FREEHOLDING TAUMARUNUI

Taranaki Daily News, 14 March 1919, Page 5

FREEHOLDING TAUMARUNUI

ACTION OF NATIVE OWNERS. By Telegraph. —Press Association. Taumarunui, March 13. The matter of freeholding the borough of Taumarunui was advanced a stage further to-day at a well-attended meeting of native owners, presided over by Mr. 0. P. Earl, registrar of the Maori Land Board. The meeting was held to consider the application of eight lessees for the freehold of properties, chiefly in the main street, opposite the railway station. The registrar advised natives to offer the whole of the native township to the Government, and the natives seemed unanimously in favor, but after a retirement they met again and indicated in detail what they would do with the private applications now before them. The meeting unanimously resolved that six of the sections be sold at the present Government valuation of the native owners' interest in the improved value. The 1917 valuations on these were: Dr. Mackight, £2485; Thomas, £2137; House and Daking, £2334; Abraham and Williams, £1117; G. L. Winger, £323; Frank Smith, £323. The meeting also agreed to sell sections to the Bank of New Zealand, £000; Bank of Australasia, £240, making a total of £9769. The Taumarunui Borough Council has already spent £38,000 on improvements, including streets, gas, high pressure water and underground draining. The council is now taking a poll for raising a further loan of £SIOO for electric light, etc., and unless the town is freebolded the proposals may not be carried, as every loan loads up the native owners' interest in improved value.