PUTIKI RIFLE RANGE COMPENSATION CASE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12641, 31 October 1905, Page 5

PUTIKI RIFLE RANGE COMPENSATION CASE.

, '»•— — THE JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

At the Native Land jOourt on Saturday judgment was -delivered by his Honour Judge Mair in the Putiki Rifle Range- compensation case. In giving judgment his Honour briefly traced the history of. the case, and went on to say that Mr Fitzherbert having intimated that the Grown were prepared to include portions cut ofF from Onetere Nos. 2 and "4 amongst those taken, the Court had treated those portions as having been taken. The evidence, said his Honour, had proved very conflicting, as was usual in suoh cases, but the Court had endeavoured to fix the values between the two extremes. His Honour then dealt briefly- with the quantity of the various portions of land in dispute, and remarked, that,r taking everything into consideration, <tihe Court had found as follows;:-— "■■'■' .""

With regard.-to Onetere No. 2, m -8 acids' 2 roods and 28 perches had been taken, .the amount payable to: tli© owners at £100 per acre would be £867 10s 7 VnThile for depreciation in v<Slue of the remaitting portion—3 acres 3Vroods 17 perohjes^by severance and proximity, of rifle trange, the Court would allow £75; access to <tlhe 3 aci-es 3 roods and 27 perches to bs> given by a halfchain rigjht-of-way along the east side of. Whak&pald. Whakapaki No.2.—Amount payable to owners at- £170 per acre for 6 acres 1 rood 32 perches taken, £1096 10s.; compensation to executors of C. Gordon for loss on, account .of lease £170, value of shed-and gaite £s—total £175. Onei&re No. 2.~Payable to ow.ners for s.iaopeS 0 croode 32. perches taken, at £70 per acre, £364; payable to owners for 1 aore.O roods 14 pei-'ches taken at £10 p>r acre, £10 17s 6d.; total £374 17s

""Oheteire No. 4.—tFour acres 2 roods 28 peroK.es; payable to owners for 3 acres 2 roods 38 perches taken, at £70 per acre, £261 12s 6d; 3 roods 30 perches taken, at £10 per acre, £9 7s 6d; total £271.

Onetere No. 1. —Thirty-eight acres 0 roods 18 perches; payable to owners for 7 acres 1 'rood 7 perches taken, £400 9s sd; for 13.acres 1 rood 30 perches taken, at £15 per acre, £201 11s 3d; for 17 acres 1 rood 21 perches at 10s per acre, £8 3s; (total, £610 14s 6d. Payable to Messrs Clapham -and Wells for loss of rent of 38 acres 0 roods 8 perches during, remainder of lease by proximity to rifle range, £55 3s 3d; total, £231 8s 3d. Payahje to W. H. Twogood as compensation for reduction of grazing area, disturbance, etc., £100; depreciation in value of 61 acres 2 roods 8 perches for his term of lease by proximity to the rifle range, £30 15s 9d; total, £130 15s 9d.

His Honour further directed that the rent now payable by the different lessees wiill be—Gordon's executors to the owners of Whakapaki No. 2 for 3 acres 3 roods 17 purchases, £6 8s 6d per annum ; Claplham and Wells to the owners of Onetere No. 1 for 61 acres 2 roods .08 perches, reduced by £26 13s 4d per annum ; Twogood to Clapfham and Wells, reduced'by £27 per annum. His Honour stated tfliait in accordance with Mr Justice Cooper's ruling on the point, the different amounts due to the native owners as compensation must be deposited with the Public Trustee. Mr Fitzher-benb appeared - fc-rthe Crown, Mr Treadwell for the native owners, Mr Gordon fcr Messrs Clapham and Wells, Mr Allison for Mr Twogood, and Mr Corry for the executrix in the estate of Mr C. Gordon.