The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 1886. STARK AND STIFF.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2366, 6 August 1886, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 1886. STARK AND STIFF.

The House is a veritable "school for 'SQaqdiil". thigij ffesion. .• The latest . romance from the Assembly puts the ; Steward . episode quiter.in the shade, uiid jirouiiaen to be the sensation of the sepiioa. ■ The hero of- it is named ". Stark," He is represented to he a, oouiing and few will be fosmd . tOj.'qtieStion . his qualification for .the distibgtiiHijiod li'dnbrwhich awaits hiiu, Wp leairn th&t the immortal Starty for we. cannot doubt that be will be afuture' colonial treaaiirer of this colony, Vfiß the owner of. n sweet littlq property in thd BorongH of Devonport, near Auckland,.-.which the Government, ■thought suitable for. colonial purposes: as a battery, ysite. . The Miniator for Publib Works himself . went iijnto Auckland and arranged the transaction, He. offered; the owner of this inteiest. fag frontage' at r ' Ddvonport the sum ;of|£l7,lQp r which; sum the magnaimnious' Stark accepted, When the. <bnsaitj l)ad;ib?ei\ completed, certain .facts leaked out which indicated that the' Government had secured a some. . what doubtful targain from fheM.H.B, Jn embryo;'j; It .discovered tjiiit in 18&2 thio-islc .of .Stark valued by the Property--TiatX;'department at four thousand' five Hundred:' pound?. This was at a time'wben the Oovorn'ment did.notdealjn hattw-y sites, and.it war sompwhat singular that in 1885, when the'Governfiiflrit; we're. inittb'e battery site, business the value 'of thef.Stark freehold, jumped; lip, its "if by'magic, : by : - ll tOOOf' 5 '"appeared in" UiV*' pjfp(]«rtjr .Hwessnjent;vnlufction being- > W6rii fifteen hiinrired pounds. ; It was'said on otie si(jo that tbrPropertv Tax Kevieiver wafi'a'gort .of the il]ufltrio^s ! Starkl.l).ut.' the olAer /hand it wasisliovra'tbitpWpertyi in •' the Doypopfl'rt treblgd ih .value between

1 1882- : -niid 1883,' ai'id*-of.course Property Tax' depart mfent "to Jk" 'the benefit of the rise. It would seem .that whena private buyer appears in ;the|?ld property ment buyer enters, tlj'e jfiejd tlie, jump talcen would; astonish jfe is'stated that lHe'origin«Keo^to' : $(•-. Stark of the property' which' lie Ims sold! for outr thousand pounds whs two thousand six hundred pounds, so thut this gentleman's friends can perhaps on,the wliolh congratulate him upon his dealings with the Government. : AeommiHee of the House, of which Sir Julius Yogd aiid Mr • Bullance 'were : imMiiberH, . have found on enquiry that the. action of the Governnieut in this? matter was quite justifiable; and we way 'rest assured that the interests of -the Colony have been duly protected, We trust that ,'the Govtrniu.entj having vindicated clearly ,the. action jof the Minister for 'Public Works, mll'see tliat some suit, able roward is offered to Mr Stark for the patriotic manner in ' which lie has placed, a battery site at the disposal of the Crown. , ' ;' ■