LAND PURCHASE AT STRATFORD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1686, 28 February 1913, Page 5

LAND PURCHASE AT STRATFORD.

CHARGES REBCTTED. ',Jilt was recently reported by a Tnranaki paper that the Government had purchased a section of land fft Stratford for £l'i6o which stood .on the bofiks of the Stratford Borough Council at a valuation of X3QO, TW facts of tlio c'aso were detailed as. follows by the Hon. W. F.; Massed (l'nmo Minister) to a' Dominion reporter last evening. "Tho land in question was required by the Railway .Department l at Stratford for certain improvements that the Department considered urgently necessary. It will bo paid for out,of tho 'additions and improvements to open lints'' vote, which was authorised by Parliament last session. Tho piirchaso negotiations were conducted by i Mr.: Corlcill,' who lias been doing all that class of w;ork for tho Railway Department for years past,' and who conducted very satisfactorily tho whole of tlio negotiations iii connection with tho deviation at New Plymouth.' The Department are'quite satisfied that they are getting value' for tlio money which is being paid, and if they had not taken advantage of tlio opportunity now they would'havo had ,to pay a great deal moro later on. The sawinilling firm which owned ,'tlie section asked ,£ISOO for it when they, were first approached, but after a time, when they 'saw; that the Department meant to go through .with it. they consented to take ■ ,£I2OO. A.good judge of land in the locality wlieu asked for an opinion, stated that lie was quito willing to liavo it placed on record that ho thought tho land worth nearly .£20(10. In any case, tho Department' court tho fullest' inquiry." ; Mr. Massey added that tho price paid for the land Covered compensation for loss of business on the part of tlio snwmilliiur firm which parted with the sectjou, niid remarked that in all probability the cost would have been greater if tin-land had been taken under tho compulsory provisions of tho Public Works Act.