THE COURTHOUSE SITE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8446, 23 May 1907, Page 5

THE COURTHOUSE SITE.

(To the Editor). Sir —From a perusal of your articles on this subject, and of "The Masterton Trustees Empowering Act 1902," I gather that the position is as follows

1. In the preamble to the Act the Legislation expressly declares that "it is expedient" that an exchange be made t of a piece of land owned by the Trustees for a piece belonging to the Crown.

2. The latter piece is at present vested in the Crown in trust to use the same for a post office, telegraph office, and courthouse, and has therefore no saleable value.

3. The Act authorizes the exchange to be made on a condition which has been fulfilled, viz., the consent of the voters. 4. The Act does not authorize the Trustees to pay any money by way of equality, and any such payment would be a breach of trust by the Trustees, for which they could be held personally accountable.

5. Neither the Crown nor the Trustees are under any legal obligation to carry out the exchange, but are merely enabled to do so if they think proper.

6. The Crown refuses to give effect to an arrangement which Parliament has declared to be expedient, unless the Trustees commit a breach of trust.

7. Parliament has voted £SOO towards the erection of a new c,ourthouse, and the Crown refuses to expend it until £1,300 has been illegally extorted from the town. If I am mistaken in the above conclusions, kindly correct me.— I am etc., M. TRIMBLE. Masterton, May 22nd, 1907.