CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 43, 14 November 1907, Page 4

CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION.

- " KARORL WATERWORKS. ■-V- ■ ""' ' : "'•" v ''.' *"'. , " , '. , .' '■,"■■- HARRINGTON AND >'. FITCHETt' v. TIIE "; ::::-...; CORPORATION. ■',' ' ■ .The final stage pF a; case that has been ■b'eforq, the. Courts ..for. some time past was reached . yesterday ,in tho .Compensation Court.-,. '.-„.'.. \ .-.v,... ■.': , Tho claimants "word Jeromialr'Harrington 'arid A'shton BuddW Fitehett, and tho res■p'ondentS.' the Wellington City ;Council. Mr,; Justip'o. Cooper.,presided,, and the assessors..wore,:—Mr..; C'A Jj. Crawford (for tho pity Council),'^thd::Hon. ; T.-"']L' Macdonald .'(for -Mr.' Harrington), and Mr. John C. ; MiKerrbw;,(foi^My.,,Fitc.he,tt). v . ~ ~ "■' Mr.. D..! .'Fujdliiy a;ppeared.for. Harring,<;on; Mr. -31. ;Cliapman, K.C., with him Mr.' ;C. B.'Morison, for Fitcliett,' and Mr. A. Grey; and Mr."J: .O'Sliea for the City Council. ' .:'. : ..:'::;■■":;";:■ .: ; '!.

' Mr. Harrington .claimed £5991, made up 'as; : .'fol!QW;S:rr-,Goodwill;-und6r lease, of 302 a. 2r: : 35p., with, tho right, of purchase, £4541; loss of business as :a farmer and;dairyman iaii'd general damage, £500; ..lossj owing to 'tfbmpulspry salo of dairy stock', £150; loss ■of'-silo i<ud other buildings, ,£3OQ.; loss of -ac'coss,. fo lands, and costs ,0f,,-reroading, £150; loss by deprivation of, water supply 'dam and wator .rights, £350..,":'Th0 last item, however, was withdrawn.V. ■

Mr..Fitcliett claimed,£l7,l3B Is. 'compon-.B.ation;iior..;;lqss,-,ar,is'ing put. of,,the taking "of. .the. lands ; in, questionViit. Upper. Kaiwarra. For TS/iicrfls'-.W porches,. ho...c]aiined £54 10s. per'. acrq--.(£4255); ;for-another portion of .§o',acr.os'r£43--,i0.5.: per-acro- (£3430); tho other ,-iJainis,..7B Meres., at v i £38 (£2964), C 6 acros 2 roods 21 porcho's at £32 ss. per aero : : \ n -.va1u0,..0f .improvements, £48S;:fdtaliof'lan'd and.improyements takon, £13,3.53,,."','l.i|.',"additibri.'-'lO p'orVcont. was .claimed (of c.pmpulsbry.,.talking, ,tho amount ■b'oi'ng! £]335V55.; .depreciation ,of,'tho value ..of buil'dirigs,', £4Qo';'.lqsf oF-tlie'most convvnient.,access -.to^tlid.vj'an'ij.. Vylijph had not been- resumed,,. £if)o\ depreciation of tlio value of,' buildings,', £400; .depreciation of the, valu'd,p.f'the;.land,thrpugh.it. being loss 'Saleabjcafld .through; lgss, of a' bargain with ;a:^tenant:.-a?'; .'purchaser,. £1.0,00.; maohiriory •rendered.- useless _ : .and taken,''.'£2oo.

/The claim arose out of tho taking by tho 'Corporation of..the land f specified, .ami situated, .on, > tho,/easter.n....sidti of tlia.'.Kaiwarra ■stream,;_ and tho ' sq|ith/pf r ,,tlio present iKarorijficsuv.ybir/." .'ft' 'was\coritended that if'. the,, 'porporatipu ..'had' left',' claimant and the .adjoining property .owners/alone thoir lands would liavo'beoii l'oaded, and doubtless settled upon./ .""'. ; . '•".';''' '.

~: Evidenco;having bcoli heard at previous sittings in.(August...last", ..argumont;' was now .taken;;,-. ,-..;,;, t1 :,,.,,, ,„■,-, ~;',,,■.,.

.; In opening, fob. respondents, ■ Mr. Grey said tho consideration ,6i tho ; claim and tho methods of •assessing-.compensation, must bo approachedii.with.'iduo .:regard ; to ■: the judgments of the''Chief-..Justice,-.and -Mr. Justico -Williams, -with whom.His Honour was in accordance./-: ~ At-, least : threo .of; the learned judgos'...wero,. : emphatifj' tin.,, declaring that jTitchott's :lapd liad>,boon,,bo affected by tho rjparian ;rig.h,ts..of .theiCprporatioiifas to' have .its, use ■•very, greatly;,restricted. Nothing 'could; be,'.clearer; than thp. words of tho .Chief Justice in that regard.. -Ho submittpd .thafc.-JJio '.§ffcfit;,of t|iat .iudgmont— cqnCHrrecl^in.'.;by;:Mr ; , : ,J,i!f.tiqp l j\Y.illiams and His ; H6nom-—\yasvto.restrict the.iisc of the land "so 'as,'to, jnake.r.it, impossible to,;adapt it to ■building purposes... /Tho/pjidenpe went to show /that-it would bo impqssiblo to subdivide the, ; l'and : .without, impiirities eventually getting,..into,..the ,/wa}er.. Beyond all dispute,- -tho.. use ■of/ the ,;• land hnd- been greatly ...rostriciied.-..-The.' declaration was 'clear .thai;tlie;Janc(.;;inust-,,n6t,,,be allowed to ipiil tho water, and it -was a physical impossibility,, for claimant to. use the land as proposed without''fouling ; the 'water. As.to tho e'stimate of compensation fixed by tho lease,- as i' basis, counsel- submitted that the Court cdiild ii'bf accept the "price nominally.fixed by/claimant and "lessee '.as tho actual . Value.. ■■' 'The eircUmstancos' , surrounding the leasd/"were; :: ribt :; -'entirely- satisfactory. ITheii -the'fe : was 'the alternative basis of valuation on tho ground that-it was suburban land. , J ".Counsel contonded that it could ■not be regarded in that light;"the ovidenco •Wlis .'overwhelming against, tho possibility or eveiV probability of tho land being converted into-a suburban area::within the , next conturyl Tho cost of roiiding would put tho ■ scheino' , oVit ! :"of ' coil sidoratidn.' Counsel briefly■ icyiewed tho evidence,; and.snbmitf .ted that''the'' ■ witnesses/ fqi' ' respbndents agreed' tlidt , the' laiid 'was. : not'suitablo for-sub-division.;" It , 'wris inaccessible, and had a v'alue''dnl3 r ;as'gracing land. Tho cost of a drainage'scheme, as well as roading, would bo enormous,;' and would not' bo iindertaken whilst.there was land in ami about Wellington capable of carrying a'greatly increased jiopulation: : ', • '■■> ■'■ ■•■

■" Arguing''jii • reference •-•'.to' Harrington's claim,' Mr,"'O'Shea'submitted that, apart fr.b'm any'joss of business, Harrington could not be;said to have aj claim. ■ Ho had no goodwill iii' thV lease, and:■ tlio prices fixed on the purchasing clause "'wore': such as to preclude.,him from' taking advantage of them. The leasq coiild not be treated as a subsisting 'contract ■ between; Fitch'ott "and Harrington. ;'!;Counsel supported 'Mr 1 . Grey in his contentions that"the'land- was. unsuitable 'for subdivision. ...K could, lie- regarded only as.fanning land; A?i to .'Harrington's busi■ness, counsel submitted thai ho would do far bettor, by continuing'.to obtain.his milk •from outside than''by carrying on his business' on the mountain , top at a loss. Mr. ChaiDinftn, li.C'j'submitted that, even if' the "and wore good for 'pastoral' purposes only, the irreducible minimum : cost would ,bo not less than £12 an acro. ; 'If put up for sale,' however, as: building'sites, it would be.spme of the cheapest on tho' market, and the.ro'would be a very good chane(?''of selling. They had been told that 'the land had no ■suburban valuo, but nono of the professional 'witnesses had said that. \ Those witnesses 'did not dispute that the land could be cut up; : it : >vas all a question of expense. The laud undoubtedly., could r bo" cut up. Mr. .Fitchett' gavo'£6o : , a'ii'la'cre'sfbr "land absolutely, .idjoining;'trio land' in ''question.- Ho ront'endiid tha.v. they' were- entitled to take inlo ,'accounty■'. when : valuing tho land, its adaptability': in''Regard '.to.;"tho;'.'waterworks 'scheme;.'.";-'' ,,: ."' ; "■' /;•_''•■." --•'';'"' f".'' , " . ■ Mr! Fin-Hay, submitted'that. Harrington's claim.included;matters that were outsido tho •claim of Fitchett. , It was absurd and impossiblo to' say. that. v Ha'rrmgtqh had not .been materi'a]l.Vli.ii,terfer;ed_'With ,hi the. carrying on,of ,his'businbss_of milk-selling. Tho claim \Vas 'quifo: arid within what 'must' be .'.to'' bii'"th'e full; amount,pf..'the.'.dpm.ijgP,, s'ufi'ertd! ,, '|'Tho" suggestion .Jihat therpjiad b'ceh'pouspifacy' botween Har,i in'gtoh And. Fiteliett. in- regard to tho lease ;,woiild Have.'very! much;he;tt(\i''have been left a10ne.!,!," It, Ayas .absurd.' to, suggest that those two men- seven _ years; ,agri ? 'laid' their heads tlib Corporation, which ijvas the. if'al. imjjprjt, .of; the-suggestion. Sales of land \ycro'going on daily, and ; with tho increasing values,''claimants had'good reason .to? put :ini their claim.. . Cohuso.l contended .that ji.'-'pry. fS' r ..value had been placed on ;the ;laii(l,;by.'clainiant, as .'if'.' put on tho liiarkct'it'would attrapt.'Jniyefk who did not caro to take iip "soQtidn.s.;"'iii), other suburbs wliure 'a.nd.values were very high. ,':The -.Court tlipn adjouriied iintil 10.30 on Saturday iridriiing: , '■;'"'•',' . '