Gladstone Farm Homestead Association.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 81, 2 October 1895, Page 2

Gladstone Farm Homestead Association.

BALLOTING FOR SECTIONS. In the Temperance Hall, Feilding, •yorstc-nlay .'<l':ovv.oon, sections in the t'lri'lstouo Farm Homestead Settlement «.%-.- i ■ balloted for before the Commisaiu '.-c of Crown Lands for the Wellingtou uistrict, Mr Baker. commencing the ballot the Commissioner * read the conditions under which the sections were taken up which were, briefly, under lease in perpetuity regulations, the sections being valued at from 15s to 20s per acre and the rental at 4 per cent on this valuation. Selectors are compelled to reside on their holdings within four years and must do improvements to the extent of 10 per cent during the first year ; at the end of the third year 30 per cent, and at the ! end of six years must do permanent improvements to the extent of £1 an acre additional. From the date of first residing on their sections, selectors must reside continuously thereon for ten years. It was proposed to load the land with 5s per acre for roading purposes and one-third of the rent would be paid each year to the local body, in which the settlement was, for fifteen years. If the selectors agreed to the 5s per acre " loading " the Government would put the work of road making iv hand at once. The rents would commence from the first of January next, and fees already paid would go against the rent. The sections were then balloted for with the following results : — Block Vll.— Section 2, 200 acres, Mrs Kate Tonks ; section 3, 200 acres, H. E. H. Tonks ; section 4, 200 acres, A. E. Tonks ; section 8, 200 acres, R. and N. Christensen ; section 11, 200 acres, W. Bennett. Block VHL— Section 9, 200 acres. Geo. Adams. Block XU.—Section 2, 200 acres, E. H. Schwass ; section 3, 150 acres, T. A. Gibson ; section 4, 200 acres, S. Kiblewhite and O. H. Markland ; section 5, 200 acres, W. F. Pidgeon ; sectioD 7, 100 acres, W. Hatton ; section 8, 100 acres, J. Robertson ; section 6, 200 acres, R. McKay ; section 11, 100 acres, S. A. Broadbelt ; section 12, 100 acres, Jas. Parsons ; section 13, 100 acres, Jos. Kibbs ; section 17, 100 acres, Geo. Burnham. There were originally forty-four members in the Association, but they all dropped out with the exception of nineteen as above. Those who dropped out will have their names placed on the unoccupied sections in tho settlement which will be weighted with the expense of getting the land surveyed, and as the sections are disposed of and the Government paid, the original member will have his outlay refunded. These regulations have arisen out of conditions surrounding the formation of the Association, as only under special circumstances will the Land Board grant transfers of sections. At the conclusion of the ballot members of the Association held a meeting and it was resolved, on the motion of Mr G. Adams, seconded by Mr Gibson, That a levy of 2s per member be made and after all liabilities are paid, the amount remaining be divided equally between the first secretary (Mr Bowater) and the present secretary (Mr J. C. Thompson). __ttv___iv, iivii-aun mmm