COMPENSATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 427, 9 February 1909, Page 11

COMPENSATION COURT.

: p .}. } l ■I?LANb..BAY:LEASE:.,,: ~ - • |The hearing of -the cafie relating to'the olainis, 'brought- 1)y .George -Henry , : Baylis,-; Michael Goorge Phelaiij.George Willisllaryey, and Walter ; M'liiteh6use' against;tho> City; Council for: land taken at; Island-Bay. for tho;purposes; of a recreation , ground was oohiploted yesterday^by. the Compensation Court; which consists of. Mr. Justice:Ghnpman : (President)i.llr. J. ; C. H'Ker'■l'ow (as'sessor for the .claimants),vnn.tt, the Hon. T..K. Macdonald (assessor,for-tliejcorporation).. .The, amounts'of- the claims were: G. H. Bayhs, M. G.-Phelan; jei36s'; W.-WhiteKouso, ,£900; and:.G. AY;-:-'Harvey,- ; grand total, : :,;■;;:". .■■■■• v 1;- .■:-- : :i / ;..;iV--^ i -: r-;,Mr;'Gray:(witli him Mr.'We'stoh) appeared on behalf of ithe'-olaimants, and".■Miv',Monsp!i-.(witU himMr.lO'Sh6a) ; ior.;th.o respondents.h' ''-< ■ : :,Mr;-,Wi. ; :H. Morton,-eity.i engineer, recalled, isaid' that-,the : 'sand and gravel; obtained .from Hayward'sJapd at:lsland.Bay wereisufficient for/tliß'corporation'sirequirementsjin |hat local? jty;aiid;at-Newtowii;: ■•■:.-.-.-, : '..■•'■:■■•■/-. y.: ■" , >":'\ :: 'i ■'.'■'.■':■.;■. .- ; Mr.i.ilorison , ' also •proposed . to., put' ,in : - the : Government' valuatibh of. Baylisls •property. • Mr.. Gray, objected.-:'- ■!.;.->-' :- .V.-.-.;'- , yf:---/-'.'-..'''-?;;.'- ~' -: ; .'His Honotir-statedjtha.t these valuations-were, always considered. , .. They might n'otbß;entirely. :reliable,:: but :he'did not-,think; a- valuer, for mortgage purposes or otherwise altogether over-, looked the Government value.i^ ■■'■''■,'•■■','':'■:'..{■■ •;■•. '•'■ ■•.Mγ'.' Grayi'lMO:not think the .Compensation: vCoiirt is' likoly: to be-guided'by. the Goyemment .yaluoM .'■'; flv: ', : .-.'■:■: : ; 'J-;- \-?-\X'. ! -! ■? U-:i^;:'.^[t: J l : '-'r • ■■ ; i;' His vHono.ur'. allowedthe "document. to ..be; pit. in/\.;mentioning, ■ however,',that ':■ ccmperisation awards generally aiffere'd. from the .Government '/yaluatibn.v•■■'.'■;'.■.-.'''.■'■.■ ' '■'■■ '■ '■'. '■■ /'^i'.;|.'"•'<■' \* V-.-This closed the -. case; for the'- respondents.';-; : .-. ?. His-Honour.remarked that .they.would '.hear from ..the- Official "Assignee, on Wednesday regarding' Harvey's claim.; ' If. Harvey's, interest wererabandoned then;his sections V.would simply. ■ remain'/in. Baylis's:claim.; .... • :-. ","■-. ■'.- . ■-<■': . ■- •■;V.Mr.: Gray:, An';. order; >vas niade joining' Baylis '■■ : to-Haivey.. ■■■,:.■.,■.•■.-■ ".■'-■.'.'.■vv:'. ',;..- .',.-:". ■;His Honour stated that;they could not.makoi him/a party tb Harvey;.; He would be made :a /party;.to' tW- claims-aS.a wholej;.'.. .•■.'.-..;;■■;.

:::.Mr ; .::-Morwon,:;in addressing'the, Court, 6iiid that: the'eorrespondence'would':stow'-that Mr. ', Baylis had/offered-the sections t'p ; the; council some■: tiit'e.-.ago, below:, the.-;.value, he'Miowvplaceil'rupon: ■theini',' ;,; ;liiVl9oe , : iaffereU^^liev;6p>p6ration ; . , .tke.pro'pQity'''taken .'(in" addition,: to..sections" 661 (and.. 662);" for '±10,000,'. iwhicli;': price ;,was.f r subs"eljuently u-educed..'■■to ±9500.. : '1n-addi tion. to this offer'.the. cdrrespondence^: -would.show:.that Baylis"'lwd : ;.(from'-1905 ; \ to! 1907)..been;pressing'?his 'property, on'• the oorporatipn : ,byj meaner of a-, series :6f letters, rlt ■was' 1 ./alsb''.claim , ecl'-'.that part' of ..the -lantl'.-.h'ad , ;beeh;;sold to 'Ha'rvpy, thus making: himia ; party to-the.clnim,.but liaryey-'tiniself admitted that: ",ho.-had..paid : : no''ueposits.^; 'The .'claimants'' had: endeavoure'di'tb the land.might. Up jused ; for;some' otKer^piirpbse'.-thanvthat I .of 'a; •gravel deposit,:but ; this^vouldjdepend'-upon:its .being'-conyerted fromY.what it"-was at .present :to .something entirely.- differont;. Two. of, the an- , ;gmeers;;wbp" gi\vo. evidence '/for .claimants (stated ■that .the : ; la r na/rwould : be rendered' safe 'by. the. ■■TOMtirabtion^bfjio'.-.rnbble.^wall'LbeTow-.low-water mark;'but .'respondents/ held that thisvwould: be .■illegal (under Section 139.of,'theBarbbursAct).JThe;, section .prohibited,.any-;,o6h-structioh such-as.a'ibreakwater'bQlow.jow-water. mark, save-by'the authority of'aspeoialAct'.of: •Parliament,': Then; :: : top; :a,< lot .'of capital r iad : ;made-out?-of', the- boat,; harbour; •'.but', this. }wa'f''p'ublib'p'iro^er|7;'and.whetlijer..''Baylis : ''qwned thS land .-;pr.' not the-public' 4 could ..not-be. debarfedifroni'"using: it., : : He";held tliat-:claima'nts' ■hadinp'ti. : ".b^ovedvthat..th i .verted.ynfoV.puilding .'sites','at a .rcasoiiable-.et :pense.'.'Taking 'the. .other.;.valueVof- the /land^. : .iiamely,.ias:.a /gravel.pit-^-theeyidenco.went to show : tliat: : the'land;was of.no;iise; save" the "purpose- for" .which-; it was : taken-ryiz,;:a i-recr.ea-tion ground. acre 'were paid for.it,he;;J;np'ught 'that ithey> would ■'be,,-inakin'gVan.i ■award'consistent 'with' that of'the previous, case .of Ktehett;... It'was •■ridiculous'' that be called :upon-'to"answer."a claim-.for.''almbs't. ±16,000 ,'f or' : property,. whioh iw.os:-. shown' L to ; be, ~worth'-onlyraboiit's. per;'"centT'. ; of.; that amount./. ;• :■-Mr;\= O'Sii^a; also 'addressed" the: Court rregarding:,the;claims.of.lVbitehouse :andVPhe]an.;i:".!.!:-

S' Mr.". Gray; in/addressing, the;; Court on ■■behalf' ;of'olaimants!.said,:th"at;-apparently respondents'':, 'case/rested.on the ■dama'gc; wrought:duvinghthe exceptional'.storm place -in 'January: This damage:was:notVso great:;ttsvit:'.w6uld:ap'pear- 'tb'-';bp..'>'' AH .the '■ buildings ;:whichi:,Wero' shifted: : or.;.ySsM?a¥6"y^we.rf~Bstjnef^l[tt"'C ■ gravel :.formatiori:,J'Then, .too, th'eHpa' did?'nbt'. como';'within 40ft.-'ofijhja^patfyatojje-iplajoe-■wherei.tho subdiyisidn'-was-'prep'osecr-TO-be'ma.ae'! ■' ,Xt.only;.brpkb c ,overVithe road.at^tlo , ;most'-.exf posed; pprtibnv/where-, the gfa'yel'-;deposit/.was; 'This storm: wasian■ exceptional/one,','hpifd' of; the ,witnesses.'cancd';being/able : to recollect• :lar;orie. -/Th^ improvement: bfithe/land.was-'nbt; , nearly such: aii.expensive matter, as'.ihade out.id ,, 'be J by«the'/witnesses/-foi 'respondents'.' r; As/..'in .Fitchett'sjcase/'there-wire: .twp,;iiictliods''bf4iiri- : prpVing.J.the,' sitfes/ .the/'simpia'mfitlibd-..•dhd'itn'e-;expensive;onei.ahd••in Titiihett's casiq thcCourt 1 '.had : .set.aside the .expensive/method.-; Evidence .■had'ralsp/.been'/givenVto/.show'that; : there;:wer.e. : ;people';vrho;vbeing /acquain'tod -with'' tne.'-bo'ndi-.tions, iWe're:.'desirous.\of,/purc"li. ) isirig,;sit.e£ ; ; The boat :and the , , quarry gave: th'eVlandi an /additional ; value." Respondents had'eri'deavbured to.make'but/that'/the land'was.of-novamb''for' any;purpose save that for. which it ■ jvaWitaken. , .Why ■ the'4"did'the tcbrppration-'talte-'it?./They' ■ must,. have.seen, ttiatisponer; or,. laferSit..' would be .built'on.',:T.he/.Gpyerninbnt,valuation:was ■np' : 'guWe:'since, the'birpumstanc.es..under'whioh /valuation? ;were;made.Vwere/nltbgerJier 'different' from, those iwhich/should: Vβ /taken.'-into;" nccpiint/in'ithei'/present case/.'y.TMt. the/circiinistaucss: totally; .different must/also' l be/Teinembered' /in.bbnsidering.Jtr.' Baylis's/offer to.tl\e council in/1906./■ No/value could; be attached; tp ; the sug'gestion/tliatthe sales'to/Whitehbuse , mid,Phelari: .were not bona-nde.'for the' evideiVce'/shb.wed; that' both .these ; :olaimants..had/:'definite':.•■pia'ns^for; Vnsing'-th'e'sites/H-'Mr'.VGKyf'thtor'quotafl-autnbri-- 1 . ties; to-show), that'the-, t)rqspecti.f":valubv of.pro--perty always .'be' /taken .into corisidera-. .'tioni'v arguing, -.: therefore;'■./thar, : since /'.part , ; of Baylis's: ilaliJ:/was/suitable;for 'a; septic')-tank, dte, that: suitability'should/be, tiiken:in/to: con-- ; sidDratibh : in|making;the/a:ward.;;:, : , ,//: : /.///.:,/ :'!tMr.'-Westoh, : in.:the//cburse/of his, address .for.; Boylisand/bther/'clainiantsi.urged/tliat'only. re/claniation beldWr'low-water.rmorkiwa/s'debarreii. byj.tho! '. Harbours; Act';'-.-prbteJtivei',': woiiV-subi as ; were fneeded at-Island Bay- / could '-.be ■ legally; .erected.j/Nohe '/of,, the valuers ./who -\io- given' evidence, for the/corporation,"he*'opntended,: hadtaken"into::account: the/progress-which Island' Boy/had-.made:;since:the, construction- of /the :tramway;?and which it,.was' still making.. ■.;';/;■ f ;;ihe. Court/reserved/its-decisifinV';:.:;-/;;;.'::/