TE ARAI SECTIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2152, 30 March 1908, Page 1

TE ARAI SECTIONS.

THE SECOND BALLOT.

A, special meeting of the Land Board was held on Saturday morning, avhen the. matter of the section drawn hy .Miss Livingstone was discussed. Tho Commissioner stated that lie considered that it <wq# xnireJy a mistake, and not intentional. I lie two remaining applicants for the section will, if both are eligible, ballot for it at a later date. _ The protest oi Mr. Mclntyre against having his name struck oil the ballot list oil the grounds that has wife had been a successful appilleant for another section, caused considerable discussion, and Mr. Eustace Lane moved that tho protest, should be upheld.. Both the Commissioner and Mr. Hyde,' however, were of the opinion that the protest conld not be sustained, and eventually the protest was withdrawn • by Mr. Mclntyre, who wrote to the Board as follows : - “I beg to withdraw my protest in connection with certain sections in the Tc Arai b illot. I merely wanted to establish the fact that according

to the Act I had the right. But at the sa-nio tiino I recognise tlio fact when 1 consider the matter carefully through, tihab_ the decision of tho Commissioner is a just one, end may be in''accordance with what the Act intended! it to )jo.”

SATURDAY’S BALLOT. There wins * .good attendance at the (Drill Shed at 11 a.m., when the remaining section's were 'balloted for. Messrs. J. Graham and S. Boland acted ms scrutineers, and the following' are the results: ■Section sa, 'block 8, Patutahi, 1072 acres (16 applications)—James McElhinney, 'Hanigaroa. Section. 0, 'block 12,- Patutahi, 328 acres (4 applications)—David Ro'ni son, Gisborne. , Section 17, block 5, Trimngaair, 1 acre (1 •applicant)—Peter Gwschki. Ormoiut.sv. ; •Section 18,'block 5, Turang mui, 1 acre fl applicant)—'lneligible. Section 5, block 9, Turangirii, 254 aci'os (8 applications)—Hoki Told, Ma mi telco. - Section 7, bToekJ), Turanganui, 299 acres (7 applications)—Edward'Pardoe, Waorenga-a-hika. There are still six one-acre sections in block 5, Turang um.i, unapplied for. Tile sections are dose to the school, and will bo open for selection again to-day. In "the event of there being only one application, the section in question, will be allotted to the 'applicant, but if there are more tlmn. -xVKpß'ftppUcation a ballot will be taken.

THE QUESTION OF REBATES. In connection' with tho requests •nifde on Friday morning regarding rebates of rent, tho following is a copy of the letter forwarded to the Board by Mr. J. Bright, on behalf of the successful .applicants : —“Te Arai Settlement.—Referring to the verbal, inquiry made by me this morning at the ballot on behalf of Te Arai applicants, I have tlio honor to request that you will give your conskkeration to the question of a rebate of 10 per cent, being granted 'upon the have been made by successful applicants for rent in advance. lam pleased to have your assurance that these -rebates will certainly apply to future payments, but it does appear to me that it should lie further extended to tho payments which have been made on application. According to the now regulations the deposits have been mad 9 .to include the broken period mp to Ist July, and a full half-year in addition, and as the settled will be some considerable .time before they can raise anything from the property, I feel sure that if it is within your powers you will grant this request. A large preliminary outlay has to be made in fencing and other necessary ' improvements, without which no effective use can bo made of the land, and there appears abundant reasons why any concession that can possibly be granted to those -who have taken up tho sections should be allowed. Permit me to congratulate you and tho 'Board upon the successful manner ixx which this large and valuable property has been taken up. I 'feel sure that the settlers who have been successful at this morning s ballot will prove a valuablo addition to our present farming community, and their experience will lead them to make a success of tho settlement,'and so assure any further purchases which the Government may make being successfully passed off here.”. ROADS FOR THE SETTLEMENT. Mr. Eustace Lane has given notice t 0 move at the next mectipg of ithe Board, to bo held on April 10I: That in- the interests of the tenants of the Crown on the To Arai settlement, a return be prepared showing the amount .provided for the reading of the settlement, seeing that the sections •have ibeen loaded! wvfcih tlie amount in question in addition to tlio cost or survey, etc., concerning which it is al , 0 advisable ah at the public should bo clearly informed.”