WASTE LAND BOARD.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 250, 19 December 1873, Page 4

WASTE LAND BOARD.

The usual weekly meeting of the Waste Land Board was held last week. There were present the Chief Commissioner, (Mr. Thomson), in the chair, and Messrs. Strode, Clark, and Butterworth.. The following business was disposed of;-» ♦ UIM OP THJ) TOWNBHJP Of ST BATHANS. i Tho report of the Board of Inquiry concerning the objections against the sale of the township of St. Bathans was brought under the notice of the BoardMr. Stout asked for an adjournment of the irlattor, It was 'mentioned that Mr, Bastings hud gone up to inquire into the circum* stances of the case, The Board, there* fori*, resolved to postpone the considera*tion of the question till his return, I The question whether saw«mill licenses or should not be issued for 1874, the of new timber |i~ BBBbum"! was next brought under the consU duration ot the Board. Mr, Butterworth asked, had any an* kwovs been received from the Hangers by tho Waste Land Board some time ago ? Tho Chief Commissioner i No. Mr. Strode, I would be very careful about these licenses Tho Chief Commissioner! Applications «ira now coming in for new licenses; what am I to do ? Mr. Strode! It is a serious matter if tbeoo licenses are granted, because by I doing so wo would be fixed up lor another | year". Keally these saw*mills are doing fi power of injury; they are most de* *truotive. Mr. Butterworth i I would discuss each license upon its merits Mr. Clark I I think, if the Board re"solves to deprive some of these men of i (heir licenses; it should only be in certain \ bushes, as the same reason would not hold in every case, The Chief Commissioner thought pome arrangement might he made for sawyers and woodcutters, independent of saw* K pulls. Why not charge so much per man. Instead of so much pec horse*power? It is an immense privilege to allow men to come in and cut bush down in such a , rnaimer as is done by the saw'mills. , Mr. strode', I should think it is, The Chief Commissioner thought it would bo well to do away with sawmill 1 |i<vnst>a altogether, H« also thought it L_ would ho better if the licensee came to f "him in each instance, so that be could as* certain th« number of men intended to be employed, and also their names. Mr", Clark : They employ tar more men f»oinet|m.'B than at others Mr Strode: Ves; and >s'hsn ho comes to you it may be that he >» employing thi/minimum number Th" Chief Commissioner! I expect wo will ("at have to go on in the same wny fa' another year. Mr, Strode I 1 do not see that it would do any harm to let th" «uh)ect remain in iilmym'if"' fur a month j but' I think it is too m-rimi* a matter to go on in the same way fi.ir another year- It appears to b« a frightful evil. The Chief Commissioner: The Waste Laud P'liu'd hft'l arranged about each bush (it one tinie. What was the oonsequenoe? They got no good from it. If the ranger „ made himself ftt nil JV'tive, he was balled, (Mr. Strode ', And made him-self noxious,) J ft/n inclined to go on just as ' It is. Mr. Butterworth! Could wo not give a license tor a m>ntli, <>r ri quarter? Mr Strode! Ves. Give them f>r a

shorter tfirm=™threp months j by that tiiiv thn question will he settlol, and new I'egulntloiiH Issued In a Very extensive bush like Toi Tela, he would not object no much, but |m limited busheshe.thought tho ntHv-mWs ought to be put down. Mr, Clirk did not, son anv difficulty in granting llcmises in large hushes, it was i i hihhi".« like Waipnri or Tapanul that |Wtis"h should not. ho Issued, Mr, HuMerw >rt.h • Land round Toi 'l'iik k «i.|iin(f nrwttv rapid'v.

'J'l'ft ( 'hiof OornrnNk'nor: THievp you

get satisfactory regulations only when the bush is all done.

Mr. Strode j .By adopting my system of selling the bush to private persons, it would do good to the country. Mr. Butterworth { You think it would be better preserved by selling it, and putting it into private hands? Mr, 'Strode: Certainly, the bush would then be preserved, Buch a system has worked well in other places, The Chief Commissioner ; You do not believe in Herbert Spencer's principles; he says real estate should not belong to any person whatever. Mr, Strode; JsTo; I would dispose of the bush in such a way that every man should have a portion of it, I would divide it fairly; now it is no man's land', all the good trees are being cut down. The Chief Commissioner; You would require to have a law passed, Mr, Strode, to have the bush watched.

Mr. Strode; Once it becomes his property he will watch it. The Chief Commissioner; You would require a law to fix the man down to the spot, Mr Strode had seen the result of his system ; over and over again he had seen it tried, and was sure the people would thank the Waste Land Board for it. It was supposing an impracticable ease that a man would have such a " down " upon his neighbors that he would not sell. Look at the bush on Taieri plains; what would it have been if it had not been in private hands ? The Chief Commissioner; Well, what are you going to say, gentlemen ? Mr. Butterworth; Give licenses for a quarter.

Mr. Strode ; That is the only way out of the difficulty. The Chief Commissioner: It will injure the public very much ; my opinion is to go on for another year. Mr. Strode; I am inclined to stop. Let the Provincial Council have the onus of doing it. We are sitting here for the benefit of tho public, not for ourselves, Mr. Olark \ Why would you not grant these licenses in some instances ?

Mr. Strode, I think the system abominably faulty, The Chief Commissioner; I am inclined to grant licenses for the year; it will take six months to discuss these regulations, Mr, Clark, a great deal depends on you. I have given my opinion; now, what is yours ? Mr. Clark t I am inclined to grant licenses to a number of them, but not in small bushes.

After a few further remarks, the Board postponed the consideration of the matter, on the understanding that no licenses should be issued until this question was decided-

The Board then adjourned.™' Otago Guardian-'