FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1904

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1113, 7 October 1904, Page 2

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1904

Yesterday wc tiled attrition to the so of proposals submitted lo the Borongh Council by tho sub-oommitioo appointed to consider the question of the Waihi land tenure, and endeavoured to 3how that tho first two were a distinct improvement on the portions of tho present system thoy referred to. Wo are now brought to the third on the list, which is as fol* lows: "That a limit in area bo mado by which ono person may held not more than one aero and ti-half within a mile of tho post-office, in my numbor of residence "itos, and a furthor two aorcs outsido that radius." Ai to the milo radius, this is a step backward rather than forward, for on certain conditions—such as neoossary improvements and tho fact that thb sections must bo bought from poisons leaving the distriot-a person can now hold two acres, or half-an-acro more limn proposed by tho committee, Tho privilege of holding more than ono section under certain conditions has apparently boon grautod by tho Warden in viow of the necessity of giving families, unable to build the opportunity of procuring houses to livo in by the payment of rent. This is a maltorin which discretion rather than 1119 strict law has bocu followed by tho Warden, It seems to lm the idea to rcuiovo tho condition that sections up to tho two-acre limit cm only ho bought from persons leaving tho district, and to mane perfectly lawful tho discretion used by tho Warden. If Ibis it. so wo may say wo do not consider tin proposal ok" travagiint, It is only aoihoriaing by enactment a praetioo that 1 as boon found to bo of great benefit tn th 1 tenant portion of the population. We do not see that

any harm would be done by removing the condition that the holder of a section who wants another one can only purclinso from someone leaving tho district. Under this condition tho person wanting to sell and yet wno intends remaining is badly handicapped, lor in his caso intending purohasonaro limited to those without aoction,», whilo tho man who is going away has a free field, and tho litter has thorcfore tho chance of getting a highor price, The proposal is confined to rosidenco sites, so that Main itreet or other business parts of the town are not affected. In regard to tho two-acre limit outside tho ralius, wo do not see that praotically tho same uvea should not bo granted outside as inside. Half-an noi'o more is noithor hero nor there, Rut it ought to bo laid down that in all cases, whether the sroa is half ao-ftci'o or anything in tho aggregate up to iho full limit, tlieimprovomonts should bo carriod out satisfactorily, under the penalty of forfeiture. The fourth proposal-" that tho Warden have discretion in every case to forfeit or otherwise, us ho ui'tj think tit "-jb olio 'hat probably no objection will be found wilh. Tho word "othorwiso" as used in tho recommendation is vague. It means anyihiiip at all, and the Counoil ought to define it so that tin hung can bo got of it, The fifth proposal* in very dobatiblo. It reads: "Thattho default nccsssiry for liability to forfoilnrs ha made longer, say

nine or twoivo months." Our opinion is strong that the taw in regard to this is fight as it stands. Hitherto, as long as t.hc holder has shown that some» dung has beeu done in tho six months lo put his section to logitimain mo iioro has not been any forfeiture. Surely in six months a man has plenty nft'uni tj feneo in haU-»n-a;ro, an improvement that up to the present hw s.itisli'.d the Wardeu that the soction was taken up for born, fide reasons. There is always tlin suspicion (with usually something in its that tho person who does nothing with his section for the first six mouths is only hold-, ingiton thechauc3of getting something (oc that which cost him nothing; and we incline lo the opinion that the mutter should he loft to the ! -ViU'don's discretion. At present it is imial'y twelve months and over before the extreme is gone to in cases of ouly partial citupliitnee with .the laws, and the Warden is considerate to anyone showing an inclination to improve hii ground. Tne sixth proposal isa 3 follows: Thit abandonment by operations oflaw be abolished."' This is iliD root of the lend tonure troubio in W.iihi, As long as the abao.lonnn'it cluho is in forco a reasonably sife tenure in \Vuihi is out of the question, and high rates of intortst will bo charged for moiioy borrowed to arsist in erecting building'. It is ,1 clause that effects seriously tho worker who js budding for hiimoll* mid woo borrows for tho purple, for intortvit which in other phcas would be edict! oxcos* sivo is charged him by the Imder owing to tho insecurity of tenure under this clause, it is a chine tint if wiped out would give to the W.vdr-n----discretionary powurs which lit ,)o,js not possess to tho extant ho ong'i:, because of its presence in tho Act, an J if tho proposal is alopt'td ut fail in the rato of tntorost to a leval much lower thin it is will eniu,)Voryi]u:ckly. Independently of this clause poivsr is given to tho Warden to prevont ahttfo of this system, so that

there ia no iuo for it except 11 give nightmares lo owners of bi'illings and supply good intoresL lo loaders ol money. Wo now come to the sovoatli, namely, '• That when improvement to a certain value, say £l5O or £2OO, hw been inndo on n. site, it bi not li;iblo tofovfoit'irii oX'iopL in vary grosi defiult in payment of nnt so hug as improve-

monis to the valno remain on the sito," This is protection that owners of improvements to the value slated have a right to expoct, and thoro is litto doubt that a provision of the sort should bj passed into law. T.io eighth proposal is as under: " Thai in caso a sito bo require 1 for mining purposes roasouaelo compensation be givsn for value of land as well as improvements." If mining companies coraponsato for house and ground improvements they do very well. We hopo that the Counoil will diccuss fully the recommendations sent in by tho committee, and that the outcome of tho requisition they send to the Minister will bo that holders of sections will have better titles,

The Premier stated in the House yostorday that there should bo no dillicnlty in bringing tho session to & oloso at iho end of the month.

The following players will represent tho West Cricket Club, in their match with Waitokanri to-morrow, to bo played at Waiiekauri,—Messrs, H. E, Moyer, I'. O'Donohue, J. Ivino, Cullen, W. Carvoy, G. Gable, F. Cameron, B WiJtors, C. Mollis, Burko, Stoele and Fury, A brake, will loavo Moyor's Hotel at 1.30 p.m.

Mr, T. Gardner, piano tuner and musio doaler, Munro's Arcade, intimatos to the public of Wailii that ho is now stocking tho latest succoss in songs, trios, duetts and musioal pioeos, Ho also announces that he will supply pianos and organs on terms from ono lb three ytars, and the latest in ponographs and zonopbonop.

It is reported from Wellington that the applicatfon recently mado for tho Tharaos Hauraki pump has not yet boen considered by Cabinet, but ic is not likely to bo entertained, The Minister is considering a scheme for utilisiug tho pump and mino, when tho property will be offered on terms specified to any company prepared to accept I them

Tho Hawko's Bay Anglican Hynod has decidod to express its doop sympathy with tho Itjman Catholic Church in tho loss it has sus'.ainod through tho massacre of missionaries in Now Guinoa. The mover of tho motion ot condolence (Rev. O. Dean) said that many reunions aro effected ai thogravosido, and ho felt sure that on such an occasion as this nil differences would ho laid asido in tho warmth of our feeling for those who had lain down their lives for tho Faith,

At a meeting of tho Oily Cricket Club last ovflninj,' Mr. U. Viilkor presiding Mr McK'iy was unnnimounly elneUil cuptsin, nnd Mr. Louut wns appointed &eci'etury find treasurer. Delegatus to the Association wwo appointed as follows: Messrs McKay, H. line, nod Loiiiit. Messrs McKay nnd Armstrong wore I'Modnslho selection committee. Tho following now monitors were nlcctod:Messra Walker, Eioe, Armstrong, l'lnvell, McKay, and L«n:pt«.

A meotiug of the delegates of tho Waihi Ci'ickot Association was held last evening at Pilling 9 Hotel, Mr. Benge presiding. Tho clubs wore represented as follows: Suburbs, Messrs, Ooruthwaite, Dull' and Wallnutt; West, Messrs Laing, Bolgor and Bedford; City, Messrs. H, and S. Rea and Cave; Waitokauri, Messrs. Wallor and Armstrong. Tho Waitekauri reprosentutivoß announced th'l they wero not going to join tho Waikino Club, and asked poi mission to cast in their lot, with City. It wasunaniinouilv decided on tin motion of Mr. Duff, and seconded by Mr. Bedford, "That tho Waitokauri players be permitted to join tho City Club." It was decided to play a mat eh, married v, single, on the loth inst, and commence tho Cup competitions on tho 22nd inst. All matches are to cmuioiico at 2.'lii p,m.| and it at i! p.m. one loam is in attendance, they can claim tho match if the other sido aro not prepared to eoinmonee tho mo, The representative colours wore decided on as bluo and gold, sashes of that, colour to tie obtained by tho Association. It was agreod that a auo-coinmittoo of two men from each club meet and arrange ahnufc holding matches on Wednesday Afternoon. Any gentlemen in Waihi wishing 10 join the Umpires' Association are asked to send in their name 3 to Mr E. W. Cave. The <jucstion of junior cup competitions was raised. Mr Armstrong-stated that if tho association coiildarraugo junior matches he knew that Waitekauri would enter a team. It was decided that the clubs should ascertain from tbeir mombers if they could raise junior towns and ivportlo the noxl moiling. Tho secretary was instructed to write and ascertain if the Waikino Club would compete in tho Cup competition.