard Walton, of Christchurch, requesting to bo recompensed for loss and trouble saat£!?®“ by him in consequence of land in blcok v, Glenkenich District, having been withdrawn from sale without reasonable notice having been given. The writer urged that if the land had gone to sale he was prepared to have purchased to the extent of Llo,ooo at 12 5s per acre. Mr Henry Driver, on behalf of Mr MTntyre, applied that three sections, of about 650 acres, in block 9, Glei&enich, which withdrawn from sale lasp week, might be exchanged for adjacent freehold land, of equal extent, belonging to Mr . MTntyre/or that these three sections should, be put up to auction, in order that be might be enabled to properly work Ms run.—The Board resolved to recommend the Governor to exclude from the land to be opened bn deferred payments in block 9,'Glenkenich, sections 22, 23, and 35, to be hereafter ’ sold by aubtion as land of special value. Mr Donald Stronach, on behalf of William Ward and James Martz, -applied for a lease of five acres on Run No. 291, for the ypurpose of raising lignite.—Runholders’ consent to be obtained in the first instance. '

Two months’ extension was granted- to Beggand Sheddon (for whom Mr E.HD. Strode appeared) for survey of area of land contained in saw-mill licenses.

A petition was sent in by Messrs Alfred Upsdale, Lawrence Flynn, andothers, praying that a block of 10,000 acres on Deep Dell Run, Moonlight Flat, might be thrown open foi settlement on deferred payment and for agricultural leasing under the Goldfields Act. The petition was presented to Parliament last session, and had been forwarded to the Board by the. Hon. (J. M'Leah. ' i 'ln July last Mr Gnffen, as secretary to the Macraes Progress Committee, bad petitioned the Provincial Council to the same effect, and it was on his petition that the Chief Surveyor reported as follows It will not be at all wise to open up this land, re--striding settlers to the limit of 200 acres each. "A better way would be to declare a hundred of say 15,000 or 20,000 aeries, taking in the flat and rail sides. A certain proportion of sections oomd'he « opened on deterred payments, interspersed with sections on immediate , payments. In thisway.it would be possible to gefmrms of sufficient size to keep stock. The only cultivation that settlers would engage in would be to raise winter feed for consumption at their, own homesteads. But, while this would enable settlers to get sufficient areas; I ani'.not prepared to advise that the course indicated should he followed'in this case. The Government have from time to time, in response to urgent representations, opened agricultural bloods and hundreds in the treeless interior. In almost every instance, where these blocks were remote from population and market, as in this ease, have they failed to promote settlement. Facts and observation alike proclaim that - the bare grassy plains and ridges- of the interior mountainous ' country can only be occupied profitably in very considerable areas, aud that in dealing with the future settlement of the country it should be carefully borne in mind that the very limited extent of low ground must be conserved to work the high ground, and that both must be dealt with together. In other words, that the nature of this sort of country determines that it must be held as runs. Ceming back to the statements in Mr. Griffon's letter regarding the large number of applications that ~ would likely be made for the Moonlight Flat. This must be taken witktfae that there is now* and has been for. the. last two years or more, shout 4.900 acres open, partly, on the deferred, partly on the agricultural lease system, around the township of Macraes, and as yet. only a email oreahna been taken np. It is quite true that as a whole the land is not so good as at Moonlight, and the main road runs through it. In coming to a decision, it also most be remembered .that before 2,500 acres of deferred payment land was opened at Macraes, very strong representations were made as to the urgent need of opening that block. Dr Webster, who was then Secretary for Lands, visited Macraes, convened theTrogress Committee, and Was assured by them and others that the land would be taken up ifohly they had the chance. The land derived, a clock of 2,500 acres, was surveyed and opened, and as yet only 550 acres have been taken up. The question of opening Moonlight Flat was before Council last session. M r Bold had it in contemplation to visit this block last summer, bat his other engagements did not permit. I advise that no steps be taken towards opening Moonlight Fiat for the present.

Mr Reid remarked that they had a similar case at Strath-Taieri, where, owing to the. clamor, set up, a hundred had been proclaimed, but the sections had been sold -back ' to the runholder, and were being sold back now. He did not blame the holders, who could not live on theory. The following resolution was minuted :—“ The Boat'd, after due enquiry aud in the face Of a full report from a competent officer, does not see its way to recommend the prayer of the petition at present.”