MILBOURNE ESTATE.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 811, 28 January 1903, Page 2

MILBOURNE ESTATE.

FURTHER HEARING OF CLAIM,

(Per Press Association.) Napier, last nigh!

At the sittings of the Compensation Court to-day the further hearing of the Milbourno Estate claim was proceeded with.

John Holden, sheepfarmer, owning property adjoining Milbourne, valued the latter at £6 5s 4d per aero cut up into suitably sized blocks. He valued the hill portion of Milbourne at £6 per aero, £5 for its carrying capacity of 1-i sheep per acre, and £1 for position. Matthew Paulsen, farmer, Takapau, valued Milbourne at £5 12s Id per acre as a run and £6 per acre as its cutting up value. Milbourne was more valuable than the Forest Gate, and 5s to 10s per acre better than Haturna. He based his estimate on the sheep-carrying capacity of tho run. Alexander Mackay, farmer, who previous to settling on Forest Gate was cropping at Milbourne, valued tho latter at £5 15s 6d per acre all round. Arthur Harding, sheepfarmer, of Siberia, ABhurst, valued Milbourne at £5 12s 4d per acre, but did not think it was worth much more for cutting up purposes. The plains portion of Milbourno was better than Mount Vernon. L. McKay, farmer, Ongaonga, and Ernest Wilson, farmer, Ongaonga, valued certain portions of the run at £6 10s and £6 per acre. A.Gebblin, sheepfarmor, Gwavas, valued Milbourno all round at £5 17s lid. A. W. Skerman, sheepfarmer, Waipawa, valued the property at £5 14s 6d per acre. He estimated the carrying capacity at one and three-fifths sheep per acre, and reckoned that the laud should be worth Jg 3 10s per sheep per acre. Ho had bought part of Fairfield, which was not equal to the best parts of Milbourne, and would not take £lO per acre for his land. M. Mason, sheepfarmer, Taheke, who owned property adjoining Milbourne, estimated the value of the latter property at £160,949. He thought it should be worth another ten shillings per acre for the purposes of subdivision. He bad sold Te Reinga, adjoining Milbourne, and got £3 5s per acre for it, but he valued the adjoining portion of Milbourne at £3 10s, and the land improved lower down. Milbourne land was better than Forestgate. it. H. Todd, sheepfarmer, Kaikora, valued Milbourne at £5 15s per acre. J. S. Giblin, sheepfarmer, valued Milbourne at £5 15s 6d per acre for cutting up purposes. W. H. Beetham, sheepfarmer, of Masterton, had visited Milbourne, and valued it as a whole at £5 lbs per acre. He was surprised to find what the average income for the last ten years had been ; much less thau it should nave been had the best use been made of it, but attributed this to the manager being handicapped by instructions from London. The case for the claimants is now concluded, and evidence for the Government will be heard to-morrow.