MOUTOA LANDS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 245, 13 September 1940, Page 2

MOUTOA LANDS

COMPENSATION CLAIM. CONCLUSION OF EVIDENCE. Evidence was concluded, yesterday afternoon, in the case which has been proceeding iti the Compensation Court since Tuesday, in which F. S. Easton, of Moutoa, claimed £119,754 8s tor 4565 acres of land at Moutoa and Paiaka taken by the Government lor flax development and research purposes. The Court yesterday iorenoon inspected the property. In the aiternoon R. T. "Wright, secretary of the Flax Plan Rehabilitation Committee, was recalled to the witness box and outlined generally the. plan of the committee, this including the acquisition of the Moutoa Estate, and the acquisition of Messrs Ross, Rough and Company’s mill to accommodate five strippers, which were now being installed. Machinery was .now being bought for the textile factory. Recalled, A. P. Grant, Public Works Department engineer, said a vegetation chart produced in the previous day’s evidence was prepared lor the Flax Plan Rehabilitation Committee.. This chart had the weights of Lax summarised into convenient classes. The chart showed certain numbers of tons, but the average w<aa not necessarily the weight midway between the highest and lowest weight in that class. In checking the figures on the chart, therefore, it might appear that the chart was wrong. Tlie cost of clearing willows to date was £l3 10s an acre, and with further organisation it might be brought down to as low as £lO an acre. A special purchase ot pedigree flax plants had. been made at about IJd a plant. These were planted on the estate, in threes, iat v the rate of about‘4ooo an acre. The plants thus cost £25 an acre and they cost a farther £6 an acre to set in the groundC. E. Petersen, hemp grader, of Wellington. gave evidence on the methods adopted for the making of a flax survey. . Dr. H. H. AMn, of Wellington, Director of the Botany Division, gave evidence about the harmful effect ot willows oil the growth of flax. The control of fescue in the cultivated flax areas would be a serious matter. I 1 lax growth was also retarded by other weeds. Investigations were being carried. out in the relation of flax to raupo so as to find out the conditions necessary for flax to compete with raupo. , A Seifert, of Palmerston North, a witness with 10 to 12 years’ experience in flax-growing, said that he had built up the Maranui mill of nine strippers. This was the largest in its time. He bought the Paiaka block i n 1901 and sold it to Mr Easton in 1912 for £12,000. The flax was quite good to-day, but there were now more willows bn the property. In his time there were only six or seven acres, but the vegetation survey now revealed to acres. Low prices ruled for fibre m 1912 and the market was then going back. Witness said he had had considerable experience of breaking in flax land ill the Makerua area, but since the banks had been erected there had been no floods to cope with. The vast areas of the country on which flax was originally grown were now dairy farms. Witnciss reported on the Moutoa property, saying that he would not like to undertake farming of apv kind | on the place if the cleared areas were eliminated. He considered that the market price would be £7 10s an acre, and it would be a gamb’e tor anyone to undertake a flax venture at the present time. He estimated that the value of the property was £52,580. To Mr M. B. Bergin (for claimant) witness said there were now about 45 acres more of flax on the Paiaka property than when he sold it. The property now had the benefit of hydroelectric power. He agreed that the area was fairly well consolidated, but _it could not be turned into productive farms because of floods. It would be practicable to open a flaxmill at Paiaka. He thought that the property would sell as a flaxmilling area. G. G. Wilson, land agent and valuer, of Palmerston North, agreed with the statements that the block was not a practicable proposition for anything but flax. He had valued the area at £48,492, which he had arrived at by means of the flax budget. Excluding Paiaka his value of the Moutoa block was £44,580. v To Mr Bergin, witness said lie would not have liked to have owned the property for a long period. He did not think there was more flax on the property than in Mr Grant’s original estimate.

His Honour Mr Justice Smith: If in November last the property had been put up to public auction and well advertised, would you have expected a general demand for it or not? —I do not think there would be any demand. To further questions from His Honour, witness said that his view was that the Government would be the only purchaser. He had taken into account that speculators might consider tlie property. The Court adjourned till this morning to hear the concluding submissions of counsel. HEARING CONCLUDED.

The conclusion of the hearing was reached to-day. Counsel (Mr M. B. Bergin, of Foxton, for claimant, and Mr H. It. Cooper for the Crown) addressed the Court this morning and tho Court was adjourned until 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday.