CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 290, 7 December 1877, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

To tub Editok ok the 'DyeNiNQ Mail.'

Siu— l wish to call attention to a letter in your issue of the 27th ultimo signed "Z " having reference to the Nelson Horticultural Society, aud containing suggestions for a testimonial to its esteemed President and Secretary. lam glad that this question has been mooted, and that I am able to enlighten "Z." and others by stating a few facts having reference thereto. Most of the early settlers must be well aware that the Horticultural Society owes its very existence to Mr Adams, aud that the Show held twenty years ago in a tent lent by Mr Winterburn and erected on the ground vow covered by Mr Stantoa's stores, was got up entirely by him, and the prizes also paid by him on the faith of promised subscriptions, which were never realised, and Mr Adams was the loser. It is also a fact well-known to mauy of your readers that the Nelson Exhibition of 1873 owed much of its success to Mr Adams' exertions, as without doubt the teut in front

of the Provincial Hall contained the greatest attraction of that exhibition, which is so pleasantly remembered by many. lam of opinion that, as the Horticultural Society is in tunas mainly (I might say solely) due to the active interest shown by Mr Adams, the Hon. Secretary, he ought, in bare justice, to be refunded the moneys paid by him at the bhow twenty years ago, and also that the Society would be only showing a just appreciation of his disinterested services by handing over to him as a testimonial the sum realised by the Committee of the Nel«on Exhibition, which owed so much to his valuable assistance. Hoping « Z." will move iv this matter, in which I will gladly aid, I am, &c, Amateur.

To the Editor oy tub « Evhnino Mai&.' rt. SlB T?2 U y ? u permit rae t0 expose, through the medium of your paper, the loose and careless way iv which the business is earned on in the Land Office. On the 20th of September I made application for 50 acres of land at Anatakapou. I was told the land was open for selection, and chose a block around the Maori reserve. I paid the foe and was told it would have to be advertised! and I could not know if the application was granted until the Board met, and oae month would have to elapse. I took no further trouble until the middle of November, when I asked if my application had been granted. i was told by the Commissioner that he did not know, aud if I took' posaession I was open to prosecuuon. i as ked when the land would fae surveyed, and he referred me to tho survey office, but I could get no information there Next time I saw the Commissioner ho told me that the land I had applied for was a Maori reserve, and I could not get it. 1 his was on the 30th November. I said I did not want the Maori land, but iand on either side of it. I went to the office on Tuesday last and saw Mr Mackay, who told me he had augmented the Maori reserve to 50 acres as far back as 1866, and it had never been placed on the plan. The reserve on the plan is represented as 20 acres I asked how that would affect my application and remarked I should have to go back There are, according to the plan, at least 400 acres of Crown land between two pieces of land belonging to Mr Gibbs. I was surprised yesterday on reading the C olontst to see an application from Mr Gibbs for 200 acres, including the 50 acres I had applied for three months ago. I immediately went to the office to rectify this, when I was told ray application had been refused I co w accidentally discovered that the Commissioner himself had made out the application for the 200 acres for Mr Gibbs, and he said he had received a letter from Mr Gibbs requesting him to take up the land. Now, Sir, knowing as I do that Mr Gibbs has a great aversion to anyone settling near him (and no wonder considering the time he has enjoyed a monopoly of the land at Separation Point), and that he is acquainted with many in the land office, I think this savours somewhat of favoritism. If I had not made the application Mr Gibbs would not. It has been done to keep me out by all appearance, and why one man should be encouraged to monopolise so much land I fail to see, and I am at an equal loss to understand why the Maori reserve should be increased to 50 acres, seeing they make no use of it except occasionally when on a fishing excursion. That it has not been required is fully proved by it never having been placed on the p an, and I consider in justice my application ought to be granted.; Begging to be excused for occupying so much of your valuable space, I am, &c, XT , F. W. Flowerdat. Nelson, Dec. 7. [Upon making enquiry at the Land Office we find that both Mr Plowerday's and Mr Gibbs' applications were refused by the Board at its last meeting on the ground that they included land set apart as a Maori reserve.— Ed. NE.M.]