THE HINE CHARGES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 177, 5 November 1910, Page 5

THE HINE CHARGES.

CHARGES AGAINST MR. MAJOR. A TOKO TRANSACTION. By Telegraph,—Press Association. Wellington, Friday. At the meeting of the Hine Committee of the Lower House this morning charges 1 and % alleging, that Messrs Symes and Major charged and received commissions for the sale of land to the Government, were taken conjointly. Mr. J. D. Ritchie gave evidence that Major wrote to the Department offering Fred. Bayly's Toko property of 880 acres a't £l2 10s an acre for closer settlement. Later the Land Purchase Board met at Stratford and resolved to recommend the purchase of the land, which Cabinet approved. Alfred Bayly's property of 2028 acre was first offered to the Government in November, 1903, at £l2 10s per acre. In April, I®o4, Mr. Seddon wrote to the chairman of the Land Purchase Board saying that Major was offering this property, and requesting valuation and report. Mr. Barron inspected and reported, stating that if the Government could acquire it at £9 per acre it would be making a fair bargain. Mr. Barron later wrote to Major asking if Bayly would sell at a lower figure than originally asked. In June, 1906, Symes wrote to Mr. Hall-Jones, acting-Premier, forwarding a petition from forty-eight Toko settlers asking the Government to purchase the property. Symes in a letter recommended the acquirement. Symes had written on Parliamentary notepaper, and evidently the letter was sent by him as member for the district. Bayly had then reduced the price to £ll 10s. Mr. Barron, Crown Lands Ranger, had assessed the improved value at £ll per acre, and the Land Purchase Board recommended the acquirement at this price, which Bayly accepted. Replying to Sir Joseph Ward, witness said no political influence ever affected the Land Purchase Board in its deliberations, nor had any Minister been present at meetings of the Board. Replying to Mr. Reed, witness said that Major evidently wrote as a land agent. Mr. Symes then put in Hansard of October 9, 1905, wherein Symes said that the Government had given £2 10s an acre more for Frederick Bayly's property than Symes could have bought it for. Mr. Flannagan, Valuer-General, said that Frederick Bayly's property of 944 acres was valued in 1900 at £8946, and in 1909 at £12,670, and Alfred Bayly's property was valued in 1897 at £10,374, and in 1907 at £13,009 for 300 acres less than in 1897. Replying to Mr. Buchanan, witness said he did not know of the property of 10,000 acres near Masterton offered to the Government at £7 per acre, which had been since cut up and sold for £l3 per acre. Charles Bayly, one of the executors for Alfred Bayly's will, produced a promissory note for £3OO given to Symes by Alfred Bayly. His late brother left no books except a bank pass book. The promissory note was drawn on September 30, 190G, and the amount was paid into the bank on October 11. Charles Edwin Major, land agent, formerly M.P. for Patea, said that Arndt, who offered A. Bayly's property to the Government in 1903, asked him to write to the Premier stating his opinion of the property. He had received no payment in connection with the sale of A..Bayly's property, and never divided with Symes any commission received from sales to the Government. As far as witness was concerned. charge No. 2 was untrue. Regarding E. Bayly's property, he considered he acted within his rights morally and legally. He could have sold the property to a private syndicate at the same price as the Government paid. Replying to Mr. Allen, he said he considered a land agent out of Parliament had a better chance of dealing with the Government than an M.P. The popular opinion in the district was that A. Bayly did not receive the full value of his property. Reply to Mr. Myers,' M.P., he said he never offered land to the Government in excess of its true value. The committee adjourned till Tuesday.