THE MILLERS FLAT BLOCK

Tuapeka Times, Volume VIII, Issue 436, 20 February 1875, Page 2

THE MILLERS FLAT BLOCK

(From our Roxburgh C'oirespondtnt.) I am now enabled to furnish you with a copy of Mr. M'Kellar's report on the Millers Flat Block, about which so much was said some time since ; aud if published alongside of the report of Air. Warden Simpson on the same blocks, published in your columns some time back, would, I think, enable the public to judge of the faithfulness of the statements made by the Roxburgh Land Committee at the time the report waa ordered to be made, now about eight months since ;—; —

[copy.] " Dunedin, 28th August, 1874. " Memo, for Executive Council.

" He the resolution of the Provincial Council of 12th June, 1874, referring to the petition of the Roxburgh Land Committee, which was referred to the Goldfields Secretary for the purpose of inquiry being made upon the" ground.

"In company with Mr. Warden 'Simpson, Mr. Ireland, M.P.C., G. F. Mackay (one of the petitioners), and a number of the settlers of Roxburgh and Ettrick, I visited the ground which is in dispute. The manager of the run, Mr. Bruce, was also in company with us till we reached the station, but some important, business, I understand, prevented him being able to accompany us over the blocks projjosed to be taken up for agricultural settlement.

" Having carefully surveyed the blocks in question, I have to remark that in my opinion it is greatly to be regretted that the selection of a block for settlement was not made in accordance with the memo, from Mr. M'Kerrow, dated 14th October, 1874, and the selection adhered to. lam disposed to speak even more strongly than Mr M'Kerrow as to its suitability (in that neighborhood) for an agricultural block. I estimate its suitability not only from the nature of the soil, &c, but from the fact that it is so easy of access that a good practicable road could be made at very little expense leading into the very heart of the block ; a good natural road now exists. The selection of such a block would no doubt interfere to a certain extent with the working of the run from the present home station, but I think matters could be arranged in such a way as to reduce that injury to the minimum, if not altogether to avoid doing any injury. Attached is a plan showing the block which I recommended should be selected for agricultural settlement. In reference to the report of Mr. Warden Simpson, and the manner in which it differs from the petition of the Roxburgh Land Committee :

" I found upon making inquiry that Mr. Warden Simps'on had not been furnished with any plan or tracing of the ground upon which he reported, and that the only guides he had in traversing the block were the surveyor's lines (an insufficient guide to any person other than a surveyor), and the vague statements and opinions regarding the situation of the block expressed by certain residents who accompanied him and who knew nothing definite regarding it. During my ride over the block, it became quite clear to me that Mr. Simpson had been partly misled I (not intentioually) by the gentlemen who accompanied him, and had partly himself misapprehended the situation of the block, upon which he afterwards reported. It appears to me, in short, that Mr. Simpson's opinion of the block, as expressed in his report, was entirely formed by a consideration of the very block which is desired by the members of the land committee. I have every reason to believe that Mr. Simpson honestly, and in good faith, reported upon what he thought to be the block selected for settlement. I must express my surprise at 'Ihe statement made in the third paragraph of the petition s.ent to his Honor in March last by the Roxburgh Land Committee. I would not have noticed it had it not been repeated in the petition sent to the Provincial Council during its last session. The statement is, " That the Committee are grieved to ascertain that the Government are now &c., &c., — such land being almost entirely a block of shingle and rocky ridges, totally unfit for the purpose intended." More than a 1,000 acres of this shingle and rocky ridge block is included in the block which the samecommitteedesiretohave so much set apart for settlement. A very small portion of the block might have been thus described.

" I would, taking all the circumstances of the case into consideration, recommend that a block be solected as indicated in the accompanying tracing. The extent of it would be about 2,000 acres. It would be capable of extension at (some future time), both, to ths East and to the South, although only to a limited extent.

" The strip of land between the P.R. and blocks 111., I would recommend still to be reserved for depasturing purposes. Sections 8. 9, 10, 11, of block 111., might be reserved from leasing, and thrown back into the run again, and would serve the purpose of preserving the communication between the home station and the main portion of the run. Sections 24, 23, ancP22 might, possibly, also be reserved and dealt with in a similar way in case of the extension southward, at a future time, of the agricultural block. Sections 1, 2, and 3, I at one time thought of .recommending to be thrown open for lease (they have been reserved at the request of the runholder, I understand) ; but if it is thought advisable to still reserve them, the communication between the home station and the main portion of the run would then only bo broken by sections 4, 5, 6, and 7, which are occupied by an agricultural leaseholder. The communication is shown by the part of the tracing colored. The narrowest part is a three chain road, extending in length some 30 or 40 chains, and apparently thought sufficient by Mr. Miller (the then runholder) when block 11., was surveyed. (Signed) "D. M'Keedar, " Goldfields Secretary. " Nblß. — The portion of the block recommended ' to the north of Tima Burn is not suitable for agriculture; but to except it would provd,-T think of no advantage to the runholSer; and it would become a kind of "no I man's land." It would also make the survey difficult -ansL expensive. If, however, the runholder thinks he could utilise it as a sheeproad, I- would except it ; but in that case I g I would not make the provision for access on " t the other side of the block so large. I would only reserve one section in depth, for a road." The following is the report of Mr. Warden Simpson referred to above ,* — " Memo in reply to that on memorial by Roxburgh Land Committee, numbered 14, 167-54, on the subject of block on Henderson's Run, Miller's Flat. " The Warden, in company with Mr. Robert M'Leod, hotelkeeper, and one of the Land Committee, and Mr. Samuel Crogan, one of the public desiring land, went on the block; of land in question, after some difficulty, fop neither of the gentlemen jaentioned »p<> parently knew the particular locality of theblock, although expressing themselves strongly as to its character. The block wastraversed through its length and breadth, the. survey pegs and lines being followed as guide, and the Warden has come to the conclusion that the block surveyed is one of the best that could be found in the locality, in which opinion the gentlemen above mentioned joined, To use their own words. "Wo cannot, in justice, say but the land i 3 the best that can be got, and about the place we> wanted it."

" The memorial is founded on a gross mis-> representation as to nature of land, and apparently got up by people who have never seen it. None of the land on that part of Henderson's run — that is, above the homestea I — can be characterised as a shingle block. More luxuriantly-grassed country than the heights and spurs between Cargill and Anderson's boundary and Menzics' Creek could not be desired. The only drawback to. their cultivation is their broken character, and that is not much greater than the laii'l about Tuapeka, Waitahuna, and Table Hill districts. The surveyor, in his selection o£ the block just surveyed, has studied to embrace the portion with the most gradually sloping ridges, and therefore easiest of cultivation. W. LiWEBKCE SISCP3OIT. Warden. Clyde, April 9, 1874.