COMPULSORY LAND ACQUISITION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9139, 15 July 1908, Page 5

COMPULSORY LAND ACQUISITION.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO PUBLIC WORKS ACT. The Waimate County Council forwarded a request to the Masterton County Council, which was read at yesterday's meeting, that the Council ask the Parliamentary representatives in its jurisdiction to support an amendment to the Public Works Act, adapted by the City Conference on the remit of the Waimate Council, as follows: —"That provision be made to enable a local authority before applying for a proclamation enabling the taking of any land for a public work to call upon the owner of such land to state in writing ss set forth in section 43 the particulars of compensation which would be claimed by such owner in respect thereto if such land were so taken; and, further, that if upon receipt of such claim the local authority should determine not to proceed to apply,for a proclamation then the owner should be refunded by the local authority the reasonable costs incurred by him in assessing and ascertaining such compensation. Also, to provide that the local authority may, before applying for a proclamation by the Governor apply to the Compensation Court to determine the sum payable to the owner in the event of the land being taken, and may upon receiving the award of the Court, elect to apply for a proclamation or to abandon the proposal to take the land; provided always that the local authority if it shall, elect to abandon the proposal shall in addition to the costs incurred by the owner in ascertaining and assessing the compensation claimed by him, also pay to such owner all expenses incurred by him in connection with the hearing of the claim by the Compensation Court." On tho motion of the Chairman (Mr W. J. Welch) the Council decided to act upon the request of the Waimate County Council.