TOWN LANDS TRUST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2592, 7 May 1887, Page 2

TOWN LANDS TRUST.

The ordinary meeting of tho Masterton Town Lauds Trustees was held last evening (Friday) in the Institute, Present: Messrs E. Fiest (chairman.), E, Chambeilain, T. Parsons, \Y, |.f Poiry, and R, Hare. fr The minutes of the last meeting wero read and confirmed, and the Treasurer reported a credit balance of £173 Ms Gd. The election of Chairman was then proceeded with, and on tho motionMr Perry, seconded by Mr Hare, Mr " s ~ v * E. Fiest was re-elected to the office. Mr Feist returned thanks for the honor conferred on him, expressing a hope' that tliey would transact the J business of the ensuiug year, as amic- gj| ably as during the. past.. (BB The Chairman, and Mcasrs Perry vB and Parsons were appointed a Finance § Committee, with Mr. Perry as Treasurer. A letter was read from the Greytown Trustees, requesting to bo supplied with a cony of. the Consolidated Bill.

Mr Haro stated that tho Trust were compelled, according to the Act, to give publicity through tho Press, and by depositing a copy of it for fourteen days at tho E.M." Co.irfc, thus giving tire public every opportunity of making ' themselves acquainted with it. Be said that the Bill mighl.be introduced into tho House thifr-sessiftn, and then passed through next; v A letter was read from- Messrs"* Chapman and Fitzgerald, Wellington, on bebalf of the School Commissioners requesting ih.it a clauso.be inserted in the deed, protecting them fr6m any compensation from Mr MoKillop, and also that the rent be paid to. them ia full by the lessee, and.: they agreed to pay back ono third to tho .Trust—a sum in proportion to tlio; area, taken. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Hare, seconded by Mr.Perry, That the letter of tho School Commi&sioiiers 1 be approved of, and that a notification of such approval be sent, to the Coramissioners with a request th|t the conveyance of tho ten acres of section 104, Masterton District,.bo completed at once.

That as soon ns such, eon veyifopp jg completed a report be se'ftt ife&n the Minister of Lands in oi'dov tluib the .A section containing 80 acres :: b() gazetted as an Education Reserve, • A communication was received from Mr Gawith stating that. Messrs X and 0 . Herbert had surrendered tho leaso of town acre No. 2.

The Clerk reported that Mr,T. E. Prico objected to pay uiore than £lO ut year for town acre 111, as that was the prico he bid lor it at Auction, and he had for half a rent at that figure from tj|e Au:tjqneer «t the time ot the sale. The Auotioncor's account sales was produced, showing the sale to be at illl per annum. It was decided that the amount of £lO bo lecoivcd for tho rent of tho property and that the lease bo completed forthwith. • ' . . , Tho Clerk reported that Messrs Perry and Lowes had been roturnod unopposed, and in consequonce ojf there being no election, a poll. re,Bmll street bad not been taken, Iho Chairman said'ho did not anticipate that there would have beeri any objection to the poll not being i held, but as the resolution was worded 1 , that it was to be taken at the same time as / ' the election was held, it couseaueiW < fell through. '• The following accounts \yef'j> for payment; Messrs £4 lis 3d j Smith and Hogg, 15s* 14s; Hunt Temperance i nall,lua. . . "

Mr Hare gavo notice that at tha next meeting he would move "That the land recently purchased- from Mrs Perry iu Bannister-street be survoyed • into building sites nnd let on lease." '. He was desirous, if the school commifctco ■ did not except their offer, to Sob the property pat to good use, and thought that by giving notice they would . hare auiplo time to come to terms. Renali, Street. ''- ; i! . Mr Parsons, • pursuant to notice moved" That thirty feet wide and five chains in length of the Trust property in -Renall-street be given to -'the Borough of Masterton for street-widen- • ing purposes." He spid the reason he ' gave notice was that he had come to • the concision from opinions expressed, that if the poll had been - taken, the thirty feet would haveheed carriec), at .the SEime tipcie '

number who wero against giving any of tlie land. Ho felt lie wits carrying out the wishes of the majority in proposing that the thirty feet bo given, and he also had a desire to improve the appearance of that part ot the town. Mr E. E. Chamberlain, in seconding . the motion, said he did not like the . idea of giving the land without an •. equivalent, buihehnd'taken the opinion /■ of.a great many people' outside, and .. the.general feeling was that if the . • Tiuat did hot give it, they, ought to be' !' turned out. The present instance was .-an"exceptional one, as it-was; a narrow .: strip between two wide' .roads, find toconsidered'it would be beneficial to ■v the town to Widen the five.chains, .Mr Hare moved as an amendment That a poll be taken on the question, " He thought that the question should be referred to the voters. As an old Trustee ho thought it wss time something was done to slop (lie wholesale . giving of Trust Lands. Ho considered . it their duly to husband the property for the benefit ot their children's children, and lie hoped the people would look at it in that light, When the Borough deputation first waited on the Board they made an oiler which lias not been acted up to. If tlio Borough required the land they should give an equivalent. The Trust had given a forge quantity of land for the benefit of the town without receiving a penny in return, and they should , not part with nny more of it. The 13oiough had land which they could give in rotiii'n for the Rcnall Street strip, and ho thought overtures should be made to thoni with a view to obtaining an equivalent. Mr Perry asked if the Borough conld not cease rating Trust property I as a kind of set off. The Clerk caid the Council had no power to remit rates unless in cases of extreme poverty. It was thought that the Trust hardly cuuie under that head. The Chairman spoke in favor of the motion, and Mr Parsons having replied it was put and carried, Mr Hare being the only dissentient. It was resolved that the balance of the reservo fund be deposited at interest, and (he Trustees then went into committee to deal with the proposed Consolidating Bill.