WELLINGTON RENTALS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 254, 25 March 1914, Page 5

WELLINGTON RENTALS.

SUPREME COURT PROCEEDINGS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. That the ground rentals of certain corporation property in the lower part of Lambton Quay were assessed too low was the basis of an action heard before the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) at the Supreme Court to-day, when a motion was moved on behalf of the City Council that the award fixing the leases in dispute made by William Mouat Hannay, Joseph Prime Maxwell and Alexander Macintosh (arbitrators), dated October 31, 19-13, be set aside, on the ground that "William Mouat Hannay and Alexander Macintosh had misconducted themselves, in that they did not act judicially and were biassed in favor of the lessees." The motion further set out that rentals for the renewed term of fourteen years were "grossly under what a prudent lessee would give for the. ground."

The sections affected are in Customhouse Quay, Brandon and Panama streets, ami Lambton Quay, and arc occoupied by several lessees, Aitken, Wilson and Co., Kirkcaldie and Stains, Hall niul Knight, and George and Kersley. In opening in support of the motion, Mr. T. F. Martin said that the awards were deemed to be so low compared with the rentals paid by other lessees for similar leases, that ' the City Council had thought it was its duty to bring the matter before the Court, particularly as a considerable number of valuations had yet to -be made. The ease was unfinished when the Court arose.