SETTLERS' BUSH RESERVES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 29 January 1908, Page 20

SETTLERS' BUSH RESERVES.

'Southland Times.) —Right to Cat Timber Refused.— At the monthly meeting of the Land Board, held on Thursday last, a number ofsettlers from Edendale and Morton Maine districts attended to place before the members their views either for or against the" application by Messrs Sutherland and I«opdell for the saw-milling timber on the Settlers' Bush Reserve, block XI, Otera--inika Hvndred, near Edendale. The Com-; 1 missioner (Mr E. H. Wilmot) read a precis of former dealings of the Land Board _ in. thi.3 nratter, and also the report of himself and Mr Kinross in favour of . the land being reserved for settlers. The* repqrj stated that there, had been many previous ■reports dealing with tEe same area. In October, 1900, an application to cvt 1 ihe> milling timber was granted' to M'Galluro . and Co. Subsequently owing to the objec--tions raised by settlers in the district this, permission waa cancelled, the authorities, upholding the contention that, owing to* Bcarceness of timber of any kind, thir set serve should- b© conserved for the use of. settlers. The report concludes : — " In thermatter o- c the present application, the cir-t cumstarces are somewhat altered, the application being backed up by a large number; of settlers, on the Edendale side chiefly, while it is objected to by an equally large' number of settlers, chiefly from Morton Mains. 4.fter careful consideration of tha matter, and having in view the past action 1 , of the board, we cannot «cc our way tt> recommend the grant of the present appli-. cant. "We are, however; of opinion tnaiT the milling timber on the reserve is of far too good a quality to be used as fencing, material, the red pine in particular, and we would suggest that the timber be reserved as specimen timber; as we feel surp ' that in a few years there will not fco Jtf patch of as fine red pine left between ber«