JAN. 14.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 25

Opening Land in Otago Land District for Selection on Renewable Lease.

PLUNKET, Governor.

IN pursuance and exercise of the powers and authorities conferred upon me by "The Land Act, 1908," I, William Lee, Baron Plunket, the Governor of the Dominion of New Zealand, having received the report of the Under-Secretary in this behalf, as provided in section one hundred and fifty-four of the said Act, do hereby declare that the rural land described in the Schedule hereto shall be open for selection on Wednesday, the tenth day of March, one thousand nine hundred and nine; and also that the land mentioned in the said Schedule may be selected on renewable lease only, in accordance with the provisions of section one hundred and thirty-five of the said Act, as it contains, or is supposed to contain, metal, mineral, or valuable stone; and I do hereby also fix the price at which the said land shall be leased, as mentioned in the said Schedule hereto, and do declare that the said land shall be leased under and subject to the provisions of "The Land Act, 1908."

SCHEDULE.

OTAGO LAND DISTRICT.—MANIOTOTO COUNTY.—BLACKSTONE SURVEY DISTRICT.

Second-class Land.

Weighted with £29 7s. 6d., valuation for fencing.

An open section; 90 acres undulating, and 34 acres shingly flat; soil is fairly good in parts, and shallow in other places. Situated about three-quarters of a mile from Cambrian Post-office.

As witness the hand of His Excellency the Governor, this eighteenth day of December, one thousand nine hundred and eight.

JAMES MCGOWAN,
For Minister of Lands.

Opening Lands in Wellington Land District for Sale or Selection.

PLUNKET, Governor.

IN pursuance and exercise of the powers and authorities conferred upon me by “The Land Act, 1908,” I, William Lee, Baron Plunket, the Governor of the Dominion 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 Friday, the twenty-sixth day of February, one thousand nine hundred and nine, at the respective prices specified in the said Schedule, and shall be deemed to be “heavy-bush land.”

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

3. 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.

4. 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.

WELLINGTON LAND DISTRICT.—SOUTH WAIMARINO (RUATITI) BLOCK.

SECOND-CLASS HEAVY-BUSH LAND.

Waimarino County.—Whirinaki Survey District.

Waimarino County.—Manganui Survey District.

LOCALITY AND DESCRIPTION.

This portion of the Waimarino Block now under offer takes in the basins of the Makino, Ruatiti, and Ohangaia Streams.

Access is by the Raetihi-Ohura Road from Raetihi, which is about 14 miles distant from the southern extremity of the block, 5 miles of which is a metalled dray road, 7½ miles unmetalled dray road, and 1½ miles 6 ft. horse-track. There is a cage across the Manganui-a-te-ao River, and also a rough ford. There will also be a connection with the Eherua Railway station by Makino and Eherua Roads.

The block comprises fairly steep slopes, ranging in altitude from 950 ft. on the Manganui-a-te-ao River to 1,000 ft. on the tops of the ridges, the highest point being the Otatu Trig. on the east, which is 2,475 ft. There are a few small flats up the Ruatiti and Makino Streams sufficient for homestead sites. Both these streams are gorgy throughout the block, but being of no great width can easily be bridged.

The bush is principally tawhero and rata on spurs, tawa, tawhero, rimu, hinau, miro, rewarewa on sidelings and in basins, and some kahikatea and matai on the flats. The undergrowth, which is dense, consists of karamu, mahoe, kotukutuku, rangiora, supplejacks, ferns, and mosses.

Sections 9, 13, and 14, Block IX, Manganui Survey District, are more broken than the rest of the block, and have birch ridges running through them.

The soil is of a light description, shallow on spurs on sandstone formation, and deeper in basins, and on sidelings on papa formation.

The sections are well watered by permanent small creeks. The Ruatiti and Makino Streams are rather too gorgy to be of much use in this respect. The district generally is reputed to have a copious rainfall.

As witness the hand of His Excellency the Governor, this fifteenth day of December, one thousand nine hundred and eight.

JAMES MCGOWAN,
For Minister of Lands.

Opening Lands in Otago Land District for Sale or Selection.

PLUNKET, Governor.

IN pursuance and exercise of the powers and authorities conferred upon me by “The Land Act, 1908,” I, William Lee, Baron Plunket, the Governor of the Dominion of New Zealand, having received the report of the Under-Secretary in this behalf, as provided in section one hundred and fifty-four of the said Act, do hereby declare that the