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Directions to Applicants.

Applications for leases will be received up to 4 p.m. on and after Monday, the 13th March, 1899, at the District Land and Survey Office, Blenheim, where forms of application and maps may be obtained. Forms and maps may also be obtained at the Land Offices throughout the colony, or they will be sent by post on application.

The first ballot for sections for which there are more than one applicant will be held on Thursday, the 16th March, 1899, at 10 a.m., at the District Land and Survey Office, Blenheim. Possession will be given on the 1st April, 1899.

Applications must be accompanied by a deposit of a half-year's rent and £1 1s. lease-fee, otherwise they will not be considered; and in eases where the application is for a section on which buildings are situate, the amount of the first half-yearly instalment of the value thereof and the interest thereon must be deposited. If an application comprises more sections than one, it shall be sufficient if one deposit is made in respect of the section whose deposit is the largest.

If the applicant is successful in obtaining a section, his deposit, or a sufficient part of it, shall be retained and applied in payment of the rent due on the 1st July, 1899, for selections made before that date, and the residue, if any, shall be returned to him.

The agricultural land is for lease for 999 years. The pastoral land is for lease for 21 years, with the option of renewal at the then unimproved value for a further period of 21 years if not required for closer settlement.

Selectors will have to appear personally at the Land Board meeting at Blenheim on Tuesday, the 14th March, 1899, at 10 o'clock a.m., to answer any further questions which the Board may put,

Applications will be received for any number of sections, but no person shall be allowed to acquire or to hold more than one section. Harried women who forward their applications through the post are requested to give the full name and address of their husbands opposite the word "Occupation" on the application form.

Applications for agricultural land cannot be entertained from any person who already holds or has an interest in other lands over 1,000 acres in area, including the land applied for, or who has property of the full value of three times the land applied for, if under 100 acres, or twice the value if under 500 acres, or one and a half times if over 500 acres.

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Applications may be made for more than one run of [unclear: pastor] land, but no person who has an interest in lands which, with [unclear: it] area applied for, exceeds 5,000 acres, or who has property of [unclear: the] value of one-and-a-half times the capital value of the land [unclear: applied] for, can be an applicant.

Successful applicants shall insure all buildings at present [unclear: erect] on their sections to their full insurable value.

If there is only one applicant for any allotment, such [unclear: applies] shall obtain that allotment, if the Board is satisfied that he is [unclear: eligible] and thereupon his application in respect of all other allotments [unclear: when] soever shall be void.

In the event of any person being the only applicant for [unclear: may] than one allotment, such applicant shall be entitled to select [unclear: as] one of such allotments (subject to his being eligible), and [unclear: thereupon] his application shall be void as to all other allotments; and [unclear: su] applicant shall declare his election before the commencement of [unclear: the] ballot.

If a person is one of several applicants for more than one [unclear: allotment], then (subject to his being eligible) he shall be entitled [unclear: to] the allotment for which he is first successful in the ballot, and [unclear: there] upon his application in respect of the other allotments shall be void.

Applicants who are landless shall have preference over those [unclear: we] are not, and the decision of the Land Board as to who of [unclear: the] applicants are landless and who are not shall be final and [unclear: conclusive].

An applicant for rural land shall be deemed to be landless [unclear: un] at the time of his application he already holds, under any [unclear: tenure] such area of rural land as, in the opinion of the Board, is [unclear: sufficient] for the maintenance of himself and his family.

In the case of the husband or wife, if either of them is not [unclear: laless], neither of them shall be deemed to be landless.

Selectors are reminded that the terms as to payment of [unclear: re] &c., in advance, and fulfilment of conditions as to improvements [unclear: a] residence, will be strictly enforced.

The right is reserved to the Crown or to its delegated [unclear: author] to take, without compensation, water-races 30 links wide over [unclear: a] land disposed of, the rentals to be reduced in proportion to the [unclear: are] taken when the right is exercised.

Intending applicants should read the conditions carefully, [unclear: are] also make themselves acquainted with the questions, to which [unclear: the] must give written answers, and declare to.

An officer of the Survey Department will start from [unclear: Starborough] Accommodation-house every Monday on arrival of the coach [unclear: from] Blenheim, and on every other day at 8 o'clock a.m., to show [unclear: select] over the estate and point out the boundaries of the sections.

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