4. There shall be established a Board, to be called the Waste Lands Board, ¹ to consist of one Chief page 2 Commissioner ¹ and of not less than two nor more than five other Commissioners, all of whom (except such one as shall he appointed to act as Treasurer) shall be appointed and be removable by warrant under the hand of the Superintendent.

5. One member of the Waste Lands Board shall also be the Treasurer thereof, and such member shall be appointed and removable by the Governor.

6. The Waste Lands Board shall sit at the principal Land Office of the Province, at certain stated times to be determined by the Superintendent, and shall also sit for special purposes at such places and at such times as the Superintendent shall direct; of which sittings due notice shall be given in the Provincial Government Gazette, and one or more newspapers published in the Province. (2) (2) The ordinary settings of the Board are held on every Monday and Thursday, at 12 o'clock noon, except when Christmas day or other proclaimed holiday falls on cither of those days.

7. The Chief Commissioner, when present, and in his absence, then some member selected by those present at any meeting of the Board, shall preside thereat, and shall have a casting vote in all questions coming before the Board.

8. All questions coming before the Board shall be decided by a majority of the Commissioners present thereat.

9. All meetings of the Board shall be attended by at least three Commissioners, and shall be open to the public.

10. All applications for land and for Pasturage and for Timber Licenses shall, after hearing evidence when necessary, be determined by the Board at some sitting thereof.

11. The ¹ Board shall have power to hear and determine all disputes between the holders of Pasturage and Timber Licenses respecting the boundaries of runs and districts, and shall have and exercise all the powers which may be lawfully had and exercised by any Commissioner of Crown Lands under the provisions of "The Crown Lands Ordinance, Sess. X., No. 1;" and "The Crown Lands Extension Ordinance, Sess. XI., No. 10." ²

12. All the routine business of the Land Department shall be transacted by the Chief Commissioner, subject to such regulations as may be made by the Board in that behalf.

13. A book to be called the "Application Book," shall be kept open during office hours at the Land Office, in which the name of every person desiring to make any application to the Board shall be written in order by himself, or any person duly authorised on his behalf; and the Commissioners shall, during the sitting of the Board, consider and determine all applications in the order in which they shall appear in the Application Book: Provided that if any person shall not appear himself, or by some person duly authorised on his behalf, before the Board when called in his turn, his application shall be dismissed until his name shall appear again in the book in order: Provided also that if two or more persons shall apply at the same time to write their names in the Application Book, the Chief Commissioner shall bracket their names, and shall initial the bracket; and when they shall appear before the Board, the Board page 4 shall determine the priority of right to be heard by lot; and it shall not be lawful for the Board to hear any application except such as shall be made in accordance with this Regulation.

13. All applications for the purchase of rural lands shall he made and determined in the following manner, that is to say,—When the applicant, or any person authorised in writing, or by telegram, on his behalf, shall apply at the Survey Office either at Christchurch or Timaru for the purpose of purchasing any portion of rural land, the Chief Surveyor, or such person as he may appoint, shall prepare a form of application for the said applicant, or any person authorised in writing on his behalf, to sign, containing a description of the portion of land which the applicant desires to purchase, and shall initial the said form, and note thereon the precise time at which the application shall have been made; and the Commissioners shall during the sitting of the Board, consider and determine all such applications in the order in which they shall have been received at the above mentioned Survey Offices, up to such day and hour as may from time to time be fixed by the Superintendent on the recommendation of the Board: Provided that if two or more persons shall apply at the same time for the same piece of land, or any portion thereof, the Board shall determine the priority of right to be heard by lot. Applications for the purchase of rural lands shall have priority of hearing before any other applications. ¹

For all other purposes, a book, to be called the "Application Book," shall be kept open during office hours at the Land Office, in which the name of every person desiring to make any application to the Board shall be written, in order by himself, or any person duly authorised in writing on his behalf, and the Commissioners shall, during the sitting of the page 5 Board, consider and determine all applications made by such persons in the order in which their names shall appear in the Application Book, except where otherwise provided: Provided that if any person shall not appear himself, or by some person duly authorised on his behalf, before the Board when called in his turn, his application shall be dismissed until his name shall appear again in the book in order: Provided also that if two or more persons shall apply at the same time to write their names in the Application Book, the Chief Commissioner, or in his absence any other Commissioner, or the Chief Clerk of the Board, shall bracket their names and shall initial the bracket; and when they shall appear before the Board, the Board shall determine the priority of right to be heard by lot; and it shall not be lawful for the Board to hear any application except such as shall be made in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

14. The Board shall keep true and detailed minutes of all applications made to the Board, and all decisions thereon, and of all sums of money paid to the Treasurer, and generally of all the proceedings of the Board; and such minutes shall be signed by all the Commissioners present at any meeting; and such minutes shall be open to the inspection of all persons desiring to inspect the same, at all reasonable hours, on payment of the sum of two shillings and sixpence for every such inspection.