LAND DEAL OF MANY YEARS AGO

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1929, Page 5

LAND DEAL OF MANY YEARS AGO

ALLEGED WRONGDOING.- , . UNITED MEMBER’S CHARGE. ‘ Allegations against, the late Government of wrongdoing in connection with a land deal were made. ip the House of Representatives reef ently by Air C. H. Clinkard, United member for Rotorua., who said the one transaction would have been sufficient in "olden days to put any Government off. the Treasury benches. Mr Clinkard said the property he referred to was a iblock of land at Horo’nui, ten miles from Taupo, and comprised 1000 acres.'- The owner ..(Dr Raynpr) . approached the Department of Lands to purchase it for soldier settlement—and considering the “rummy” land Ibought for that purpose it was a wonder the Department did not make the purchase. .The offer was declined. The property was then sold to a lady, a typist, for £4360. Fourteen months later it became the property of the Government, being purchased , by the Railway Department. The price paid was £27,500. -Mr Hall -Skelton, after investigation at the Land Transfer Office, made a statement as to its results. This was to the effect that while the Land Transfer Office was absolutely blocked up at the time with land transfers which could not be got through, this par-.-ticular transaction went through in the course of about a week, arid in another week the money was- paid over. Why had the money been paid over so soon and the transaction com*pleted - with such rapidity? asked Mr Clinkard. It seemed a most generous action on the part of the purchase officers. There had been wrongdoing-, ho alleged. Continuing, Mr Clinkard said. he had. always exonerated the late Prune Minister, Mr Massey. . He was in England at the time the transaction took place. He gave as the reason for the affair that the Railway Department had needed the timber on the land and must have it. Mr Clinkard had said that six or ten years hence not one stick of timber would have been removed because it was inaccessible, and that ,had been the case. Similar property had been selling .in the district at the time for £3 10s an aero, including timber. A Labour member: It is a. scandal. Air Speaker: Order! Order I