AN EXPLATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1233, 18 November 1882, Page 2

AN EXPLATION.

"i , ,' ,JO ?«B BDJIOR,' ;.''.Slti,-R^er|!ing".to, ! lliß ptrue 1 |ara-'(jripu-lbat;! m \n<ioMfi^ f H^t ti t beg leave to: ask you'to give contra,dicti9n,io.ihe iame,. (: ,l roijjr to my insolr :yenoy.:. ..!/ '.',' .f';.'; ■, : / The real facts', are,'tbat about £IOOO of the amount liabilities is due to Messrs; Krull ap^i.Co.jj,merchants, of Wellington, losies, incurred on a purvey .contraot, Jenving my actual debts in Masterlonj; after- paying expended durin'g'the'-.'ia'B'tiseVeniyearß in •Maaterton'and the.vioinity about £SOOO A WBLL-KHOWH RESIDENT,'

MASTERTOOEBItING SOCIETY.' ft '2a. •,$ $, The meeting last oveiiing was not well; attended, asjup pill Wne o'clook l: pr-J gregate ..-number was 'the poetical men', and aftortlmt hour it, only reached eight. Mr R. Brown, the President, was in. the' chair.

Mr Hogg opened the debate in favor of ' the Town Lands Trust Riving the Government a site for a Courthouse. He did not intend to cast the slightest reflection on the Trust for the stand which they had' made in the matter, At the same'time, he held views which from their - point <Jf' view might seem illiberal or absurd. He thought iu the first instance the Trustees Bhould have called the people they represented together to ascertain whether the site in question should bo diverted, Ha was informed that in any case a Bill would .have to be passed through the House before the property could be transferred. He held that a courthouse like a school was altogether'different from any private building. The value of land in a town to a great extent depended upon the character of its public buildings. A courthouse was a building in which all commercial matters which required thq interference of law had to be adjusted. The Town Land Trustees seemed to guard their property too jealously. He would like to see them look at the proposal from a broad and liberal standpoint, The Government when it erected buildings usually built them on its own reserves or on Biteß purohased at nominal prices.' The Government were always liberal in giving laud for publio'purposes, and they in Masterton should not be niggardly in dealing with them. He referred to the danger of. fire if a building were erected on the Government blook, The Town Lands Trust had not made a revenue out of the town hall site and should not make a dog m the manger stand now. The price, £SOO, which they asked was preposterous, The trust had put the cart before the horse in making an offer before consulting the people. He believed the people if consulted would make, a much more liberal offer. It would be disastrous to drive the Government away from the site of the old town hall He suggested that tho Government should be induced to build a courthouse of brick or concrete'... This would be a great advantage to the town. They had now a Resident Magistrate's Court and a District Court, but in time they might have a claim to a Billing' of the Supreme Court. The sittings of judges gave a certain amount of importance to a town and increased its trade and prosperity. . •;■.'.■. :<■•,.;.

Mr Wondroofo in reply said the Trustees were bound by Act of Parliament; and had no discretionary power to make away with their properly, IJe believed, howevo'r, that the price the trustees were asking was exorbitant. If the Town Hall site wero sold to the Government there would be a quarter* of an acre to the north ot it which would still be a aourco of danger in the way of fire. He referred to the court-house as < being ox« cessivoly high, und disapproved of • big buildings being erected for legal purposes. He sDoke of the raising of the judges as a calamity. The Department of Justice was costly, and it was Masterton which paid the cost, The income from court-houses were large, and ihe G'lvcrnmont could well afford to build them without any donations from the public. Mr Rodman said they were in a position as a rising town to demand a price for their land. If the town wero unimproved it would bo wise to give sites away but such was not the case, He thought tho price demanded too high', Public buildings were of great advantago to towns, and gave them their character, A fine court-house in Masterton would be ut vast improvement. The present courthouse was insufficient, In jury cases instead uf the jury retiring the public had to retire. He was of the opinion that the. eito should be offered for half the sum Which had been named. The Chairman said tho demand for £SOO was a low one in proportion to pro» perty in other parts of the town. There was a ninety feet frontage to Hall-strept, and not a more valuable site was obtainable in Masterton. The Trustees offered it to 'the Government because they considered that the site would be an advoritago to the town. He doubled-the benefit of encouraging litigation. As for fires, the Government could protect themselves by means of safes and strongrooms, 'flie Trustees could not well call the people together until they got; an offioial communication from tho Government, Mr Wardell distinctly slated that his communication was not of an official oharacter, Their experience of the Government in Masterton was that they were addicted to haggling, The Town Hall sito had been reproductive to the Town Lands Trust, and Mr Hogg was mistaken on that point, Mr Wiokens said he not hold with offering the land to the Government for nothing Ho thought that the price might be lowered to £'4oo but certainly not to a loss sum, Mr fielding was in favor of a site being given to the Government,' He held 1 that the Town Trustees had had the advantage of the sife fop rnany years, and now should give way to fljfl, (jovepninerjt. He regarded a couthoqse as next in iiflportance to a church. Mr Hogg having replied, the question was put to the meeting aqd lost on ,the voices.