July 26.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2043

Rural Lands in Taranaki Land District open for Sale or Selection.

PLUNKET, Governor.

IN pursuance and exercise of the powers and authorities conferred upon me by section one hundred and thirty-six of “The Land Act, 1892,” and section two of “The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903,” I, William Lee, Baron Plunket, the Governor of the Colony of New Zealand, do hereby declare and provide as follows, that is to say:—

1. The rural lands enumerated in the Schedule hereto are hereby set apart for disposal by way of sale or selection on and after the eleventh day of September, one thousand nine hundred and six, at the respective prices specified in the said Schedule.

2. The said lands may be purchased for cash, or be selected for occupation with right of purchase, or on lease in perpetuity: provided that in the case of lands containing or supposed to contain any metal, mineral, or valuable stone, they shall be selected on lease in perpetuity only and shall not be purchased for cash.

3. For the purposes of “The Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903,” the lands enumerated in the said Schedule hereto shall be deemed to be “heavy-bush land.”

4. No general rate shall be levied or collected by any local authority from the said lands for a period of four years from the date from which in each case respectively such lands are disposed of, and no local authority shall have power to levy or collect any such rate from such lands during such period.

5. After the first half-year’s rent has been paid by the selector, the further instalments of rent payable by him for a period of four years shall not be demanded: provided that if at any time during the first five years of his occupancy the selector disposes of his interest in the land, the rent so conceded shall be paid by him in full, and thereupon the Land Board may remit such instalments of rent payable by the incoming tenant, not exceeding in the aggregate the amount of rent previously conceded to the selector, as the Board shall think fit.

SCHEDULE.
TARANAKI LAND DISTRICT.
Second-class Heavy-bush Land.

Stratford .. | Mahoe .. | 2 | III | 548 0 0 | 12 0 | 328 16 0 | 0 7·2 | 8 4 5 | 0 5·7 | 6 11 7
Situated on the Putikituna Road; access from Whangamomona, about eight miles distant, by the Ohura, Vera, and Putikituna Roads. The section does not contain good homestead-sites, though there are two areas on the Tangarakau River that might be suitable for the purpose. The forest is heavy, consisting chiefly of tawa, tow hai, rata, a little rimu, and occasional matai, kahikatea, and totara, with a thick undergrowth. Soil averages from fair to moderate for hill country; well watered. Altitude, from 350 ft. to 1,300 ft.

Stratford .. | Mahoe .. | 4 | III | 1,202 0 0 | 12 0 | 721 4 0 | 0 7·2 | 18 0 8 | 0 5·7 | 14 8 6
Situated on the Okara Road; access from Whangamomona, about fifteen miles, by the Vera, Putikituna, Tangarakau, and Okara Roads. The section comprises the basin at the head of the Kuri Stream. The country varies from fair on the eastern part to rough on the western. There are one or two small homestead-sites below the road at the south-eastern corner. It is covered with the usual forest growth, but has a good deal of birch on the higher ridges, and the usual thick undergrowth; well watered. Altitude, from 700 ft. to 1,600 ft.

Stratford .. | Mahoe .. | 5 | III | 1,058 0 0 | 16 0 | 846 8 0 | 0 9·6 | 21 3 3 | 0 7·6 | 16 18 7
Situated on the Okara Road, about eleven miles and a half from Whangamomona by the Vera, Putikituna, and Tangarakau Roads. The section is covered with the usual forest, except on the old Native clearing Tawawhakairo, which is chiefly fern-clad, and contains probably 30 acres of ploughable land on a gently sloping terrace; there is also a little flat 400 ft. or more above the river on the old clearing Matiaiwi. The soil varies from good to inferior in the very steep places. Altitude, from 300 ft. to 1,300 ft.

Stratford .. | Mahoe .. | 6 | III | 690 0 0 | 13 0 | 448 10 0 | 0 7·8 | 11 4 3 | 0 6·2 | 8 19 5
Situated on the eastern side of the Tangarakau River, just below Putikituna. There is a good homestead-site at the old Native clearing Pohuepapa, and the Tangarakau River is fordable. The section is covered with the usual forest growth, with some birch (beech) on the sharper spurs. The soil varies from good to rather inferior in the steep parts; at the bottom ends, about Pohuepapa, there is some very fair country. Pohuepapa is about eleven miles by road from Whangamomona. Altitude varies from 300 ft. to 1,197 ft.

Stratford .. | Mahoe .. | 1 | VII | 1,390 0 0 | 9 0 | 625 10 0 | 0 5·4 | 15 12 9 | 0 4·3 | 12 10 3
" .. | " .. | 4 | " | 445 0 0 | 16 0 | 356 0 0 | 0 9·6 | 8 18 0 | 0 7·6 | 7 2 5
Situated on the Okara Road; access from Whangamomona, fifteen to sixteen miles, by the Whangamomona Valley and Okara Roads, or the Vera and Putikituna Roads. Section 1 is rougher than the general run of adjacent country, but has a fair homestead-site on the eastern boundary, between the road and the Kuri Stream. Section 4 is mostly fair hilly country, with several small homestead-sites along Okara Road. The sections are covered with a thick forest of tawa, rata, rimu, &c., with a good deal of birch on Section 1, and tow hai on Section 4; soil varies from fair to inferior; well watered. Altitude, from 600 ft. to 1,600 ft. At the north-eastern end of Section 4 there is some very fair country.

Stratford .. | Mahoe .. | 2 | VII | 1,216 0 0 | 12 0 | 729 12 0 | 0 7·2 | 18 4 10 | 0 5·7 | 14 11 11
Situated on the Okara Road. The small portion on the western side between the Okara Road and the Tangarakau Watershed has been included for road access, which is also reserved along the Tangarakau River, from which it will ultimately be more easily worked; the Okara Road will probably afford the first access. The land comprises fair to rough hill country, covered with dense forest. There is a small homestead-site along the Okara Road, and a larger one near the Tangarakau River. Altitude, 300 ft. to 1,300 ft. The soil is of fair quality.

Stratford .. | Mahoe .. | 3 | VII | 472 0 0 | 17 0 | 401 4 0 | 0 10·2 | 10 0 8 | 0 8·1 | 8 0 6
" .. | " .. | 5 | " | 1,212 0 0 | 15 0 | 909 0 0 | 0 9 | 22 14 6 | 0 7·2 | 18 3 8
" .. | " .. | 7 | " | 680 0 0 | 15 0 | 510 0 0 | 0 9 | 12 15 0 | 0 7·2 | 10 4 0
Situated on the Okara Road; access from Whangamomona, thirteen to sixteen miles distant. Sections 3 and 7 comprise fair hilly country, with a few fair flats suitable for homestead-sites; on the Kuri side, Section 5 consists of fair hill-slopes; on the Tangarakau side, it is steeper into the gullies; but on the spurs about the old Native clearing Puwhara-whara there is some fair country, covered with manuka, tarata, &c.; it is very steep into the lower part of the Aotukituki Stream. The sections are covered with a forest of tawa, tow hai, rata, a little rimu, &c., and a thick undergrowth; soil from good to fair for hill country; well watered. Altitude varies from 400 ft. to 1,200 ft.

As witness the hand of His Excellency the Governor, this twentieth day of July, one thousand nine hundred and six.

T. Y. DUNCAN,
Minister of Lands.