Mar. 3.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 439

The land is of fairly good quality throughout and level, with the exception that it rises in terraces back from the railway; it is covered with a mixed bush, principally red pine, heavy on the low ground and rather light on the terraces; on the south side of the Mokihinui River, about four miles from its mouth, and west side of Coal Creek. Sections Nos. 41, 49, 50, and 57 have a frontage to the Main Valley Road, and the others have access by by-roads.

CONDITIONS OF SETTLEMENT.

Term of lease, thirty years; renewable for further periods of twenty-one years.

Rents are payable half-yearly, on the first days of January and July in each year.

No rent need be paid for the first two years. The unpaid rent will, however, be added to the capital value, and rent then paid on such increased value, or the arrears of rent can be paid off at any time.

A fee of 10s. will be charged for registration of lease.

No lease shall be issued until after the payment of the first half-year’s rent.

Settlers shall not subdivide or sublet their holdings; but, with the consent of the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the district, they may transfer them, provided that all the conditions of these regulations have been fulfilled to date of application to transfer, and the two years’ arrears of rent paid in full.

Each settler or transferee will be required to occupy his selection as his home, and to make substantial improvements.

The erection of a dwelling-house must be completed within six months of the date of selection, and each settler must reside on his section within that time. In bush-lands this may be deferred until one month after the first burn, but no longer.

In bush-lands each settler must begin bush-felling immediately.

Those settlers who may desire an advance of £10 will obtain payment from the Steward, on his certificate that a dwelling-house of at least that value has been erected on the land.

Each settler shall within two years cultivate one acre, and within four years the half of the remainder, of his selection, and make substantial improvements.

Substantial improvements shall mean—
(1.) Fencing the land with timber or other durable materials, not being a brush-fence; or
(2.) Breaking up and laying down the same in English or other cultivated grass; or
(3.) Breaking up and planting or sowing root or other crops therein; and, in case of bush-lands, the felling and clearing of timber and sowing of grass.

Any person who has an interest in any land of more than an acre in extent in the colony is not eligible to select.

No person can hold more than one section.

Married men will have preference as selectors.

No married women are eligible as selectors.

When more applications than one are made on the same day for the same land, the right to occupy the land applied for shall, subject to married men having the preference, be determined by lot amongst the applicants.

Any settler who shall fail to comply with these regulations in any respect shall, upon sufficient proof thereof to the satisfaction of the Commissioner, forfeit his interest in the land selected.

DECLARATION TO BE MADE BY APPLICANT.

I, , of , in the Land District and Colony of New Zealand, , do solemnly and sincerely declare—

1. That I am of the age of seventeen years and upwards.
2. That I am the person who, subject to the provisions of “The Land Act, 1885,” am applying for a lease of Section , Block , District.
3. That I am applying for such lease solely for my own use and benefit, and for the purpose of cultivation, and not directly or indirectly for the use or benefit of any other person whomsoever.
4. That I am not the owner, tenant, or occupier, directly or indirectly, either by myself or jointly with any other person or persons, of any lands anywhere in the colony exceeding in the whole one acre.
5. That I have not, within seven years from the date hereof, surrendered a lease with perpetual right of renewal.
   And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of an Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand intituled “The Justices of the Peace Act, 1882.”

(Signature.)

Declared at , this day of , 18 , before me, , Justice of the Peace.

J. S. BROWNING,
Commissioner of Crown Lands.

Station Peaks Small-grazing Runs to be sold by Auction.

District Land and Survey Office,
Christchurch, 13th February, 1892.

NOTICE is hereby given that the leases of the under-mentioned small grazing-runs will be offered for sale by auction, at the Land Office, Timaru, on Tuesday, the 22nd March, 1892, at 11 o’clock a.m., at the upset annual rental noted opposite each run:—

COUNTY OF WAIMATE.

These runs are situated on the dividing-range between the Hakateramea and Waihao Rivers, inland of Waimate, and comprise an area of 32,320 acres of high open hills, intersected by deep gullies, which in places merge into gorges. The ridges are generally broad and flat, the slopes easy and undulating in parts, and in others steep and broken. Though there are no large flats, each run contains at least one suitable site for homestead purposes, the means of access thereto, however, being in some cases difficult. The soil varies in quality from fair to good, that on the main tops and southern faces having a cold appearance, whilst other parts are very rocky. The vegetation comprises the ordinary silver tussock and other native grasses, with an admixture of English grasses. Snow-grass is common on the higher lands and southern faces. The whole area is fairly well watered by streams which bound and intersect the runs. The general elevation of the country lies between 1,500ft. and 3,500ft. at the highest point, the top of the range averaging about 3,000ft. above sea-level. The distance from Waimate by the Pentland Hills Road to the north-eastern Run 36388 is about twenty-six miles, all but one mile of the distance being practicable for drays. The distance to the Waihao Forks Railway-station being nineteen miles; the distance from the latter station by the Myers Creek Pass carriage-road to Runs 36393 and 36394 is about thirteen miles. The roads to the eastward of the runs are formed, except where otherwise shown on plan, whilst to the westward lies the Hakateramea Valley Road, which connects with the Sandhurst Railway-station, on the Waitaki, a distance of about fourteen miles from Runs 36393 and 36394. Though the hills are high, horses can be ridden all over the country, which, in the absence of low-lying flats, is only suited for pastoral purposes. The climate of the district is described as favourable to sheep-farming, except during winter, when the higher lands are subject to heavy falls of snow.

CONDITIONS OF LEASE.

1. The term of lease is twenty-one years, the option of renewal for a further period of twenty-one years being with the Governor; recurrent rent to be fixed by valuation, and improvements being secured to lessee as provided by “The Land Act, 1885,” section 209. Each lessee is required to make the declaration as per form below.

2. No person can lease more than one run.

3. Residence on the run is compulsory for six years, commencing within twelve months from commencement of lease, unless the lessee obtain the consent of the Land Board to reside on land in his occupation within ten miles of the run.

4. Permanent improvements must be effected equal to one year’s rental by the end of the first year, two years’ rental by the end of the second year, and four years’ rental at the end of the sixth year.

5. One half-year’s rent and £1 11s. for the lease to be paid on the fall of the hammer; the rent to be paid half-yearly in advance during the term of the lease.

6. The lessee has no right to purchase any part of the land; but he can select 150 acres around the homestead, through which no road can be taken or other public privilege exercised without compensation.

NOTE.—One-fourth of the rent paid during the first fifteen years is returned to the local body, to be spent in improving the access to the land.