MASTERTON TOWN LANDS TRUST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2579, 22 April 1887, Page 2

MASTERTON TOWN LANDS TRUST.

[To THE Eorroir,]

Sir.—l have observed in your issuoof Saturday the.report of the annual tuoeting of the Trust.-. This,is the.ohly meeting I-believe I ever was absent from during my terra office, and I regret it has afforded Mr li.tmall.6omo excuse for his remarks against mo at this meeting, ab well as some' other remarks of a liko naturo at Mr Beetham,B meeting. Having been on such friendly terms with Mr Kenall as' a co-trusico for a.long period, I cannot understand his remarks against niy attendance as a member of tho Trust. It is true I have opposed him at an election for a seat at tho Board atid defeated him, and it is also true that in tho discharge of my duty I havo opposed his action as regards some of tho Trust lands which were, omitted from the first Management Act, and I therefore presume that my action in these matters musk have, earned for me his displeasure, which I hope, however, I will lioablo to survive, and yet be able to render a little more service for .the benefit of my fellow settlers. I think, sir, that Mi-Kenall is quite in error when he asserts I havo evaded the provisions ot tho Act of Management, and have, in consequeuce, rendered my scat vacant. The wording of the Act appears, to-mov very I clear, ft says any member ceasing to reside—no. doubt, con tin aouel y—-for a period of six months, or who- shall absent himself without kava from three consecutive meetings of the Trust shall render his seat .vacant, Now, I defy Mr Eenall, either from the records of the Trust meetings or from any other source, to prove the truth-of his statement, and well knowing that he is stating what is not correct, why does 'hepersist inattaoking a 'mail behind bis back 1 My ■residence'.or "home is on the Upper Plain, where I Have resided for many .years before Mr Renall canie to reside in Mastetton; but I must-.attend' to the. business of my family, and cannot always be in Maßterton to Bmt,the.w.i|'d.;:an.d'occ?n' trie notions of d&meatod persons. MKi.ll BTREET. If a conveyance exist between Mr Carter and Chew, why not produce it. I don't think i; «xistp, besides, under the powers of the Crown grant to Mr Carter, as trustee ofjho lauds of Mas. tertou; ho had no power to sell or convoy. But all approved dealinga by tho Association prior to the passing of tho Act of 1871 wore validated by tho A or, and aro mentioned in the schedule thereof. This trausaot-ioubas been validated and hence the question of its correctness, but tho unused portion of the land (33 feet) was brought into the Act, over which tho trustees have a legal right for Trust purposes, THE TRUST LANDS.

Many of the settlers no doubt are desirous of knowing how these lands have been acquired. The original area of the town comprised 120 acres, which included twenty acres given gratis by the Provincial Government as school sites, churches, (fee. The 100 acres were purchased by the Association at 10s per aero, and many of them were Bold to the members at 208 and 25s each. A fund was (bus created which paid off the first cost of tha land, and survey expenses, ifcc, and tho land which now comprises the Trust Lands of the town were paid for by tho extra price of 10s and Ids par acre, which the members had to pay over and abovo tlio first cost of the land, and those acres which were not sold were included in the Management Act of 1871, and all known as the Trust Lands of Masterton, so that every member who then puichased was a oontributor towards tho payment of these lands. I, aB well as Mr Etna]], have only "contributed like other members in proportion to our purchases, I am therefore at a loss to understand what Mr Renal! has dono in this direction for the town, more than any other member of the Small I'arm Association. Messrs Carter, Masters, aud H. Jackson were the working bees of the hive, while Mr Ronall was working his mill at theHutt. , , THEGREYTOWN BELT, Mr Carter, in his little pamphlet on the Small Farms of the Wairarapa, asserts thai no portion of the raonoys belonging to Masterton was ..taken for the purchase of this belt, and' that it would only be just on the part of Masterton to accept a much lower figure, and transfer their interest to Grey town; but the Greytovm-Trustees gave a higher price than that mentioned by Mr Carter, and the Masterton Trustees accepted tho.olFer,'and. thereby ended a bitter feeling which had existed. REPORT AND BAIfANCB SHEET. . It is gratifying that the report and balancesheot for the past.year.have been approved of by a large majority of -the citizens, and thatMrSenalf and his bunkum can find no resting place either in the Trust or Council Chambers, lam.eto,, . R. Habe, Wellington, April 19,1887.