1782
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 52

Approval of Fees fixed by By-law of Local Body for Licensing of Vehicles.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Wellington, 19th June, 1906.

IT is hereby notified, in accordance with section 311 of “The Counties Act, 1886,” that so much of the by-law made by the Waitemata County Council on the 1st June, 1906, as appoints the several sums to be paid to the Waitemata County funds for the licensing of vehicles has this day been approved by His Excellency the Governor.

ALBERT PITT,
Acting Colonial Secretary.

Arbor Day.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Wellington, 26th June, 1906.

WEDNESDAY, the 25th day of July next, will be observed as a public holiday in the Government offices throughout New Zealand for the celebration of Arbor Day.

In order that the movement may be made as successful as possible, the Government hopes that the Mayors of the various municipalities and Chairmen of local bodies will place the matter prominently before the people of the colony, and do all they can to encourage the planting of public reserves and other available lands, both public and private, with trees suited to the locality.

ALBERT PITT,
Acting Colonial Secretary.

Intending Purchasers of Land in California, United States of America.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Wellington, 26th June, 1906.

IN view of certain advertisements issued by interested persons offering to sell land in California, or to act as agents for the purchase or management of farms in that State, His Majesty’s Secretary of State for the Colonies has suggested that warning should be given to intending purchasers of land in California, and the annexed extract from the “Summary of Consular Reports, 1904–5, North and South America,” pages 38–39, issued by the Emigrants Information Office (Imperial), 31 Broadway, Westminster, S.W., London, England, is therefore published for general information.

ALBERT PITT,
Acting Colonial Secretary.

SAN FRANCISCO DISTRICT.

California as a Field for Immigration: Caution to Would-be Settlers.

In previous reports from this Consulate-General, California as a field for immigration has been dealt with at length, but a few words of further caution appear to be necessary. Before British subjects decide to come to California, ordinary prudence requires that the conditions of the country should be carefully inquired into. Farming in California is different from farming at Home, and an experience gained on a British farm is not all that is required to make a successful settler in California. Numberless cases are recorded in this office where British subjects have purchased land in California that they have not even seen, with disastrous results to the buyers. If people at Home would stay a moment to consider the facts they would realise that if bargains are offered to them there is generally something wrong, as Americans on the spot are shrewd enough to pick up anything good on the market. Land companies are not all honest, even though they advertise their schemes in the best London papers, and especially in papers of a religious character. Even representations made in perfect good faith may on personal investigation turn out to be not quite what the reader at a distance thought them to be. The following broad rules of conduct for intending settlers are suggested:—

1. Never purchase land in California until it has been personally examined.

2. Never buy land at all until you have been in the country for at least a year, and have learned all about crops, marketing facilities, “hardpan,” labour-supply, water-supply (rainfall or artificial), climate, whether malarial or not, &c.

3. Never pay a premium to “learn farming.” This is a rank imposition where labour is scarce and highly paid.

4. Take a berth on a ranch for a year or so whilst you look about and gain experience.

5. Then, if you decide to settle, lease land for a term with the option of purchase, if not quite certain of all conditions. This can easily be arranged in all parts of the State.

6. Avoid land companies, land syndicates, and real-estate agents, unless you have by careful inquiry satisfied yourself that they are trustworthy.

7. Decide clearly in your mind why you are searching in a foreign land for conditions which you will find in our own Empire, under our own flag and our own laws, advantages which are rarely appreciated until they are lost.

8. Satisfy yourself also as to the reason why Americans in large numbers, and with considerable capital, are leaving California for Canada, and why there are numerous British subjects in California who have been here for years and done fairly well, who are anxious to sell, at a considerable reduction on the price originally paid for them, ranches and fruit orchards which they bought long since.

Special Order made by the Wakanui Road Board, County of Ashburton.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Wellington, 25th June, 1906.

THE following special order, made by the Wakanui Road Board, is published in accordance with the provisions of “The Road Boards Act, 1882.”

ALBERT PITT,
Acting Colonial Secretary.

WAKANUI ROAD BOARD, COUNTY OF ASHBURTON.

Special Order made by the Wakanui Road Board at a Special Meeting held on the 9th day of June, 1906.

THAT, under the authority of “The Road Boards Act, 1882,” “The Public Works Act, 1905,” and all other enabling powers, provisions, and authorities contained in any other Acts or otherwise vested in them, the Wakanui Road Board doth hereby make and ordain the following by-laws for regulating the conditions on which traction-engines may be allowed to pass along the public roads within the Wakanui Road District, and for providing for a yearly license fee on any traction-engine engaged in heavy traffic within the said district:—

1. The term “traction-engine” or “engines” where used in these by-laws means a locomotive engine propelled by steam or other power not being used on a railway or tramway. The word “road” or “highway” means a road as defined in section 101 of “The Public Works Act, 1905,” and includes county roads and district roads, and any road actually in use by the public. “Local authority,” “Board,” or “Road Board” means the Wakanui Road Board. “Clerk of the Board” means the Clerk of the Wakanui Road Board. “Heavy traffic” shall have the meaning given to it by section 139 of “The Public Works Act, 1905.”

2. No person shall use, or cause to be used, or be concerned in using, any engine which of itself or together with any thing or things being transported thereon shall weigh more than one and a half tons avoirdupois to each pair of wheels on a road within the district for the purpose of hauling or carrying any load of any description whatever, unless such engine shall be duly licensed in the manner hereinafter mentioned.

3. Any person owning or using an engine who shall desire to obtain a license to use the same on roads within the district shall deliver at the office of the Road Board an application in writing signed by him pursuant to the form contained in Schedule B to this by-law, or to the like effect, describing such engine, and for every such license granted by the Road Board there shall be paid to the Clerk of the Board such sum or sums of money to be placed to the credit of the Road Board fund as are respectively specified in Schedule A to this by-law.

4. Licenses for engines may be in the form contained in Schedule C to this by-law, or to the like effect, and shall continue in force for one year from the date of issue, and no longer. In every such license shall be specified the number and duration of the license, the name and place of abode of the owner of the engine in respect of which the license is granted, the description of the engine, and the weight of the engine when unloaded.

5. Traction-engines shall be driven so that none of the wheels shall travel in ruts formed in the highway by the wheels of the same or any other traction-engine.

6. No engine shall pass along or come upon any bridge at any time while any person with a horse or carriage drawn by a horse is on such bridge.

7. If it becomes necessary to discharge any ashes or other such refuse from the furnace of any engine on any road or