COMPENSATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 638, 15 October 1909, Page 11

COMPENSATION COURT.

BEIZTOE OF PENCARROW QUAEEY. WHAT SHOULD GOVERNMENT PAY' A claim for compensation'for iand taken in codDtebonUith tao WeU.ngton-Nap er ia " S.m an 1 }* Ki yMtcrda y Mr. Justice bim, and tiro assessors, Mi. G H Scales, for B? Md i M| A H M 'les. for the Railway Depaitment The claimants, John Allan, and Jessie Cameron, and Frahl Will* by Mr. d II TrcXell.an i partmint- ' ■ aPl " !ar Cn behalf of th * De " ■ ii'M •>& v sl^monfc , b( clai 'm. ■■■ ■ the ■' claimants' a proclamation; of UheGbvcrnor ' ;^#^ecember ; 9,V 1001, : v 23 -acres riooAki -■?p r iff'^^-^ e ?- fo , r :tte--p«rpoMs : 'of.',the- , : '4r^h^fa^?'>^'' ?w S i: '^°? lV^hich '''- b,,t : '-wvVii ■" -S r ' ot i th .° ■If" I ' l, :o -'"ge revenue ''• I?£ * r i«M been d ? r ved ty .claimants..• Tho , : sum of .#3s<So.;was xlaimed. as .compensation for ouk-of.the.falring of.the'land :^^P^ma ? e- S Btf«rrf/|!ront-l6si ; of.«TOiine.'-..-Mr, ; ,Treadwell: ; said ;ttat the land had been ::taken :oa December - J, •»■. was situated on ;:>^;npfH>;sirte.bf -Wellifeten Harbour, to the -eastward of.Ward Islanrl;2nd about five miles ■.fioftu^noarrt-w.l.ghthou.w:-' The total .amount. < ?k.m:M'rt-. toon -was -3,138.000 cubio' yards. - i , h »'sj,ono;.was,.valnablei:tho royalties. recoiv- • ■'.«!>(«.',*?*« -bo'-'abbnt -Is. oil the larger stone, } R B^Wi;on;qthor:classes;' The-gross quantity :.-;-?.V ! if < 'M;<iri«inally.'m : tho quarry was claimed to ;pa;aloht:'3,l3B,CSi:yards, and 'it was'esti-: ■ ; ..»'*??/!■:; M>nt '.the Government -had taken away •;ab3iipamillion yards.O.' '•--'■ . -r■■' .• ' .. ■.:>i v J 7fc'w u . l > ! twcll.'.'M.l.(3.H.-,Vsaid.'--'in''evidenco' > ' :. tliat■,-he • alwß.^:, cpjisidered the property a ■; vnluaMß-one, ■pspecially. from tho :fact-that it- -., iwas.isituntcd: ivitlu'n the harbour. In years to I.'-««!!'J.-'i'ife-' woUld -bo necessary to construct -.; ..in:,-the harbour for. passenger .■steiiiorsahd'sdiling ships, and the quarry was :■•■ the, iiipre''.valuable because of that possibility. .;. iae diyersion of tho waters a! the Hutt River .=liatl.,U6en; constructed, very, cheaply in. tho past,. .; a-ltirgo-nnarititr of storio'.wourd' . be jTeiJUired i-for.'-.prqtechon '.works 'on the river. '•■: For .■*■.these ■% two: -reasans, -.ho.', considered'■; the . ■■roncarron'.;Qtiarry -vas;''a:.Tery'-'-'Taluable' :; 'proIperty;7'ft;y;; ; :-v ; "ivp 'fine f-'.;,\ .'..v ...;**:.<•: :.-.•'. Mrir'MyersiiWflihavo .taken all -the stoni dut of :ittthat Wβ-waiiti;they can;have; it back;.-'.-•.*■' Myers;" the./witiiess' it often happened 'that:avpromisinß hill'idld'tiot;"turn 'otit.^vell ; as>a' : qriarry.' •Hβ' :': c6«ldJ'Say J nothing.;of : .l:he/results, of:'.working' v.-tbo^rencarrow,.-.'quarry.; , .his'■-. was' an■ opinion' ;-;" ; i«ly, , !,'vHe'-:'dldJpot;":think -that the ;Harhour

Board's.hv-law "prohibiting the deposit of any ballast,-, cinders, or othir .initerinl 'applied to i (he workiiiff-of the-Pencarrow. 'quarry.: "A lnaii,' said tho yitness," "would never bo proseoutjd for: throwing a. soda-water liottlo into the harbour from n steamer." •'. > _ i 3lr. i ',MytMi''Dd you know that no reckmation is 'permitted without a special Act' of Parliament? •'■ ■ -AVitness: I beliovo that is so. There would bo no .difficulty in getting an Act pa6scd to permit this.quarrying, becauss tho operations are perfectly harmless. t"'.Mr. Myers: AVould not tho quarry bo more valuable to them nuw than beforo? .. AVitness':' Ko,. because you have taken away one of .the markots. , ... • Eliminating the Government oontra'dt, th<i quarry has b'een'.o'po'ncd up, and is it nqtmoro valuable now? ■ AVitriesa:' No,'it is'not-so valunble, because you, havo tnken"out a quantity of stone. It was .only qf .use '■ to the Oovernincnt 'at that time....■ '..';■'. : .'v : ."., .' - .'. ' •' . •■• .'■Mr. -Myers: Do you know that when tenders w«e ..called • by.- the Harbour Board for the Miramar sea-wull, it was found that concrete ".would, be cheaper than rubble, and the wall will, bo of concrete. AVitnoss: It ; is a very remarkable estimate. ■ Rubble 1 is-.the cheaper if one knows how to work it,' AVhy did they not build a concrete wall along the.Hutt railway, if it would have been such 'an.-:enormous' economy? . ■ ; .Mr.:Myers: Do -j ; ou know tha,t. the" Government did not get all tho stonefrom Pencarrow?.-"-'- ■ '•'•' '■■■' ■.-'■ : •'■ ■, ■;' ' ■'" '■ ' ' ■.■ AVitness: I kuow from• hearsay.' They had to go to-Paekakariki,.becauss the inadequacy of. the means of transport was so great. , Evidence of' other encineers ,and contractdrj was heard ill'support of claimants'., case. . 'Mr.-Myera .said that .the land had not-been 'highly valued until the Government took it. It had: been necessary.to go" to Paekakariki for most of theinoiiolith rock required on the HUtt railway \vorks, becanse the Pencarrow quarry did not contain,it in sufficient, quantities, and transport across harbour was so difficult. , . •■'■ .■•■' '. ■' ." '•..-. • . ..' ' :.. ■■'■■ ■ Hearing of evidence for the, defendant will be .tafcsn to-day. : .',,'■' •." , , ..,