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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5331, 29 April 1878, Page 2

Further correspondence between the Government and the'Southland Waste Lands Board has been-published. So far the Board has come to a very lame and impotent conclusion'; how they intend to deal with the original question raised by the Minister of Lands is still a mystery. In'the discussion as to the' removal of the rangers, Mr. : Macandrew’s suggestion that the Board should reconsider their decision as -to the removal of the ranger : the case of Messrs. Mclntosh and Sons has been overlooked, but wethope that they’ do riot intend in their judicial as well as in their administrative capacity to accept blindly the dictation of the Government. If they do, all confidence in the Waste Lands Board as a tribunal for investigating questions arising under a deferred payment system must cease. Let us recapitulate shortly the circumstances of the case so far ; for it is of , too grave and important a nature to be passed over lightly. The Southland Waste Lands Board last year cancelled l the license of a Mr. Mclntosh and his sons to occupy certain land in Southland, on the ground that they had not complied with the conditions of occupation. ; The Messrs. Mclntosh petitioned the House of Representatives against the decision of the Waste Lands Board. The Public Petitions Committee, after hearing the evidence of one of the petitioners, and of two iriembers of the Board, found that the license was cancelled because the Board considered that the petitioners were evading the’ condition of personal residence.. The committee recommended enquiry by an impartial comiriission, the petitioners to bear the cost of such inquiry should they fail to prove to the satisfaction of the cotrimiasioners that they had complied. with the . conditions of personal occupation within the meaning of the Otago Waste Lands Act. The Minister of Lands urged the Waste Lands Board to reconsider their decision, .and . recommended that the ranger, on .whose' evidence they had acted, should bo removed to 1 another district. The only reason he gives for such recommendation is that he hears, “ from what appear to be reliable sources,” that sthe ranger has “not been actirig altogether impartially,” and that others have broken the conditions on which land is occupied on deferred payments as well as the Molntoshes., No. proofs or evidence of the partiality of the ranger are offered, and although the Board wrote twice for any such evidence, and asserted' their confidence in the integrity of their officer, no answer was vouchsafed to their representations. Sir JoHN Richardson thereupon resigned his seat, but the majority of the Board appeared to be ' satisfied with a feeble protest. Mr. Denniston gave notice of the following motion: —“That this Board, in consideration of the action’of the Government in. dismissing Ranger Campbell, resolves that such action was discourteous towards the Board, and unjust towards the ranger, 1 inasriiuch as that officer was in the first instance* responsible to the Board, and inasmuch as he ought not to have been condemned, except on specific charges, and opportunity being given him for defence.” Whereupon the following marvellous, correspondence 'erisuod, and the easily satisfied Board relapsed into the. acquiescent state but of which the discourtesy to themselves appears to have rorised them. No one was surprised at Sir John Richardson’s resignation, but those; who know his antecedents and ordinarily independent characterwill be

surprised to find on what slight ground he was prepared to withdraw it.

Minister of Lands to Sir John Eichardson.— No. X. Wellington, April 0, 1878. Government regrets that you have resigned your seat at Waste Lands Board, In consequence it vi said of Hanger Campbell's dismissal from service. You may rest satisfied that this step was not taken hurriedly, or without good and suflicient grounds. It is proposed, on further consideration, to remove him to another district where he wIU be less mixed up among the persons with whom his; important duties bring him into contact. Under the circumstances, Government would be glad if you will reconsider your resignation, which will not in the meantime be acted upon.—J. Mac Andrew. Sir John Eichardson to Minister of Lands.— No. 1. Invercargill. April 8, -1878. I trust the Government feel assured that my resignation was only on account of the necessity, in my opinion, of the Board having effective control over its servants, end the - more especially in a case where the success or failure of the deferred payment system is concerned. I am glad to leam that the decision of Government in re .Campbell is merely a transfer ef office Might I venture, while asking permission in accordance with your request to withdraw my resignation, respectfully aud earnestly to urge that in all future cases any charge against any servant of the Board may be lemittod for the Board’s Investigation and decision, so essential to the conduct of the important duties entrusted to the Board, J. JBICHA.WD.SON.

Minister of Lands to Sir John Eichardson. No. 2. Wellington, April 8, 1878.- Government is glad that you will continue to act os member of the Waste Lands Board, No doubt it would have been proper before removing the ranger to have conferred with the Board. That this was not done must be attributed lo Inadvertency, not to any Intention to cast slight on the Board. Our desire is to see that the deferred payment conditions are rigidly enforced, and the law administered impartially,, without favorer affection—a desire which we feel assured animates yourself aud the other members of the Board as much as it does the Government.—J. Mac Andrew.

Sir John Eichardson to the Minister of. Lands. No. 2. Invercargill, April 10, 1878.—1 am obliged to the Government for their courteous consideration of ray communication, : and have officially requested the Board to return my letter resigning my seat.—J. Richardson. ~

The worthy knight was hooked back into Mr. Macandebw’s sheepfold by the assurance that the step he took was not taken without good and sufficient grounds, and that Ranger Campbell was merely transferred from one place to another. But there was still Mr. Denniston’s notice ,of motion to be dealt with ; and the discussion upon ik would- probably throw that , further light on the whole affair which is so lamentably wanting in the published correspondence. But the motion was not made,'and the discussion did not come off. Here is Mr. Dbnniston’s reason. We quote from the Southland Times - Mr. Donniston spoke as follows If I ask permission of. the Board to withdraw the motion standing in my name, it is not because I wish to retract any statement it contains. X believe it expresses the truth, and I adhere to every word of it. Had things remained as they were, I was prepared to press the resolution, and to take the consequence'eitherof its acceptance or rejection,. But circumstances have changed since last Thursday. The Government, as wo are informed, has communicated with Sir John Eichardson, whose position was substantially the same as that in which the carrying of ray motion would probably have placed the Board, and the explanation and concessions of the Government have been such that Sir John has consented again to take his seat. 1 think the other members of the Board may be amply satisfied with the concessions made. They may now bo satisfied that the policy of the Minister of Lands will be in accordance with their views, and will leave their susceptibilities Untouched. In so far as the ranger is concerned, I prefer to leave, him in the hands of the Government, who, I am quite sure, will do him justice. If these views are correct,: then wo have ceased to have any practical grievance, and I think the worst thing we could do would be to press any theoretical grievance on tire attention of the Government. However, jealous rye are for the independence of the Board, I would deprecate strongly anything like unnecessary collision with the Minister of Lands, with whom wo must always have intimate relations, as charged with the administration of the Lands Act. I ask the leave of the Board to withdraw my motion.

Wo have given both the correspondence and the remarks of Mr. Denniston in extenso, ;in order that our readers may have an opportunity of extracting if they can the satisfactory “ concessions” of the Minister, which we have failed to discover. It would appear that the people who have lived so long under Mr. Macandrew’s provincial rule are trained to be thankful for small mercies, and: they come to kneel after any little escapade with wonderful docility. The Board resented the removal of Ranger Campbell to another district without enquiry, on the ground that Mr. Mauandrew had heard that he was' not altogether impartial. They said they had full confidence in him, and asked for, evidence. They got no answer. On the threatened resignation of Sir John Richardson, the Minister •deigns to state that he had good grounds for his' action,- and that the ranger will be removed to another district. If the Board are perfectly satisfied with these overwhelming concessions,“will they now reconsider their decision re Mr. Mclntosh? As the evasions of the condi-

tions of .occupation in Southland have been a,subject of comment injurious to ■the cause ’ of: deferred payment sales, the action taken iri this case will: be watched with interest.; lir the meantime Ranger Campbell is in a peculiar position. The Minister says ho is dishonest. The Board assorts that he is honest, and that they have confidence in him; but they are quite satisfied that he should bo removed elsewhere without further inquiry. Either the ranger has been infamously treated,'or the district to which ho has been removed has good cause to complain. In any case the public mind is filled With uneasy suspicions of underhand influences, which must seriously affect the administration of the waste lauds at a critical period. . ■'*■''■ ■