LAND BOARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2397, 12 January 1909, Page 4

LAND BOARD.

ADJOURNED MEETING. An adjourned meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Land Board was held at tho Land Office, Gisborne, yesterday. Present: The Commissioner Mr. Henry Trent, Messrs E. Lane, Hyde, Groome and Bartram. TRANSFERS. Hilton N. Lysnar applied for a transfer of. small grazing run 79 A., Hangaroa, to J. M. Mouckton (Mr. Kirk). The application was granted. The application of J. H. D. Rutledge to transfer section 2, block 9. Uawa, 437 acres, acquired m 1903, to Thomas Utting was considered. The ranger said that the transferee already held the limited area allowed by the Lands for Settlement Act, and could not hold the land. ilr. Lane said the clause in the Act did not govern the transfer of a lease.

Mr. Bartram said it would be in the interests of the Government if the transfer was allowed to go through. Mr. Utting bad no site for a. homestead, and it was the duty of the Board to give, the man a site for a house. If the law did not allow the transfer a recommendation might be made to tho Minister to allow the transfer. The Commissioner agreed to the proposal. Mr. Lane: Let the Board come to a decision on the point and let the Minister confirm the decision if the same is lawful. Mr. Bartram: The Minister might adopt the Board’s recommendation. Mr. Lane: He should not if it is illegal. Mr. Utting is eligible to acquire the section. and the Board should grant the application. There should he no doubt about the Board’s decision. Mr. Lane therefore moved to that effect. Mr. Bartram seconded the motion, which Wis carried.

Mrs. Mabel McDermott- (Messrs Chrisp and Coleman) applied for a miscellaneous license over section 3, block 9, Ngatapa. 55 acres. The Ranger said he had no objection to the license being granted, and the ceeommemi ition was adopted, subject to the amount of rental being fixed. _ The Commissioner read a schedule of Crown tenants whose rents are in arrears, and it was decided to caution all whose rents are over-due, ami to order forfeiture in the case of the holdiug of Mr.. Wulsh, Tiniroto, who was reported as deceased. Messrs Luun and Boland asked for leave to amend the boundaries of their holding, section 1, block 10, Hangaroa. so as to include a portion of small grazing run No. 41, so as to acquire a. homestead site. The Board decided to grant the applicants a sub-lease of the land.

RESIDENTIAL CLAUSES. Mr. Hyde moved that- in all cases where section S 4 of the Land Act, 1908, 'applies in regard to residence for two years being compulsory, and the Lands for Settlement Act, 190 S, which makes five years necessary, the proof of such residence must rest with the tenant independent of any report from the Ranger. The mover said cases were constantly happening which made such a regulation necessary. He knew of cases in which leaseholders did not live on the land, hut received a telephone message when the Ranger was in the district aud at once took up their residence on the land. In many cases ,the residential clauses of leases were systematically evaded, aud if the motion was carried the difficulty would be got over. Mr. Laue said lie would oppose the motion as a reflection on Crown Lands tenants. He admitted that the residential clauses were hard to keep, but the motion would make confusion worse confounded. A simpler way to settle the difficulty was to allow a man to reside where lie wished,mid to limit the areas. Freeholders had no such conditions imposed i pen them and nothing would make the leasehold more unpopular than the imposition of unworkable regulations. Mr. Hyde said he did not want the motion (adopted unless it was carried unanimously. Mr. Bartram said-there were many advantages to a community of settlers by the enforcement of the residential clauses. Mr. Hyde then withdrew his motion.