Dear Sir,

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 100, 28 February 1947, Page 4

Dear Sir,

Letters to the Editor must be clearly written on one side of the paper only and where a noin-de-plume is used the name of the writer must be included for reference purposes. The Editor reserves the right to abridge, amend or withhold any letter or letters.

BUILDING SECTIONS Sir, —In reply to the letter under the above heading, published in your paper on February 24, I would like to make a few comments. The first 62 inches of the letter is taken up with an attack' upon the Land Sales Committee and the Judge. We then find the writer wakes up, re-reads what he has written. He does not apologise or, withdrew his attack, but takes up this time 1 3-8 inches to blow out all that goes before it. Second quotation which reads as follows: “All this trouble, expense, and injustice because a bit of land less than f of an acre privately owned, which we are told cost them about £32, 10 or 12 years ago is required to connect the Harbour Board access road across the mudflat to Bracken Street a paltry seven chain. These owners are not farming or residing on this land.”

If we take that to mean, as is also inferred in your leader on the same subject, that the only road access is via Commerce Street, Domain Road and McGarvey’s Road, with you giving the distance as “less than three minutes from the business area,” and the letter in question giving the time as “only five minutes walk from the Strand.” I would surely say we must have some world record walkers in this town of ours.

A further point re this 2 acre section, seeing it appears to be required for the extension of the Harbour Board road. Can any blame be placed upon the owner, or must it be placed upon the local bodies because during the past 10 years or more, the Borough Council and the Harbour Board have sat together many times on this question re the continuation of the new road over the mudflats. So if these boys have to wait another ten years, and maybe get no further. They may recall that it was only five minutes walk. All I ask is that the cards be placed upon the table for these boys. They have done a job for us, now its our turn to repay. Was it the present distance by road from town that the Land Sales Committee fixed the price, and not what might be some time.

It’s strange isn’t it, that what is taking place at the present time re land values, took place after the 1914-18 war, and since then, at least for 10 years, a demand has been evident for sections, part of that time before we had any Land Sales Committees, what was done then. Now another aspect re land values. When a valuation is fixed by the Government for rating purposes, the owner may object, go to the Appeal Court, then if he objects, he can offer it to the Government at its own valuation. How would it work out the other way to be fair. If an owner will not sell at a Government valuation, but only on his own valuation, let such valuation be the basis for rating purposes, for so long that such sections are held by him. That might have the effect and bring them into the market at a fair price. As for the boys saying they can pay what they like. No it’s a case of having to pay what you are asked, as perhaps their fathers did from 1918 to 1921. No protection then. Yours etc., HARRY CARR.