SECOND EDITION. ASSESSMENT COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 3800, 29 April 1875, Page 3

SECOND EDITION. ASSESSMENT COURT.

. A court of assessors, consisting of Messrs J. Bathgate, R.M., A. C. Strode, R.M., and W. Mason, J.P., sat in the Resident Magistrate’s Court-house, to-day, for the purpose of determining the action brought by Thomas Calcutt, land valuator in the Province of Otago on behalf of the General Government for assessing land through which lines of railway run, against David Miller, of Port Chalmers, The land m dispute is part of a farm and land on block 1, North Harbor and Blueskin District, and Mr Calcutt some time ago asked Miller what compensation he would require for o acres, 2 roods, and 26 poles of it required to be alienated for railway purposes. Miller said LIOO ah acre, and Calcutt having told him that he would not get more than L 6 an acre, shortly afterwards took out a summons as provided under the Immigration and Public Works Act, 1871. Plaintiff valued the damage sustained by the severance at L2O, and the land at Ll6, and gave evidence as to the poorness of the land, it being covered with Cape weed. He called Mr Robert Gillies, ? illies and Str e et, who, having inspected the land, gave confirmatory evidence. Mr Haggitt appeared for plaintiff, and Mr Howorth, who defended, raised an objection that the Court could not proceed, as defendant had not received twenty-one days’ notice. The point was overruled by the Bench, and witnesses for the defence then gave evidence of the value of the adjoining land. Three settlers considered the land worth from LlO to Ll4 an acre. The case had not concluded when we went to press.