Small Farm Associations.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 97, 27 March 1885, Page 2

Small Farm Associations.

The following are the amended regulations m regard to the above published m the. last issue of the Gazette :— r 1. Any block of land to be selected -under' these regulations shall contain not less than one thousand acres nor more than eleven thousand acres, inclusive of. roads, townships, and all other reserves ; and it will be surveyed into areas not exceeding. 156 acres or thereabouts, provided that the number of person's located m each block shall not be less than one person for every 100 acres of its total area. 2. Any association may. set apart such . area, within the boundaries .of any blpck.it may select, as may be approved by. the Minister, not m any case exceeding 640 acres, for a site for a township arid reserves. The plan and survey of any township so set apart and approved to; be subject to the provision of regulation 3. 3. All surveys Bhall be conducted m „ accordance with „ instructions to be given from time to time by the Sur-veyor-General of the colony, and subject to his approval m every respect. The cost of survey and roading, not exceeding 2s Gd per acre, shall be paid for by the secretary m, say, four instalments, tliree months to elapse between each payment. The first payment shall ■ be made when tho association has agreed to take a special block ; or subject to the approval of the Minister, any association may employ an authorised surveyor, and pay tho cost of Biiryy and road-making. In such cases the aforesaid payment shall riot be required. Through roads to give access to adjacent country must be laid off. ' . . 4. Such portions of the land as may be required for the purpose of the Government of the colony, or for educational, recreation, or other public purposes, and as shall be approved by the Minister, shall not be open for allotment under these regulations. 5. The allotment of sections to mem. bers of the association shall be made at such time and m such manner as the association may, with the consent of the Minister, determine. 6. The price ofthelandshall be such aa , 'may be arranged between the Minister and association, subject to the said Act, ■and shall l»o payable as follows :—Onetenth of tho priue of the whole block shall be paid by the secretary prior to tho allotment of the sections This will be m satisfaction of the iirst two halfyearly instalments to., bo -reckoned as duo from tho m;xt first, day. of January or July following. Thereafter 'thn payments .shall ho made by each purchaser epcry .si? iiwij/ths m advance, at the rate nf t .qne i tiw/-»tietli t>f J lie. price, of the* land, until the whole price hag boen paid. 7. One-third -of the- piri'ce of the jand will from time to time, as paid to the GoTerntnenr, he repaid to the local body pf the district, or tlie association, for

expenditure on roads iv or leading toi tlx: block. : 8. All tlio moneys required to be paid for the laud under these terms and conditions shall \w paid to the receiver of land revenue (who will m most instances be the local postmaster), and receipts given by him shall be sufficient discharges for the payment of the moneys therein respectively acknowledged to havd been received. 9. The purchaser shall be entitled to a Crown grant of the land % selected by him. on proof to the satisfaction of the Minister that he has been continually in 'residential occupation ef. the land selected by bun, either personally or by a registered substitute, for a period of six years, and has fulfilled all the conditions : Provided that m bush land residence need not commence within two years -after the date of allotment. 10. All usual and unacustomed fees for the time being payable for the issue of the Crown grant shall be paid by the purchaser. 11. The purchasers shall be members of the association^ and shall not be under 18 years of age. ' . ' 12. The secretary shall intorm the j Minister of the names of the purchasers, and also furnish the Minister with minutes of proceedings of the association if so required. 13. A certificate signed by the secretary of the association shall be sufficient evidence that the person claiming to select land is a member thereof. 14. Each purchaser shall, within two years from th.c date of his purchase, bring into cultivation not less than one-tenth of the land purchased by him. • Each purchaser shall, within four years from the date of his purchase bring into cultivation not less than one-fifth of the land purchased by him. . Each, purchaser shall, within six years from the date of his purchase, m addition to the. cultivation of one-fifth of his land, have put substantial improvements of a permanent character on the land to the value of £1 for every acre of such ; land. . ] ; 15. The expression " substantial ifnproveinenns of a " permanent character " \ shall, for all purposes of these regulation mean anid : include reclamation -from swamps, clearing of bush, or scruby cultiyation, planting with: trees of 'live hedges, the laying out and cultivating of gardens, fencing, draining, making roads, sinking wells or water-tanks, constructing; 'water-races, iri. any way improving the 1 character or fertility of the: soil, , o£ the erection of any building. 16. Cultivation shall mean — : (1.) Fencing the land with timber or other durable. materials, not being ; .a brush fence ; or, ,- -.. ,. , •: (2.) Breaking up and laying down the same m English or* other cultivated grass ; or . (3.) Breaking up and planting or sowing root or other crops therein ; and, m case of bush lands, the felling: and clearing ot, timber and sowing of igrass. „.. ;,. . , ; 17. In the event of. the death of a pnrchaser before haying received a grant of his land, Ins interest m the allotment will revert to his legal representatives, who may dispose of it to -a. bona fide settler approved by the Minister ; and the purchaser -shall be deemed to. stand m the' position of the original occupant. 18. Should, , any purchaser be compelled to leave the district previous to . his being entitled to his Crown grant, and before^ completing 'the requisite term of occupation, it shall be competent for the Minister to punnit such purchaser to transfer his rights, title, and interest m the land selected to another bona fide settler, who shall be deemed to occupy the position of original occupant: Provided always that no purchaser shall be allowed to hold more than 150 acres under these regulations. 19. No person who is a holder of 320 acres of l*uJ on deferred . payments, or who has acquired any freehold under that system to the same extent, or who is a holder 320 acres of laud and perpetual lease, and no person wlio ,is the owner ;Of a pre-emptive right, or-who is the 'owner m fee .'simple' of more than 320 acres of land m all New Zealand, and no person who has made an arrangement or agreement'to permit v any one, save his son or daughter, to acquire by purchase or. otherwise the allotment m respect of which his application is made, shall be entitled to become a purchaser under these regulation'^. 20. Aiiy purchaser who shall fail to complay with these regulations m any reneet, shall on sufficient proof thereof to the satisfaction of the Minister, forfeit his interest m the Jand selected and the .Minister shall,, cause such interest to p* sold by public aution to gbonji fide settler; and these conditions shall be 'sufficient authority for such forfeiture 4nd re-allotment. Any settler so purchasing shall be. deemed to. stand m the position of the. original purchaser, 21. The association may make 'such rules and regulations from time to time as it may deem necessary, subject to the approval of- the Minister.- ; ' • 22. In case, any. doubt shall arise as to the construction of these terms and conditions, with reference to the selection and occupation or clearing of any land,, or otherwise arrfcing thereunder, tlie same shell be settled by the Minister. • - '■■■'■ FORSTEB GOBINGj ; ; Clerk of the Executive Council.