CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81880, 3 November 1906, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

SPOTSWOOD. To the Editor. Sir,—As some agitation has recently been made by the County Council with a v,ew to inducing the Minister for Lands (otherwi.le the. public of New Zealand) to pav rates on the unoccupied lands in " Spotswood Special Settlement, and as exception appears to be taken to the reply of the Minister to a request Horn Mr E. M. Smith, M.H.R., for assistance to the Council it may be well to review the question briefly. I believe the facts are as follows : i-oi many years ihe pioperty in question was ncid as a faun, and was rated and valued accordingly. About live years ago some speculators bought it, and in about iwo years succeeded in selling it to the colony at a puce much above what •hey had bought it at. This sale would probably not have been possible had not one 01 more petitions been "presented to the Government and to Parliament asking that this estate should be purchased under the Lands for Settlement Act." It would be interesting- to learn (1) the rating value of the land in question prior to the speculative purchase; (2) the price jjer acre it was bought at; (3) the price per acre at which it was sold to the colony; (4) the names of the promoters of the petitions to Parliament that the colony should, acquire the property; ( s ) tfie names of the signaloAcs to the petitions and of those who attested to the genuineness thereof; (6) the amount of rates the property used to con(ribttte to the, county funds when it was owned by Putts trustees, and the amount the tenants in actual possession now contribute. If those who are able will kindly supply the above information, 1 ih'nk the local public and the Minister for Lands will be interested in it.—l am elc^ FAIR PLAY.