COMPENSATION COURT.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 920, 19 June 1903, Page 2

COMPENSATION COURT.

WAI-O-HI HARORE SECTIONS,

(Before His Honor Judgo Mair.)

At tho Nativo Land Court yostorday morning tho hearing of ovidonce in connection with tho Wai-o hi haroro sections (No. 2) was continued. A. F. Kennedy, manager for Williams and Kettle, valued tho land in September, 1900, at £7O an acre, with JE2SO for tho main buildings. There wub not much dif-

ference in the values of the land on either

sido of tho road. Tho amount of £75 por aero was arrivod at on account of tho prospect of tho railway. By Mr Reos : Witness had rocontly sold a quarter aero section near tho Poverty Bay Club at auction for ,£BOO. The club iivo or six years previous paid £3OO for a half-acre. Williams and llettlo had paid £320 for their cornor section in Customhouse street, and they paid £250 for tho adjoining section. That was soven or eight years ago. The valuo of those sections would be increased to £6OO in April, 1900. With a bridge over tho Waikanao the laud taken by the railway would be more accessible for tho wharf, but it would not be so witli a ford.

By Mr Nolan : Williams and Kettle's sections were in tho business part of the towu, and they wero as close to tho wharf as the Waikanao laud.

Inn 8. Simson, Government valuer, valued Wai o-hi haroro No 2 in November 1901 at £IOO per acre. Iu September, 1900, before the railway was there, he valued it at £6O per acre. The portion lacing tbe sea south of the Alanieiaha toad was worth double the northern puition.

By Mr Rees: lie valued lands us ho found them at that time.

By Mr Obiisp : Ho valued the land as a whole. The two acres near the gruyno in 1900 would be of lisa value than the oilier part of the block. Ho valued the land for building purposes, and did not take into account the construction of the railway. The land was not as well adapted for freezing works us the Kaiti land, it was nut so accessible as tho Kaiti. 110 was not

aware that there was a landing pluce at the groyne. He did not know that the liailwuy Department landed all their goods at that place. The land wus of no value three years ego for a landing place. It would have to be made up.

By Mr Wi Pert:: He hud no doubt it would bo a valuable place in time to come, but lie was only speaking of 1900. John Warren,jClerk of the County Council, said taking into account that there was tho prospect of the railway, ho valued tho Waikanuc land in 1900 at £IOO an acre. Without the railway, it was worth £SO to £6O. The Waikanao land was worth less than the Kaiti laud, because of the possibility of floods in tho Waunata rivor. In January, 1876, tho whole of the land from Customhouse street was swept away by a flood. The land on tho Wuikanae, from the line of Customhouse street, was accretions since 1876. By Mr Chrisp : The tongue of land near tho groyne was not safe to put a building upon. Outside of Lowe street the loud was unsafe. Government had put up on engine-shed on this land, but witness would not do so.

C. E. Armstrong, engineer, in charge of the Gisborne-Karaka railway, stated the building shifted by the Bailway Department would be worth about £l2. That on sledges was worth £l6. B. D. B. Bobinson, Borough valuator, valued the land in 1900 from £SO to £7O an acre.

By Mr Bees : He had placed the value of Mr Matthews’ land at £IOO. This concluded the evidence for the Department, and Mr W. L. Bees, on behalf of native owners, proceeded to call evi-

dence. W. H. Tucker said there was no difference in the value of the Kaiti and Waikanae for freezing works purposes. Witness had been offered £350 for a quarteracre section facing the Waikanae on She town side. This offer was made by Mr MeLean, a sawmillor, who intended to start a mill at the Motu. Witness had' also sold a quarter-acre to Mr Wade for £250 lower down, and an eighth of an acre in the next street for J 6150. Ho considered

a bridge could be put over the Waikanae

at a less cost than the Grey street bridge, £240. In September, 1900, the land was worth £3OO an acre, and if he had it then he could have made a good deal more than that. He thought the wool brought down by rail should be dumped there and transhipped from that place. The land in question had been put through the Native Land Court in 1874. After the erection of the groyne there was an erosion. In 1876

it might appear that the land was carried away, as after the flood there was a considerable deposit of silt. John Coleman, land and commission agent, had recently sold a quarter acre section in Customhouse street for £565. The railway added to the value of the Waikanae land. In September, 1900, Mr Harris’ land on Kaiti was sold for £‘so a quarter-acre. In September, 15)00, the land in question was worth £2OO :;o £3OO an acre. If the freezing works lands was worth close on £I4OO an acre now, the Waikanae land was worth at least £3OO an acre. If the Victoria township sections sold at £SO a quarter-acre, the land nearer the point would run from £SO to £75. J. W. Witty, Secretary, Harbor Board, gave values of land along the wharf. In ‘ 1900 there would be no difference between the land of the Waikanae and Kaiti freezing works. If cut up the land should bring £ISOO an acre. Frank Harris considered the land was worth £3OO an acre in September, 1900, By Mr Nolan : Witness valued Mr Matthews’ land at £375 to £4OO an acre, but he understood there was a road there then. Without a road it would be worth £25 an acre less, and for residential purposes Mr Matthews’ land was better. Mr Kees said he desired to call two or three further witnesses, and His Honor adjourned the Court until 10 this morning.