A TIMBER AREA

Hokitika Guardian, 16 May 1929, Page 2

A TIMBER AREA

A DISPUTED APPLICATION.

DIFFERENCES AT LAND BOARD P MEETING.

It will be remembered that at a previous meeting of flic Westland Land Board the Commissioner 'and members agreed to differ over the course of action to be taken in regard to an application to out silver pine timber off a former reservoir reserve at Kumara adjoining a dam there. At yesterday’s meeting the matter again came up for hearing. There were five applications on the order paper, and the Commissioner favoured the making a grant to one Honey who had applied for sf> acres. Four other applicants for whom Mr Doogan appeared applied for areas of 40 acres each. The actual areas applied for were not marked out on a plan, and there was considerable diversity of opinion among members. At the previous hearing it had been stated that on the area applied for |by Honey there was only enough timber to keep a man employed for about two months, while other statements were in direct contradiction to this, and it iVas then that the Commissioner had emphasised his attitude in support of the report of his officer. Since then the Commissioner had personally visited the ground and his recommendation to the Board yesteiday was foT a grant to be made to Honey for: ;the 50 acres applied for, which he stated contained very pool timber, also stating that there was considerable extent of similar timbei land contained in the 1600 acres oi the reserve, which the Alines Department had placed under the jurisdiction of the Board since last meeting. Air Doogan on behall of the othei four applicants claimed, that as all five applications had been lodged with the Board before it had jurisdietioi to deal with the reserve, there was no question of any priority of application.

The Commissioner held howevei that Honey’s application should have priority as it had been lodged before the others.

There was much discussion between the agent, the Commissioner and members following ; which the Commissioner moved, that the application of Honey be granted. This was secby Mr dlmm. Further discussioii' follWed’ in- which'Mr Ryall suggested holding all the applications over till next meeting, the Field Inspector to make a further report ol the timlxjr on the whole of the reserve. Tlie Chairman objected to this course* ; stating he* could not let his officer do this, as he was too busily engaged otherwise. Followed further -discussion, when Mr -Ward suggested cutting down the area to enable all parties to have n share in the work and, so help employment. Mr Clayton then moved that tho area be reduced to 30 acres. Seconded bv Mr Ryall. The Commissioner objected to this and in the course of further discussion stated that though his proposal was for 50 acres of timber land, the area marked out for tho grant actually covered 106 acres, much being open swamp and grass land on which there was no timber. * This statement caused members of the Board some surprise, and Mr Ward specially asked for an explanation stating he had been on the Boaul for many years but had never understood that the procedure of the Board was such as the Commissioner had stated. Other members followed in a similar strain. The Chairman stated the course followed was the usual one with timber areas where the trees were scattered, the amount of bush being estimated as to area and then the block marked on the plan to cover a workable shape, such as had been followed in the present instance. M • Morpeth stated he. was agreeable to reduce the area for Honey to 40 acres of timber land, but this course did not meet with the' approval of the Board, Mr Clayton then moved that the whole of'the applications Ik- adjourned for a month, and in the meantime the four applicants, 'for whom Mi Doogan . appeared, to mark out tlr areas they wanted, and that the Field Inspector report on same. Seconded by Mr Ryall and agreed to. The Chairman conveyed the motion to Mr Doogan, and intimated that the areas marked out were to be oiuside those of Honey’s 106 acres. This led t» a protest from Air Doogan which Afr Clayton supported and ultimately it was agreed that the four applicants mark out the area they wanted and the Board at its next meeting would deal with any question of overlapping. It was further agreed that arrangements be made for the four applicants to go on the ground with the Fields Inspector (Mr Fleming) and point out the areas tbov required. . The Board then passed on to other business, the discussion referred to having taken the host part of ail hour and the general business was not concluded till 3.45 p.m.