CITY'S COUNTRY ESTATE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2214, 29 July 1914, Page 8

CITY'S COUNTRY ESTATE

MANGAHAO .ENDOWMENT BLOCK. • " ' The'disposer of the City's Mangahao Endowment, a block of 1590 acres adjoining the Pahiatua Borough, by the action of the, Council iii rejecting a petition for the freehold by the lessees has been settled for a time. Tho'block now returns to the City Council less than 4 per cent, on what experts consider to be a low valuation, and it is presumably on that - valuation that the lessees wish to improve their tenure. Whether the Council ultimately decides to' part with the 'tenure or not, there are those in the Pahiatua district other than the lessees who would like to have the opportunity to bid for the blocks, being under the impression that the land could be made very profitable if handled properly.' At the present time the ;Pahiatua Borough Council's water andsewagc system extends as far as.tho southern bbundary of the City's property, and streets, well built-upon, extend to that point. As the main road through Pahiatua township and on to Napier passes right through the block, it is. argued that settlement will spread that way as soon as the land is made available. - •';.,-' .'.'.' "There has of late been some 'erosion: going on along the_ banks of the Manga--taihoka River, which flows through the; block, and the lessees are caljing on the council Jo put up protective works, as they had to do' some six years ago. This work is very costly, and is only really justifiable if the council intend to retain the ownership of the property for the present. .The present point cf erosion- is on-Lot 13," whore some rich land is threatened by a wash-away. An-, other tender point is a little lower down, where the riveris only some foutchains away from the main road. It is said that some of the lessees aro doing well by sub-leasing part of their land to market gardeners. Those who know tho Mangahao Endowment. Block well, and are competent to judge land values in Pahiatua, believe tha,t the City would be unwise, to part with all or any portion of tlio land, as it has a solid value now, and- an excellent ono in prospect. There aro on the other tide those who hold that tho endowment is too far away from- Wellington, and should bo sold even if it meant the purchase of a block; of land nearer to the City. The latter argument does not appear to be a sound one as. an endowment is an endowment whether it is 50 or 500, miles from town. If anyono has a-prior claim to acquire the block over the lossees, it is urged that- it should bo the Pahiatua Borough Council, whoso boundaries, the estate adjoins. '■•