Wellington Land Board

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 50, 14 October 1890, Page 2

Wellington Land Board

A meeting of the Land Board was held on Saturday morning, there being present Messrs. J. W. A. Merchant, Comraisy sioner (in the chair). W. A. Fitzherberv W. W. McCardle, and D. H* Macartbnr. A letter was read from the Undersecretary of Crown Lands notifying that His Excellency had reappointed Messrs Bunny and McCardle members of the Board. The following applications to transfer were approved : — S, Strawbridge, section 18, block 7. Apiti, to J. Millar; M. F. Graney, section 67, block 14, Apiti, to J. "W. Hirst. The following applications to obtain titles were approved : — J. Whitaker, section 38, block IS, Pohangina ; W. J. Shaw, section 70, block 9, Pohan- , gina ; J. G. Ackerman, section 5, block 9, Ongo ; T. Holder, junr., section 15, blook 7, Apiti; L. Holder, Bection 16, Apiti. The Board decided to offer section 132, block 18, Mangaone, for sale under 1 the Act of 1877, at 10s per acre, weighted with the value of improvements. The Board decided that if the balance of the I money is paid at once, and the improve* ments arc carried out forthwith, the cancellation of small rural section 41 r blocks 8 and 7, Pohangina, should be withheld. Applications by the Bangitikei County Council and Kiwitea Boad Board for certificates under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act 1889,. wera granted. A letter was received from tbe Undersecretary of Crown Lands, stating that the attention of the Government and of Parliament had baen directed to evasions of the Act and eases of what is termed dummyiim, and requesting the Board, to take proceedings mr any case where- tbey had reason to believe that a Jalse declaration had been made, if in the opinion of the Crown Solicitor there was sufficient evidence to ensure a conviction. Mr Macarthur said he had hoped that the Government would have proposed some scheme. He had suggested a scheme to the Government which was a modification of that in force in Victoria, and the main features of which were that j the Board had power to eliminate from ; the ballot all applications which they considered not boa* fide, and have power, to examine on oath. He remarked that the Waste Lands Committee of the House spent all last session nosing out the scandals that were brought before them, but did not devote a single hour to devising a scheme to prevent dummyism. He tried to -induce them to do so, but they: were too busy with political scandals about opponents. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Macarthur, That this Board suggests to the Minister the desirableness of issuing such regulations under clause 4 of the Land Act of .1885 as will enable the Land Board to reject from the application* for lands all those that appear to be antagonistic to the interests of bona fide settlement, and for that purpose %o have power to examine applicant* on oath as ah additional guarantee to the declaration required by the Act. After transacting some further business the Board adjourned.