SOLICITOR SILENT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 173, 24 July 1942, Page 6

SOLICITOR SILENT

MANY INTERESTS INVOLVED

When inquiries were made this morning from the late Mr. Partington's solicitor, Mr. C. H. M. Wills, he said that he could make no comment at this juncture. Mr. Wills was asked to whom the mill would go if it was not made over to the City Council, but he replied that there were too many interests involved for him to make a statement.

After Mr. Partington's death last November a search was made for a will, without avail. A further development was that a second will was stated to have been made, but this also could not be found. This will was made during a period of illhealth in the latter part of 1940, when a firm of land agents whom he employed temporarily to collect his rents took the old gentleman down to their solicitors, where he signed another will. This was word for word the same as that made in 1936, with these two exceptions, namely: (1) These two land agents were appointed the sole executors and trustees.

(2) These two land agents were appointed the sole agents for their respective lives for the letting and collecting of rents from all the late Mr. Partington's properties devised to the City Council. Mr. Wills said at the time that Mr. Partington had always been determined to preserve the mill for the city for all time. The same statement was made by one of Mr. Partington's oldest friends, Mr. D. Bradley, off St. Mary's Road.