WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 394, 26 September 1874, Page 3

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

{From the « Ttroea.")

The regular weekly meeting of the Waate Lands Board was held Wednesday. Present ! The Chief Commissioner (in the chair) Messrs Butterworth, Clark, D. Eeid. and Strode.

MINUTES. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. fitniVßT FBBB AND PT7BOEABB MONBY.

A memorandum was received from the Receiver of Land Revenue, asking whether the Board intended that he should receive the survey fees and purchase money for application 567 d, on which the words " Receipt approved " had been written. Mr. Connell stated that the Receiver of Land Revenue had refused to accept the purchase money and survey fees, and requested the Board to indicate what steps the applicant (Mr. Millar) should take in order that the case might be finally settled. The Commissioner ; I did not feel myself competent to deal with this case without the decision of the Board.

Mr. ;Reid : The Receiver has carried out the intention of the Board. If the money had been received we should have been in a fix at once. I highly approve of the action of the Receiver of Land Revenue. Mr. Connell said the matter was one of very great public importance. The proposed course would affect the whole landed interest in the Province. Ho traa prepared to show that the alteration was entirely contrary to the Land Act. Take the Act of 1866, and they would find clause —

Mr. Reid : It is not in existence now.

Mr. Connell was aware of that, but' he wished to refer to it. Section 46 in the Act of 1866 corresponded with clause 42 in the new Act. ' The latter ran as follows :—": — " Notwithstanding that the Board may have received an application for unsurveyed land it shall be lawful for tho Board, if it shall by the Board be d«emed prejudicial to the public interest, to grant the application either aa to the whole or to any part of the land applied applied for, to refuse to grant the application either as to the whole or as to part of the land, and to return the moneys deposited on account of purchaso money or such part thereof as has been deposited on account of the portion of land applied for, and the application for which shall not be granted." The whole spirit of the old Act was reversed by the new Act. One of the principal provisions of tho Land Act brought in by Mr. Eeid was that successful applicants for unsurveyed land should have immediate possession. Clause 43 provided that applicants shall pay the purchase money to the Receiver of Land Revenue within ten days after having been declared purchasers, and if the applications be for land not previously surveyed, the purchase- rnonoy must ,be paid within fourteen daya ; also if the money be not paid within the specified time, tho ap« plication ehall be doomed withdrawn. An applicant might apply to-day, and get his license to-morrow. That was the spirit of the present Act. With the exception of the provision, if it be prejudicial to the public interest, he contended that the Board had no power to refuse land to any purchaser. The Oliiof Oomnuro»n«» «ppAn.red to think there was some difference with regard to goldfields, but he (Mr. Connell) argued that they must be dealt with as other land. The Board had decided that the sections applied for by Mr. Miller should be sold. He fully agreed with .Mr. Reid that the Receiver had carried out the decision of the Board. He would ask them to weigh carefully what he had said. If they insisted that a survey must precede payment of purchase money, the applicants would scarcely know what they were doing. It would upset the principle of the Act and all the monetary arrangements in the country. Mr. Butterworth : Mr. Connell has asked that the matter shall be considered &a a general principle. Mr. Gillies would like that point to be decided. He had a case- similar -to Mr. Miller's, and if the Board considered the matter as a general principle he wished to make a few remarks.

The Commissioner : lam willing to abide by the decision, and be guided by the instructions of the Board. I feel a very great difficulty with those two clauses 41 and 42. They are not concurrent. It is very difficult to make them agree. Jt is immaterial to me which way the question is decided, but I wish to be guided by the Board. Mr. I Gilhas thought|it wouldjexpedite the matter if his client's case was heard at tho same time.

Mr. Connell objected, but The Commissioner said this was Mb case, and permission wa» accorded to Mr. Gillies to speak on the subject. Mr. Gillies thought the Board should have the whole subject before them if they wished to lay down a general principle. After stating his case he remarked that he did not go the length of what had been said that the proposed course would effect every title in the country. It would only affect applications for land on the goldfields, upon which special safeguards were placed. The Commissioner : The question seems to be now whether the land should be granted at once by the Board. saMr. Connell said the Warden's report was o tisfactory on Mr. Miller's case. The snly objection was made by the Commisioner—that the applicant was on© of Mr. Miller's sons.

Mr. Clark : Mr. Connell is under a mistake. The Warden did not report satisfactorily.

The Commissioner : We must decide what action we Bhall take for our guidance. If the Government will undertake to get a Surveyor's report as well as the Warden's, I could see no difficulty. We might then grant applications for land in Goldfields at once. If not, we must grant applications subject to the surveys. Mr. Clark : I do not see-that W6 Bb.ott.ld alter the decision of the Board in the case. '

The Commissioner: In all Goldfieldsapplications, the Surveyor's reports should be required, as the Wardens are not fully acquainted with the localities.) {There are pieces of land worth thousands of pounds in small localites on the goldfields, Mr. Reid : The Surveyors would be interfered with in their work,, if they were required to report on the applications. The Commissioner ; Then we must get them to survey the land. It does not appear to me that the Warden is competent to guide the Board.

Mr. Strode : Then he could get a memo, from the Surveyor. It was resolved — "That the course always followed hitherto as regards applications for land on goldfields be continued for the future the Board reserving to itself the power to make a special order regarding particular cases. That the application' of H. Galbraith. for section 18, block VI., Tuapeka East, be granted under the 31st clause of the Waste Lands Act, 1872. That the Receiver of Land Revenue be informed not to receive the purchase money in Mr. Walter Miller's cue.

millbb's oase. Mr. Connell asked whether the District Surveyor was to report in Miller's case. The Board ordered something to be done in special cases, and he wished to know whether they were going to receive a report. Mr. Reid: You had better get the hind surveyed. Mr. Connell : We cannot. Mr. Reid : Then it will be surveyed in due course. We cannot keep the Government surveyors running over the country. If you like to do it, good and well. BEOEIPT FOB SVBt^pKBBS. Mr. John Cumming, Clinton, asked what he could do about the refusal of the Receiver of Land Revenue to receive his receipt for the

surrey fees to account of rent forhii deferred payment sections at Waipahee. Referred to the Govennent. GLBNOAMABTT. Ranger Hughan reported on Messrs. Gar*den and Petrie'e application for a sawmill lease, Glenomaru, and recommended that it be granted. It was resolTed that a deposit of 10a. per acre should be made, and the survey submitted to the Board for consideration. ADVEBTIBBMEKTB. The proprietor of the "Wakatip Mail" asked that advertisements of land sales in that distriot should be inserted in his newspaper. Referred to the Government LAND OIT THE GOLDFIBLDB. The following applications to purchase land On the goldfields W6i"e postponed : — P. Tracer flection 48, bloefc XIX., Tuapeka East j Thoa. Treloar, section 8 of 69, block 1., Tuapeka West (mistake to be rectified by the officer) ; John Maclean, sections 42, 43, 31, 46, 55, 52, j 49, 89, 40, 85, 36, 50, and 83, block 111., Tuapeka Weßt. BtTBBENDEB 07 CBBTIFICATB. The District Land Officer transmitted Mr. J. A. Gruickshank's letter, surrendering hia deferred payment certificate for section 18, block I', Waikaka, and asking that the doposit should be returned. * The Board decided to forward a °°py °f surrender for signature, and re-advertise the hind. GLENOAMABT7 BUSH BBSEEVB, Ranger Hughan reported on the state of the G-lenoamaru Bush Reserve, leased $p Messrs. Jackman and Inglis. ,-' The Board resolved to refer the matter to the Provincial Solicitor, with the view to ejectment. BT7BOPEAIT KEJLXM*. George B. Langlands, Geelong, asked I what terms the Governmet would give him if !he purchased 3200 acres Buitable for the growth of European flax. The Commissioner t To send him a copy of all the maps would take a month's time. The Board resolved to advise applicant to come himself and examine, or employ a land agent. PIEB AT KAITANGATA. Mr. R. Gregor, Secretary to the Kaitangata Coal Company, stated that the coal mine leased to M'Farlane and others was on fire, thereby endangering their mine adjoining, and asked the Board to order the lessees to put the fire out. The Board decided that the lessees' attention should be called to the matter. The Board then adjourned.