TARANAKI LAND BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1917, Page 4

TARANAKI LAND BOARD.

MONTH..* MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Tarar.aki Land Board was held yesterday. Present: Messrs 0. 11. Billiard (in the i-hatri. Ryan, Martin, Heslop, and Clelland, APPLICATIONS FOR LAND. The following applications were approved Section 5 Kltham-ftpunakc Railway Reserve. 4a. 2r. 4p„ 11. Silvester, at an cnnual rental of £1 ss; ?cet.ion 21, Ellham-Opunakc Railway Reserve, 13a. 3r. 10p„ Andrew King, at CP 15s per annum; Section 3ft, Kltii,am Opunake Railway Reserve, fl acres. Mrs. I Brisco, at an annual rental of l.'is: Section ].l, Block 11. Piopiotea nest S.D., 3a. Sr., C. Hawk less, permission granted to erect required road feiieiii? on frontnae to Section 10, v.'itli(lit the Board incurring liability for compensation; Section 7, Block I, Poll at>i S.D., 15n. 2r., Frank KfTer, at a rent, of £4; part. Wa.taanga township, about )4 acres, M. 0. Andrew, a five jcars' lease at £3 1 (Is per acre.

THE FREEHOLD. Applications for the fee simple were "ranted as follow: —Section 31, Block XI, Ngaire, W. F. 1.. .Tenkins; Section 2 llluek I, Aria S.D., Khody O'Connell; .-ration 54, Block XI, Ngaire, I'iiblic Tiustee. DEFAULTERS. Section 12, Block VIT, Omona 8.1).. £l2 acres, was forfeited for deficient improvements, tho land to be reopened weighted with valuation for improvements (if any) in favor of late holder. TRANSFERS AXD SUB-LEASES. The following transfers were ap- ■ ivmod:--Sections 3, 4, and 7, Block XV, 1 -aku R.D., Oscar Symes to A. G. P. I Wallace and .1. C. Dickie; Sections 38/40 ,'iiH-k Xli, vVaitara, C. H. Wilson to C. .r Wilson and W. ,1. Wilson; Section ■i i3lock VIIT. Mapara. John Boult to 3. i. T!. I.aws-on; Section 5, Block V, Ai'.a. Xorinan Alackeni:ie to .T. H. Keigh',.v; P;n t W. New Plymouth Town Belt, >' . M. .Timet i'' Richard Cock; Section z, \ '"m1; I\', Ta.irnkawa, William and r r 'vl'n Rea to A. E. White; Sections 13. i 378-381, and 416-419, New PlyI .th, Henry Brown, Chas. Ahier, and I IT. ill ii ti Henry Brown and kH. I viwn; ■ lion 11, Block I, llangi, ErI -t Croii to J W. Brown, i The fol' -wing applications for transI .rs were ..fused: —Section 1, Block XT, j r : a, C. L. and S. Bicheno and A. IC. lv. | 'usnn to W. Dean; Section 10, Block VIH. Mirai, V lleUshaw 'to Geoffrey ! 'vbus; gccti.u 3. Block V, Tangitu, •>Wi« Trust- -W. Ireland's estate) to A. M. Marsh r.ml P. Jackson. '

MLSCKLLANEOUS. J. P>. Cri'Yushank, lessee of subsection 3, part T diul parts 17S1/3, 1774/7, 2333, >e\v I'lymmith. was granted permission to surrender lease and obtain two new Wses in lieu thereof. It was ileeided to offer on renewable lease Section U, Block 11, IMopiotea West. 35 acres (possession resumed) at £fi per acre. A. E. Sexton was granted exemption from residence on Section 6, Block VII, Koao. K T. and F. Calvert, Section 2, Elock IV, Tuimii, 1243 acres, were granted permission to surrender owing to iniilvliity to work the land. Win. O'Connor, successful applicant for Sections 1, Block V, and 3, Block VI, t'ni.ntu, for cash, was granted refund of (ieiwsit, except as to £5, on withdrawing application, as he lias enlisted for avtive service.

The following proposals for expendihne of thirds accrued to September 30, (!il (I, were approved:—Wairoa liond Hoard, £ll tls lOd; Motoroa, Road Hoard, £5 Is Cd; Whangamomona rn"'itv, £l<W fls Id and £150) Clifton County, £307 18s 8d; Stratford Coimty, U'J lUs IM-,

H.< Taylor, icssee of S.G. Run See-! tion 10, Block XII, Waitiira, vvas granted 12 months' exemption from residence, A3 he is a member of the N.Z. Expeditionary Forces: T. S. Senior, Section 2, Block VIII, Waro, was granted a similar concession on the same ground. Aff.iT considering the Commissioner's report on his inspection and valuation of Section )), Block 111, Mapara S.D., 21acres, it v.-as resolved to adhere to the Hoard's previous resolution and open the land for settlement at 25s per aero.

£ fter considering the report of Mr. K. A. Meredith, Crown Lands Rnnger, in Section I f, block XIV, Opaktl, it was r.'solved to grant the application of the adjoining lessee uudqr 0.r.p., in terms of section I f of llie I.and Act. )!)lii

I' was re»ohed to open Section 0, Block XI, Tatigllu S.D., <llß acres, for discharged soldiers, r' a capital valuation of ,C2 IV, per acre. The Board, in committee, dealt wit'' the case of one defaulter in the matter of rental payments. In view of the selector's promise to pay a portion of the arrears at once, the Board decided to adjourn final action until the February meeting to enable him to furnish sir.isfactory proposals for the payment M' the outstanding rent. The Board, in committee, consented to live application!* for mortgage, and u'so decided to recommend for approval three applications for postponement of collection of rent at 4 per cent, per annum. One application for rental remission on account of military service (he Board declined to recommend, after investigation of the circumstances ot* the ease.

WHERE MILITARY SERVICE PRESSES.

Mr. Clellnnd, a member of the Board, read a letter received by him from a Crown selector who had undertaken the charge of a neighbor's holding adjoin<ll?. when the latter voluntarily went '.ll active service. He, the writer, with n number of settlers in the same district, nmv find themselves, through being in the first civision under the recent Military Service Act, liable to be called up at any time, and though they had no objection to service they were faced with the position of not being tibia to arrange the oversight and working of their holdings, which are at such a stage of development that they require constant attention to prevent the country going back -nto scrub and fern. The writer stated: "t don't want any special treatment; bui the Military Service Hoard is granting so few exemptions that I think it is time the Land Board nml (iovevnmon. organised some scheme to do us justice. Where men are singlehanded on these rough bush farms, it means ruin to take them away, when managers are out of the question. In my case it means ruin to two of us, one ol 'whom has been fighting for months as a volunteer. Besides, we are not middlemen, but are producing wool, merit, and mutton." The Board fu'ly discussed the matter and resolved to forward a copy of the communication to the Minister of Lands togethc, with ft recommendation that, in the opinion of the Board, some central organisation should be set up to meet such cases, in order to ensure that while the Umpire is at war, the natural products of the Dominion should be fost(ied and developed fts far as circumstance? permitted.