a—4

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borrow any money simply to make application. Considers he could manage with the above amount. Passed for ballot. Mr. T. F. Roche: Applicant for Section 83, Subdivision 37. Stated he had a capital of £500. Thirty years station-manager. Is not married. Free from debt, and did not borrow any money simply to make application. Holds no other land. Passed for ballot. Mr. W. McFadden: Applicant for Section 83, Subdivision 37. Stated that he had £200 cash. Is not married. Has been farming all his life. Produced his bank-book and showed that he had £188 to his credit in the bank, which is at his own absolute disposal. Holds no other land. Is free from debt. Has no partnership. Did not borrow any money simply to make application. Considers he has sufficient capital to work the farm and get a living out of it. Passed for ballot. Mr. J. A. Caldwell: Applicant for Section 18a, Subdivision 38. Stated that he had a capital of £200 in cash. He produced bank-book in support of statement —£254. Ten years' experience in farming and friut-growing. Has been mining for the last ten years. Belongs to Old Country. Unmarried. Cash his own. No partnership. Is free from debt. Did not borrow money simply to make application. Passed. Mr. A. Watts: Applicant for Section 18a, Subdivision 38. Stated that he had £50 capital in cash and a few horses and cows. He follows the occupation of a creamery-manager. Has been doing dairying and creamery-work for the last five years. Has been working among cows; has done fencing. He has had a general experience in farming. Holds no other land. Is free from debt. Did not borrow money simply to make application. Considers that with the experience he has had and the capital at his own absolute disposal he could make a do of the section. Mr. Greenslade said he could vouch for applicant. Passed for ballot. Mr. Robins withdrew from Section 100, Subdivision 1. The application of Mr. J. H. Smith, who did not appear, was considered by the Board, and he was allowed to go to the ballot. He applied for Section 100, Subdivision 37. Mr. F. E. Foster: Applicant for Section 84, Subdivision 14. He stated that he had a capital of £400. Manager of Bank of New Zealand reported applicant as being a decent hardworking dairy-farmer and would make a good settler. Did not consider him to be worth much capital. Passed for ballot. Mr. John Tyson: Applicant for Section 51, Subdivision 29. States he is fifty-four years of age. His stock, implements, and cash amount to £300; cash alone is about £30. He has twenty cows milking, value £120; seven horses, £82; wagon, £40; spring cart, £10; one hack, £8; twelve calves, each twelve months' old, £24; six sows, £18; one boar, £3; furniture, £40. Is free from debt. The whole of his stock and cash is at his own absolute disposal. Has been a tenant for nine years on the estate. Commissioner: Ido not like the look of your land, and the farm will have to be considerably improved before we shall be satisfied. The section was granted outright to Mr. Tyson, as the other application was informal. The Commissioner pointed out very clearly, and gave the applicant to understand that he would in the next two years have to make great improvements on his farm; this Mr. Tyson thoroughly understood, and agreed to do his utmost to satisfy the Commissioner. Mr. H. J. Ratcliffe: Applicant for Section 60, Subdivision 29. States he has £20 cash in the Post-Office Sayings-Bank. Has fourteen dairy cows, three horses, plough, harrow, &c. Has been fifteen years on the ground. His first lease was for seven years, and has paid the same rent all through. He has been dairying for twenty years. His wife also has had large experience. He owes no money, and has no partnership. Commissioner : What improvements have you effected ? Applicant: I have fenced seven paddocks. Commissioner: The Government will expect more than that from you, also greater improvements will have to be effected before this Department is satisfied. The section will be granted to you under those conditions. Passed for ballot. The Commissioner afterwards explained that the last two applicants would doubtless make better farmers now that they held land under a better tenure. He thought it just as well to let them know that they had particularly been noted. Mr. Malcolm Campbell: Applicant for grazing-run, 2,956 acres, Subdivision 62, Sections 134 and 135, Block XII. States he has a capital of £1,800 cash. No stock or implements. Produced satisfactory evidence in support of financial position. Showed deposit-receipt for £186 4s. Owes no money, and did not borrow any for the purpose of making this application. Has farming experience for the last twenty years. The question arose that the applicant had capital in excess of requirements, but as he was the only applicant for the land the Board decided to grant it to him outright, to take possession on the Ist July. Mr. R. Smith: Applicant for Section 97, Block IX., Subdivision 35. Produced bank-book showing £50. Has been farming all his life; his wife has also had a great deal of experience in farming. His wife has three cows, also horse and trap, and £200. They are not in debt in any way, and with capital in hand and stock they consider they have sufficient to work this farm profitably. Money at own absolute disposal, and did not-borrow any'simply to make application. Passed for ballot.