Land Board.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 144, 22 June 1904, Page 2

Land Board.

The Board met ou Tuesday. Present : The Commissioner of Crown Lands (in the chair;, .Messrs Aleslop, Rattenbury, Connett and Clug^W—The New Commissioner.— The warrant of his Excellency tho Governor, appointing Mr Francis Simpson as Commissioner of Crown j hands, Chief Surveyor, and Conservator of Slate Forests was read. —Lands Applied For.— The lands applied for since last meeting were Section 84, block IX., Mimi, 780 acres. 0. Firbank and It. O'Donnell, jun., l.i.p. ; section 3, block XIIT. r Waro, 590 acres, L. M. llutchins, l.i.p. ; section 2, block XI., -Opuku, 448 acres, ,J. Hurley and M. o.'Sullivan, o.r.p. ; section 1, block XI., Aria, 18-10 acres, F. Stuiart and 11. Chase, l.i.p. ; section 2, block Xli., Upper Waitara, 909 acres, E. A. Chard and T. Henry, o.r.p. ; section 9, block XI., lOfiO acres, Jus. Carter. l.i.p. ; section 1, block XI., Upper Waitara, 1405 acres, A. L. Chard, l.i.p. The schedule was approved. —Stratford County Matter*?.— Air Mnckay. chaiirnmn of tho Strutford County Council, waited on tho board, and after briefly explaining? the position of the council in regard to damage done to roads in the Fast and Ohura ridings, of the county by slips and wash-outs, asked if the board would allow all or portion of the thirds received to be spent in repairing the damage done. After considerable discussion, Mr McCl».<. moved that the Hoard will favourably consider proposals for tlie expenditure of one year's thirds on the roads mijuiring repairs of the nature described by Mr Mnckay, as ihey appeared to be works of pressing necessity, the expenditure to be approved by the Commissioner and the ranger ; but the board does not admit of a precedent being established by this resolution, and would submit to the council the desiraJileness of raising loans for works of a permanent nature and pledging the thirds for interest on these loans. Seconded by Mr Connett and carried.

—Transfers — Transfers were approval: J. '1 hompson to .1. A. Thompson, seclions 15, 19, ami 20. block IV., Vgat imam ;F. 11. Symons to J. C. Hurre, sections 6 and 7, block XI., Pouatu ; W. Loveday to E. Loveday, section 5, block IX., Ohura ; T. McKeoun to R. and A. McKeown, section 1, block VI., Upper Waitara; G.T. Perrott to (3. T. Perrott and H. (5. Tom His, sub-lease of section 21, block IX., Ngatimaru ; T. Lockton and H. (J. Franklin, sections 10 and 11, block IX.. Ngatimaru ; E. W, Spwrk to E. W. and J. Sj>eck, sections 5 and 0, block V., Ngntimaru ; W. P. to P. Giblin, section 8, block V., Egmont ; K. de V, Hunt to T. do V. Hunt, section 1, block XV., Aria ; J. Conttglen to E. Blackball, section 8, Piluuua Village. Tho application of Illrst and Budge to transfer section 1, block 11,, Opaku, to R. B. and J, G. Douglas was allowed to stand over till next mevting. —Sub-Lease Grunted.— C. Billing was allowed leave to sub-let section 8, block 1., Egmont, to .John Bishop. —Mbrtlgja'ges.—

Several mortgages were approved. —Mangaroa Township.— G. L. Stevenson upplivd to select section 8, Mock, V., Ohura, as an addition to his pivsent holding. Consideration of the matter was postponed pending the survey of a portion of the section which is required for suburban sections of tho Mangaroa township. —A Peculiar Case.— W. Winmill applied for section 22, Uiock IV., Ngatimaru as an addition to his present holding. Mr W. I). Anderson (Messrs Malone, AlcVeagh and Anderson), of Stratford, waited e>n the board with Mr Harwood, whose interest 1 in the section hud been forfeited, and explained that as Mr Harwood had been travelling about the Wellington district ho did not receive all the lette'i's sent to him. Resolved that consideration of the mut.kir and of Mr WinmiJl's application be held over for ini/iiiry and arrangement between tho purtie k s and the board with a view to allowing Mr Winmill a portion of the section and Mr Harwood some return for his interest in the improvements.

—More Land Wanted.— M. Kerrisk applied lor section 3, block IX., Xgiatiniaru, in additiion lo his present holding.—Deferred for further inquiry, C. Davies applied for and wns grunted the freehold of sections 17 and 18, block XL, Opunuke, I'unehu Village Settlement. —Sub-Lease Granted.— Tlie case of A, Carmun, whoso seclion (section 3, block VI., Opuku) had been forfeited for non-residence, »'»6 again considered. A letter wns read from Mr Adams, solicitor, asking if'tho Hoard would allow a subl- - to 11. M. Tagg', adjoining.—lioj solved that no objection l>o raised to the proposal. —Favier Itoad.— A plan of Favier iioad, taken through sections Hi, 18, mid 11), block X., Ngatimuru, with the consent of the lessees, was approved. —Overdue llent.— Mr A. Fraser applied for six months' extension of time in which to pay overdue rent on section 4, block HI., Upper Waitara.—Crown solicitor will bju instructed to allow him threo months' extension of time upon the understanding that the money will be then forthcoming. —Hangers' lleports.— The rangers' reports on the. Inspection of 42 holdings, comprising 17,">O3 acres, were laid on the table. The Land Acts required improvements to the value of £2i>Ct>, and the improvements actually elTected were valued at £11,103. Four solictors had not effected sufficient improvements, anil live were not resident where ruQuired, tho total number required to reside being twenty. One selector resided whero residence was not required.—The report was considered very satisfactory, but notice will bo sent to those in default.

—An Opunake Matter.— A. 11. Moore wrote offering £3 for a monthly tenancy of either block 10 or block 27 in the town of Opunake.—Referred to tho commissioner, with power to act. —State Forest Reserves.— Tho board approved the plan and schedule of the proposed resumption of parts of .sections 1, 2, and 3, block JV., Miini, am) section (>, block IV., Mimi, for State forest purposes. —Accrued Thirds.— Tlio Manganui Road Hoard submitted proposals for expcndlturo of .C(K) 19h 7d accrued thirds.—Resolved that tho expenditure bo Approved. —Fledging Thirds.— The Clifton County Council applied to pledge the thirds from sections in Okoko Road loan No. 9 special rating district for payment of interest on the loan.—Resolved that the certificate to use tho thirds for interest he issued only to sectious 0 and 8, block VJ., aivd .section 5, 4 flock X., I'pper Waitjara, as theloUier suctions aro not benefited by the loan. A similar application was received for tho Matapo Road loan No. 20, and tho certificate will be issued accordingly. Certificates were also issued in similar applications regwixting the I'ruti Road loan No. 13, and tho .Junction Road loan, No. 12. —Resumed Possession.— The ranger reported having resumed possession of the following forfeited sections : Section A, block , XIII., Mimi, 97 acres; section 5, block 1., Mimi, 99 acrea, Tho sections will Ijo re-offered for sale or select on under " The Land Act,

J892," and the Government wiJI bo recommended to have the area oil section 4 that is covered bv slips sown with grass seed. —Extension of Time,— 13. J amieson applie*d for further, extension ol time to effect improvement.s on section 6, block IX., Ohura, as lie could not leave his present work.—Two months' further extension was granted. ' —Concessions Granted.— B. McFarlano was granted leave to place on seel ion 1, block IX., Ohura, the improvements for his adjoining section. —Timber Rights.— (I. W. A. Orudis asked to bo nllowed to leave the bush standing on sections 8 and 9, block XV., Ngulimaru, us the sawmill will require it, —J >eferred. C. Skilrop applied for timber riglrts over section 9, 'block 11., Pouutn.—Action deferred. —Necessary Improvements.— Arnold Van Asch wrote that the necessary improvements on section 1/1, block VI., Kapara, would he completed before the spring.—Explanation accepted. —Deposit Forfeited.— Messrs F. 11. Ogier and R. Best stated they did not intend to proceed with tlu» occupation of section 5, block VI., Aria, selected by them on Brd ult.—Their deposit was forfeited and the section will be reoffered. —Renting a Reserve.— J. Rest was granted a yearly tenancy at £1 per annum of section 62, Mtinig-amiiigi subhitban, a recreation

—Waitotara Reservation.— A plan atvd schedule of the proposed reservation along the Wnilolara valley road in section 1, block V., and sections 2 and 8, block VI., Kapara, was submitted. Resolved that the. schedule be opproved, and that section I, block V.. Kapara, be withdrawn from sale in order that it may be re-offered at the amended area. —Suing for Rent.— Messrs T. W. Armitage and C. Hunger asked that they be not sued for overdue rent on section 8, block IX., Pouatu, forfeited by them.—Resolved that if they pay half the amount due no further proceedings will be taken. —Spotswood Settlement.— A memo was received from the Under Secretary for Crown Lands on I the subject of the suggested re-ar-J rangement and classification of the j unallotted sections in Spotswood j Settlement. | A letter was read from F. M. I Mills, offering £4 per month for a I grazing right over the unallotted sec- | lions. j Resolved that the matter be left I with tho Commissioner to consider and report to a future meeting. —Puniwhakau Road.— The Stratford County Council was allowed to use certain thirds for clearing slips on tho Puniwhakau Road. —A Modest Ileqfuest.— It. E. Shewry applied for the use of the house on section 88, block X., Pouatu, as that on his own property had been rendered uninhabitable by the recent slips on his land, and he had had to take his* family there for temporary shelter.—Approved. —Whangsimomona.— The district road engineer applied for permission to continue to use sections 17, 18 and 19, Whangamomona township.—Agreed to. —S u rrendori ng Sec lions.— A. J. Kilpin and 11. T Foßter wrote with reference to deficient improvements on section 2, block VI., Upper Waitara. Mr Kilpin waited on the board and asked that they be allowed to give up the land.— Request granted if they will pay up one year's rent. —lluiakuma Dairy Factory.— The Iluiakuma Dairy Company applied for permission to cut lirewood from the cemetery reserve, section 25, block X., Ngatimaru. Tho ranger reported, and his report was adopted, the board considering that the bush has been hackled about in the past and that what J remains is not worth preserving, j —Remission of Rent,— The reports of the rangers on the I application of several selectors in the Uruti, Makurakia and Whangamomona districts for remission of rent on account of severe losses sustained by recent Hoods and slips were laid on the table. .Mr McClugigage brought up the qine-stion of granting) relief to all those settlers in the Whaiig|cimoiuona district who had suffered losses, and it was resolved that the board visit tho district as soon as arrant^'incuts can conveniently be made by the Commissioner. Consideration of the rangers' reports was deferred until the board can insj>eet tho sections. The board adjourned at 2.15 p.m.