Meeting at Colyton

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 83, 12 January 1892, Page 3

Meeting at Colyton

[from our own .correspondent.] A meeting was tieid in the Colyton Hall, :Feildiog Road, on" Saturday, January. 9th at qn.e o'clock, with the object of forming a small farm association to take up the unsold lands in the Wanganui : Harbor Board Block, amounting to 8,800 acres in 48 sections as surveyed. Mr J. E. Lucas, of Awahuri (Pohangiua warden oftheKrwilea Road Board) stated that he first broached the idea to Mr P. W. ■ Wtnbley at the Palmerston Show, with tbe result that this mooting was called, and the whole of tho land taken up. Mr J. ;B. Lucas read the various letters received from the Wanganui Harbor Board to the meeting, when it was seen that the Board offered the land to the association for JJOs 5 per acre ; one-tenth cash paid on application, the balance is hulf-jearly payments extending ovor ten years—in short, the old deferred payment system, With this exception, that the Board will not devote the thirds to road-making, as they have already spent a considerable earn. The meeting then elected Mr J. B. Lucas, as. Chairman ; Mr F. W. Whibley, Secretary and Treasurer, and instead of a committee the whole of the members were asked to attend any subsequent meetings. Notice in writing to be given bj the; iSecxetar j. After the election of tiro officers' Mr Et. li!»okalieir proposed and Mr F. Bichards seconded, " That Mr Lucas wait on the Board at its next meeting, to say that the association accepted the offer of its unsold lands, conditionally, pending the interview with the Chairman. This was carried and at the same time the Secretary was instructed to write to Wanganui to the same effect. Members sufficient to take up all the sections then paid : their entrance fee to the. Secretary. The settling of this portion of the Harbour Board Block will be a great boon to the settlers and small farm associations higher up the valley, for in its present unoccupied state it was a great slop gap. to carrying out the road system of the district. In fact;" this is one of the reaeons why the promoters were anxious to get the block : The Pohangina township will b'r open for sale about next February. The land now .taken up is all around the township ; this fact /will, no doubt, enhance the value of it. A remarkable coincidence is that on the very day^ on which the remaining lands of the Harbor Board were taken up, sitt'.ers were paying the last instalment of purchase money due on the fold bought at the first sale 10 years ago. Lucky men 1 They have acquired their freeholds.

At 3 o'clook there was a meeting of the members of the Pobangina Small Farm Association in the same, hall for the purpose of paying the Government Begistration fee of 10s to the secretary, which Government requires as an act of looia fide* on the part of the members, and when that is received they will order the survey, and not before. Twenty-two of thn members paid the fee, others who were unable to attend will do so by Thursday. The secretary was instructed to send the money, to the Beceiver of Land Bevenue, and to ask ths Sur-veyor-General to survey at once as all the requirements of the Act were now complied with.