A WAIRARAPA PETITION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4190, 12 August 1892, Page 3

A WAIRARAPA PETITION.

The Dummy Prosecutions.

Mr Buchanan yesterday presented a 1 petition to the House from Mr Cole- ] man Phillips, of the Wairarapa. The , petitioner Btates that about 1887 he * suggested.to the Commissioner of { Crown Lands at Wellington and tho | Wellington Land Board the advisa- , bility of throwing open tho high bush ■ lands, oheuply, in areas ranging from | 8000 to 6000 acres, and promised, on | behalf of himself and partner (Mr Jo&epb, of Wellington), to take up i 5000 aores. He did this, he Bays, in the interest of labour, and the Wellington Land Board complied with his request. After consultation with M r Marohant, the Commissioner, and tho Mlciler for Lands (the Hon, G. F. Eipffordson), he, under their advice, took up land on the Dry River and j?uketoi, and had since employed a|)out }6O men yearly. .During the years 1889-90 the Board found that pwing to the mistake of allowing children to apply for land through pgepts, and 'he faults of administration, tbpApt m boing evaded upon all pjdes, and Mr Phillips and his partner were advised to forfeit the Puketoi section. They did so honestly, being totally unaware that they were committing any offence. The Wellington Land Board proceeded to forfeit the Puketoi section, and resold the major portion to MrW. W.McCardle, a member of tho Board, and further the Board bad quite recently forfeited the pry'ftiver sections, upon which of pounds had |iee : n spent, pnd w'pre about to resell them. Thp petitioner says further that for nearly two years he has been harassed by the Land Board, and twice prosecuted by the present Government far dummyisio,causing him expense the amount of about £SOOO, and he asks permission to examine certain persons, more particularly tho members of tho Wellington Land Board attending its meetings since September 1890,: who, Mr Phillips jjiys,-be feels have behpyed towards iijm io au unjust 1 minhef, from whitt bf Mr W. A. Fitzlierbcrt and Mr k',\ W.'Hogg. Also'lie asks the House (p order the Land Beard' to rescind its jresojjition of fortrjtjjre of thg. tp Pry ftivertMakara septjons, and to order Mr McCardle to return to him the forfeited Puketoi sections, or that the Board should give him an equivalent for the tame,