WASTE LAND BOARD.

Southland Times, Issue 1531, 30 January 1872, Page 3

WASTE LAND BOARD.

The usual meeting of the Waste Land Board, Southland District, was held on Friday. The following members were present: — The Chief Commissioner (Mr W. H. Pearson), and Messrs Blacklock, M* Arthur, and Baker.

Mr John Brown, Makarewa district, applied for 40 acres of land situated in a bend of the Makarewa river, and with a frontage thereto. The application was refused, pending a report by the surveyor as to the road line.

Mr Thomas Brown attended as a delegate from a meeting of saw-mill proprietors, held to consider a minute passed by the Board of date 29th Dec, 1871. He produced the following copy of a resolution passed at that meeting, and signed by himself: — " That the Waste Land Board be requested to defer payment of rent for license for twelvemonths, with the view of compensating the saw-mill area applicants for the heavy expense of surveys, and because some of the applicants have the prospect of cutting during most of the present year on private land." Mr Brown also produced extract minute of the Waste Land Board of Otago to show that the application was one consistent with the regulations of that Board.

The Commissioner stated that the resolution was one which could not be entertained. The matter had been fixed by minute of the Board, passed on 29tb October last. That resolution was to the effect — (Ist) That an area to the extent of 300 acres, if obtainable, be reserved for any applicant for a steam saw-mill site, in proportion to the license fee paid by the applicants, such being an extension at the back of the original application, the rent to be paid for the proportion of bush reserved, but not used under the license, being 6d per acre per annum in advance ; (2nd) each applicant for such reserve as above to pay the cost of survey of same ; and (3rd) that the rents for the reserved bush be not chargeable on the applications for steam saw-mill licenses presently in force, or to be granted during the current year, or until the Ist of January next, when it must be paid in advance for the then current year.

Mr Brown said he considered that the extract from the minutes of the Board produced, which they would see was authenticated, should have weight with them as a precedent.

The Commissioner replied that a great many concessions had already been made by the Board on account of Mr Brown. It might be very true that the Waste Land Board of Otago had made more liberal provision under the circumstances, but then it was just possible that if Mr Brown applied to the Waste Land Boards of Nelson or Wellington he would find that they were more liberal still. Despite these probabilities, they had to keep in view that the Waste Land Board of Southland was a separate and distinct institution from either of these bodies, and as such it had no power to adopt their regulations.

Mr Brown — The cost of survey is as much as the license fee. At all events it comes very near as high. Mr M'Callum paid £33 11s Bd.

Mr Baker — Mr M'Callum's survey was made under quite exceptional circum-

stances.

Mr Pearson — The whole thing was settled last year, and there is no use going on further with it.

Mr Baker— Mr M'Callum's 100 acres did not cost for survey more than £16 or £17. For 34-0 acres the coat was £21 or £25. The entire cost of surveying 300 acres did not exceed £41, or at most £42, and the work extended throughout a period of three years or more. Mr Brown — We are surely entitled to the some terms as given by tne Board in Dunedin. Mr Baker — We have nothing to do with the Board in Dunedin. We are not under its regulations. Mr Brown— Are you not ? I'll perhaps make you fet-1 that yet ! Mr Pearson said the remark — -or, as he had no doubt it was meant, the threat — was a most improper one, and he proposed the application be refused. The other members preseut concurred, and it was refused accordingly. After disposing of some routine business, the Board separated.