PERIOD OF A LEASE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 173, 18 April 1921, Page 3

PERIOD OF A LEASE

QUESTION OF FELLING TIMBER

In the Supreme Court on Saturday His Honour Mr. Justice Salmond d<*lt with an application by the Pukuweka Sawmills (Ltd ) (Mr E. F. Hadfield) for an order Sending the term within which the .company was entitled to cut timber the Puketapa Block, near Mananin, nl the King Country, for a further hie years. The various Native owners ot portions of the land affected were represented by Mr. M. Myers and Mr. C. A. L. Treadwell. . .. . i „ Mr. Hadfield stated that in ■Seplembei, 1903. the Native owners of the land leased an area of about 1200 acres to the sawmillers for a period of twenty-one years. The present application uas made on lhe ground that war conditions had brought about a shortage of certain necessary and experienced workmen, a reduced output having resulted. One of the company’s mills had beeji com P e ’ led to close in 1916. and the output had fallen so much that it was now considered that an extension of the ease, by five years would he required if the timber output was to be made up to the quantity which ordinarily would have been dealt with by September, 19-4. the present area of standing busn in the territory was about 500 acres. Mr Myers, opposed the application on the ground that an extension would inconvenience the owners considerably. Me suggested that by such an extension the company would reap considerable benefit by rB-operatincf on ground already cut. By cleaning up trees still standing, the company, at the present price of timber, would be on a very payable proposition. He contended that the Native owners would not be able to sell their land or to farm it in the same manner in which a “pakeha” farmer could utilise halffelled land, for they were not farmers. ’• The fact that the company had in no wav interfered with the owners had the latter desired to sow eeed was stressed by Mr Hadfield. Tn support of this. William M'Kone. mill manager, added that owing to iinforseon circumstances, the ’company could not accomplish its felling in tho period of tho present lease; and if the lease were not extended, prob ably 250 or 300 acres would ba left stand The Judge reserved his decision.