LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1919, Page 3

LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

COMMENT ON AN AUCKLAND SOHEAIE,

AUCKLAND, July 11. i I Rumours have been current in the I city lately regarding speculation in land adjoining the Aiangere homestead settle- ! ment for disabled soldiers, which was 1 proposed to be established by the Auckland Provincial Patriotic Association. The names of'the Mayor, (Mr J. H. Gunson), who is chairman of the Patriotic Executive; Mr V. J. Larner, a well known business man, and at pre- j sent, during the absence of the Mayor; on bis way to America, acting-chairman ' lof the Patriotic Executive; and Air j j Cox, a settlor in the Aiangere district, have been mentioned in connect-! j ion with the alleged speculation. , i Air Larner was questioned regarding ■ the matter, and ho made a statement | for publication. He said that when | the Patriotic Association originally forj mutated the scheme to settle disabled so!-, diers on small homestead blocks near the city, tlic members of the executive inspected' the Cambria Park Estate at Wiri, near Papatoetoe. The owner asked £lls an aero for the land, but'the executive was not willing to give more ; than £lO5, having considered that that 1 figure represented the full figure of the land. The vendor refused the offer, and the executive secured an option to pur- ! clmse the front portion, comprising 282 : acres, at £75 an acre. After full con- : sideration had been given to the mati ter, following an inspection, the pro- : perty was purchased at £72 10s an acre ! At this time the owner had no intention of selling the back portion of the estate, comprising about 300 acres. This land was of no use for settlement by returnled soldiers—that was very evident. As a farming proposition, the land appealed to the Mayor, Air Larner, and Mr Cox. The last named was appronched by the owner, (Air Harris), and eventually the land was purchased at £7l 10s an acre. In addition, 90 cows were purchased at what was considered a fairly high figure. Although the land whs good farming land, from the point of . view of sub-division it could not be compared with that acquired for the- dis- , abled soldiers. The block of land purchased for the soldiers had a frontage of one mile and a half to a main road, and also had n road through it. The block of 300 acres had not the same facilities. ; After the land was purchased by Messrs ' Gunson, Larner and Cox, it was offered < to the Patriotic Executive at the same price as that for which it had been pur- j chased, but the executive declined the : offer, considering that in the 282 acres it had a little more than sufficient for! the purposes of the scheme, i A meeting of the Patriotic Executive 1 was held yesterday, and it was decided j to abandon the Aiangere schenyj. There „ were several reasons for this action, the chief being that although the scheme was designed to accommodate 170 disabled soldiers, only 35 applications were received. Another reason was that the Disabled Soldiers’ Committee had a ure- « ference for another property, a few « miles from the city. ■ The rumours that had been circulated were referred to at the meeting, and in- i dignation was expressed at comments i which had been made concerning the i acquisition by Air Gunson and Air Lar- t ner, in conjunction with Air Cox, of the area of land adjoining that purchased i by the Association at Aiangere. i Air A. G. Lunn, who brought the ( matter tip, said it was to be regretted that comment on the transaction had been made in the press, but as it had , been made, he thought the executive ; should put the matter before the public , in its right light. Alcrnbers of the patriotic claims board knew that this extra piece of land had been offered to the Association by Messrs Gunson, Larner and Cox at the same price they had paid for it. Tlie offer had been declined, because it was considered that on no account should tlie Association bold land for speculative purposes, and further, because all the land required had been purchased. He moved : “That this executive places on record the fact that it had every opportunity of purchasing the 300 acres of land acquired by Alessrs Gunson, Larner, and Cox, but that as it had already purchased all the land required for the soldiers’ settle ment scheme, it refused the 300 acres when offered ; further, with regard to any action taken by Alessrs Gunson, Larner, and Cox, but that as it had already purchased all the land that was required for the soldiers’ settlement scheme, it refused tho 300 acres when offered; further, with regard to any act- , ion taken by Alessrs Gunson, Larner and Cox in. acquiring the adjacent pro- j perty, these gentlemen had done nothing inimical to the interests of the Patriotic Association, and, the executive regrets there should have been any comment adverse to two men who had work- ‘ ed so loyally and whole-heartedly in the interests of the returned soldiers as had Alessrs Gunson and Larner.” The mover said lie considered Alessrs Gun- | son and Larner had put their best work j into this scheme, and that the trails- . action commented upon had been clean, I open, asd fair. He deprecated scandal- 1 makers “standing by like carrion crows waiting to pick up any offal they might. find.” i Other members defended the purchase and tho motion was carried. I