The Telephone. WITH WHICH INCOPORATED THE POVERTY BAY STANDARD. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. GISBORNE, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 314, 25 December 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. WITH WHICH INCOPORATED THE POVERTY BAY STANDARD. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. GISBORNE, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25.

The regulations for the formation of Special Settlements which have been recently gazetted, provide that any association of persons of not less than twenty-five, may arrange with the Government for taking up a block of land upon certain general conditions. Any land so selected shall contain not less than t,ooo acres nor more than io,ooo acres, and must be surveyed into areas of about too acres. All survey' are to be conducted in accordance with instructions to be given from time to time by the Surveyor-General and subject to his approval. The cost of survey and road-making, not exceeding the rate of as 6d per acre, is to be paid off by the secretary of the Association in four quarterly instalments, the first payment to be made when the Association has agreed to take the land. Land required by the Government of the Colony for public purposes shall not be open for selection without the approval of the Minister for Lands. The allotment of sections to members of the Association shall be made at such time and in such manner as the Association may, with the consent of the Minister, determine. The price of the land is to be arranged between the Minister and the Association, and when determined upon, the secretary of the Association is to pay one-tenth of the price of the whole block, prior to the allotment of sections. This amount will be in satisfaction of the two first half-yearly instalments, to be reckoned as due from the next first day of January or July following. The Government'will from time to time, as instalments of the purchase money are paid, repay one-third of the price of the land to the local body of the district, or to the Association itself, for expenditure on roads in or leading to the block. The local postmaster in most instances will he the officer of the Government to receive all payments. Residental occupation of the land for a period of six years is required. Upon proof, to the satisfaction of the Minister, that the land has been continuously occupied for such period of six years by the original selector or bis “ registered substitute,” and that the conditions under which the land has been been selected have been fulfilled, the purchaser will be entitled to a Crown Grant, subject to the payment of the accustomed fees. Purchasers must be members of the association, and not under eighteen years of age. The clauses in the regulations relating to cultivation and improvements read as follows: Each purchaser shall, within two years from the date of purchase, bring into cultivation not less than onetenth of the land purchased by him. Each purchaser shall, within four years from the date of his purchase, bring into cultivation not less than onefifth of the land purchased by him. Each purchaser shall, within six years from the date of his purchase, in addition to the cultivation of one-fith of the land, have put substantial improvements of a permanent character on the I

land to the value of £i for every acre of such land. The expression “ substantial improvements of a permanent character” shall, for all purposes of these regulations, mean, and include reclamation from swamps, clearing of bush or scrub, cultivation, planting with trees or live hedges, the layingout and cultivating of gardens, fencing, draining, making roads, sinking wells or water-tanks, constructing waterraces, in any way improving the character or fertility of the soil, or the erection of any building. Cultivation shall mean—(i.) Fencing the land with timber or other durable materials, not being a brush fence ; or (2.) Breaking up and laying down the same in English or other cultivated grass ; or (3.) Breaking up and planting or sowing root or other crops therein ; and, in case of bush lands, the felling and clearing of timber and sowing of grass.” In the event of the death of a purchaser, before having received his Crown Grant, his interest will revert to his legal representatives who may dispose of it to a bona fide settler, who shall be deemed to stand in the position of the original occupant. Provision is made enabling purchasers compelled to leave the district, before completing the requisite term of occupation to transfer their interest to fide settlers. No purchasers, however, is allowed to hold more than 100 acres. Clause 20 provides that no person who is a holder of land on deferred payments, or who is the owner of a pre-emptive right, or who is the owner in fee of more than 320 acres of land in all, in New Zealand, and no person who has made an arrangement or agreement to permit any one, save his son or daughter, to acquire by purchase or otherwise the allotment in respect of which his application is made, shall be entitled to become a purchaser under these regulations. Provision is made for forfeiture of interest in land selected in the event of non-compliance by the purchaser with the regulations laid down. In such case the forfeited interest shall be sold by public auction to a bona fid< ■ettier. The Association is empowers to make rules from time to time as i may deem necessary, subject to tin approval of the Minister, who is als< empowered to settle any questions 0 Joubt that may arise as to the construction of the terms and conditions witi reference to the selection and occupation or clearing of land,