MOTUTARA PURCHASE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 194, 17 August 1922, Page 8

MOTUTARA PURCHASE.

MINISTERIAL ANSWER TO MR. McCALLt'M. (By Telegraph. —Parliamentary Reporter.) Wednesday. A "question recently tabled by the member for Wairau relating to the purchase of the Motutara Estate, near Auckland, from Sir K. Miu-hclson .for soldier settlement, was answered by the Premier to-day. Mr. McCallum had requested' the Premier to ask the former • owner of Motutara whether immediately before wiling to ,the Government' for £38,000, he returned the value of the property to the Valwr-Uenenil as of capital value of £SOOO only, and whether such o\\ner at any time made any objection to the amount of such value being fixed by the Valuer-General at £SOOO until 1020, and in that year increased the value by.about £3000. Mr. Massey replied: "I cannot approach any private individual for official information, but the Department concerned have informed mc that the answers are in the negative. The Land Purchase Board was not specially directed to report, but the Land Purchase Controller, on receiving the offer of the property, instructed the Commissioner of the North Auckland district to report in the usual way on th? suitability of the land for the purpose in view. The report was favourable, and recommended purchase at £36,500. This the owner refused to accept, but after negotiations the offer was increased to £38.000 with the approval of the Board." Mr. McCallum descrfbed Mr. Massey's answer as ingenious. Mr. Maaeey: "Ingenious or ingenuous ?" Mr. McCallum: 'Perhaps a little of both. I don't blame the Prime Minister, who is a very busy man," he added, "but he has 'been let down by his friend."' There were, he stated; steep gorges on the estate. Mr. Massey said that so far as Sir R. MitchelsoTi's property was concerned the department 'bought it in the usual way. It had been valued by competent men, and Mr. Maseey had been told that the settlers were all doing; well. The owner had had two offers to purchase the property at the price the department pafd, and it was a particularly pood property. He did not know what Sir E. Mitclieeon paid for the land. Mr. McCallum: He did not pay 5/an acre for it; it ia not worth it. Mr. Massey: '"That is absurd." Mr. Massey added that he was ready to set up an inquiry if Mr. McCallum would make a definite charge. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie stated that the property had been valued by two of the beet valuers of the North "of Auckland district, and there was only a differ, ence of a few pounds in their valuations. The estate was also reported on 'by the ■Land Boartl as most suitable for soldier settlement, and so it was. He had only one complaint about it; it was a highly improved property. He wanted to clear the character of Sir E. Mitchelson, and he must say that never by act or letter had that gentleman approached him as Minister of Lands or any member of the department. He would defy anybody ito find any gorges on the property.