WASTE LAND BOARD.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 258, 13 February 1874, Page 4

WASTE LAND BOARD.

•The usual weekly, meeting' of this Board was held last week. Present— A. C., Strode, Esq, in the chair, and Messrs- Reid, Butterworth, and Clark. . . .

Pre-emptive Rights. The New Zealand and Australian Land: Company applied to be allowed to take up their pre-emptive rights on run's 209 and 11, consisting ..of .a: square: block to . include part, of, run 255, which they held under arrangement with feir F. 1). Bell. The .matter was adjourned till the next meeting of the Board,

Coal Leases. —Messrs. M'Lennan anil Thomson applied, through Mr. Stout, for a coal lease of section 117,* block 11, Leaning Rock—Messrs. Howard, Marie, and Philips .objected, Mr. R. Gillies appearing for them—Mr. Stout said that at a previous meeting an'objection had - been urged that - the l.and- was auriferous, but a report had since been sent in that this was not, the case. He .had, a memorial ; .to show- that the coal '' ; was required by; .the Clyde .people ;-.that the amount at present to, be obtained-from Mr, Marie's mine was ins'ifficient, and that was.,why it was desired 1 ;to throw open an additional, mine. He could "not see how the granting of the .license could injure any person who already had a license. There would be. no petition for another pit if the one in .existence was supplying sufficient coal for the district.— Mr. Gillies drew the attention of the Board to the fact i that some of the names on the memorial were of a very doubtful character. Some of the persons who were supposed to ..have , signed were not i known in Clyde ; others were altogether imaginary, so far as they knew; then boys had signed, and in one instance ;two ' names were vin the same handt, writing. On the other hand, he produced a petition numerously signed stating that Marie vvas quite able to supply the wants of the district. But with regard to petitions generally , he . did- - not attach- much importance -to them-; in fact, he might '.inform the 1 Board that-some of the name 3 appeared on both petitions. (Laughter.) He>.however,- had .witnessest present who could be called to prove that:the supply of coal by Mr. -Marie was fully equal to the demand.-—The Chairman' thought it was as well that these witnesses should be called.—The witnesses were accordingly examined.- They stated that they -had never found.any want of coal from Mr. mine ; that the- supply was fully equal to the demand.—Mr. Gillies thought the application was brought about by the decision of the, Board, before whom it was decided not to grant the application unless a petition were sent in, thus holding out a premium for such petitions to be got up ,There was no doubt that Mr. Marie .ought to get section 177. , When he took 'up the ground, had he known the exact line of the coal,' that was the section he jwould have applied for.—Mr. Stout referred to the) petition produced by Mr.. Marie, and on which such.stress had .been laid. Why, thejact was that most i.ofthe signatures were not those of busi'nessmen at all. What the Board had to consider was, whether the district was properly supplied with coal The application of Messrs. 'Thomson and M'Lennan H should ; be .granted.—Tho Chairman - said' the Board was of opinion that the evidence before them was not sufficient to .show, that a second coal-pit was required. ,'Jhey did not attach much importance to ; the petitions which had been produced. '.lf the district was really' in want of a second coal-pit, then there should" be a resolution passed by a properly authorised -body—the Mayor and Town Council of Clyde. . If such a resolution were 'passed, the Board, would reconsider its decision. It.must, however, for the present decline to grant the request. ■ 'Copper-mining.—Mr. Reid appeared on behalf of M.r. J. R. Dawson. This vvas an application for a copper-mining lease f6r' section 1, block VIII., Tuapekn East A report was read from the Warden, who offend no objection. The area of the ground was stated to be 80 acres, and it was said that there were no gold workings near. The land had been surveyed by a former applicant. The application was granted, the rent to be as follows : —a, ; year for the first two years, a year for the following- three years, and. £BO a year for the remainder of the term.

The WaitAki.—Mr. Fulton appeared for W. B. Cairns, and applied for a lease of the two largest islands in the Waitaki, for grazing purposes. These islands' were stated to be over-run with rabbits. They contain an area of about 100 acres. The iapplicant required-six, months ? notice-to quit.—The application was granted, the rent to be £s#er annum. \erter Burn vir. Warden Carew reported favorably on the application of Jlr James ' Parker, that the water-shed of the Burn, in Traquair Hundred, ;sh(iiild be reserved for gold-mining, thinking there would be a risk of selling auriferous land if the application be not complied with.'—Granted . ■

WakekteliT). The District Land Officer, forwarded an application from ;Mr. John ;} J erriam to purchase section 1, block

if.-, Gromwell, -and section-2, block II", Wakefield—rbeing 50 acres of land, part.of run 245. :an (1 \vi 111 the-ru n h older's con - sent.—deferred to Warden Simpson to report as to what lie. would recommend to be sold. boARD of Inquiry.—r.Mr. F. G. Margetts wrote declining, " with thanks, the honor of being appointed" on. the Board of Inquiry. The Warden to; be r . asked to suggest the name of a suitable, person. 1 Traquair Hundred. The Hon. Matthew Holmes applied fo£ a.depasturing license for Traquair Hundred, and also for West Taieri. Licenses, to issue with—out prejudice. Land Sales—The Board recommended that in future land sales in Dunedin be held in the Provincial Council Hall.