LAND PURCHASES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 161, 9 July 1926, Page 8

LAND PURCHASES.

CITY COUNCIL POLIGY.

METHODS ATTACKED.

SECRET MEETING ALLEGED

Statements made during the course of a speech in which the City Council was criticised by Mr. C. F. Be'nnett over its recent purchases of land, were described by Mr. T. Bloodworth at last night's meeting of the council as "very grave issues'- that should be investigated. In accordance with hi 3 notice of motion, Mr. C. F Bennett moved the following resolution: — "That with a view to defining its procedure in land purchases, this counci l determines that all land now under offer for sale to the council, or which may at any future time be required by the council for public purposes, or in which the council is to have a monetary interest, such land or lands shall be acquired only by public proclamation, as provided by present statutory legislation, and thus ensure by clear and open negotiations the fullest confidence of both ratepayers and property owner 3 alike." '"1 quote this notice of motion with regret for two reasons," said Mr. Bennett-. "The first is that it will be necessary for mc to criticise a large firm in similar business to myself. This firm, by correspondence, brought the matter forward at the last council meeting when the head of that firm made reference to my amendment that the matter should be referred to the Parks Committee to fully investigate and report back to the council, as 'an unfortunate attack , caused by insufficient knowledge on my part of the circumstances, or the land in question. Secondly, my regret is because of criticism of the action of the council in the matters which I will have to make. The position i 3 such that I feel duty bound to make a public statement.

"It is not a personal attack on the firm in question, but arises from the fact that on our agenda paper on June 24 we had from this firm no less than four notices relative to land purchases embracing seven purchases of land totalling £12,000, and a request for the council to receive the national park deputation, which subsequently asked for a park in the Waitakeres to cost £50,000." The Council's Holdings. Mr. Bennett then reviewed a return supplied to him by the acting Town Clerk and City Treasurer, which showed that the,. council's holdings in the hills to-day, exclusive of the recent purchase of a week ago, totalled £75,815. This included 2783 acres which had been a gift to the council. "With regard to the purchase of Shepherd's block, for which authority was asked at the last meeting to sanction the purchase after it had actually been paid for by the' City Solicitor and sanctioned by the Mayor, the Mayor told us in reply to a question raised, that this area had to be purchased at £ 850, instead of at £750, as had been authorised by the Mayor and Parks Committee," said Mr. Bennett. "This was owing to the fact that an alleged speculator had hopped in at the head of the council, after seeing members of the council inspecting the property, and had bought the 133J acres at £850. In the rearrangement mad© with the alleged speculator it is since gleaned that the council got only 121 acres of this area at £850, leaving 12 acres to the speculator for his trouble." Quoting from the letter of the original vendor, Mr. Bennett said that this property had been placed in the hands of the agents at ,- £875, and not £750, as stated by the Mayor when explaining the urgent action of himself and the Parks Committee. "The only safe method for any local body," continued the speaker, "is for that local body to give notice of its intention to proclaim land, and then the ordinary machinery of the Public Works Act would be set in motion, in which case any speculator who attempted to deal after the notice had been issued, would have a poor status in any compensation court. "The Mayor, following a council meeting, called a special meeting of the Parks Committee in his own room, in conference with the Council's agent, and then determined on the acquisition of the 121 acres at £850. I say it was a secret meeting. It is time that the Council defined a definite policy with regard to the intentions of land acquisitions and the procedure to be followed." Mr. Bennett outlined a number of other land transactions of the council, including back areas of Khyber Pass lands, which were under offer from private owners and about to be accepted by the council when the Water Committee decided to take these areas by proclamation. Concerning these areas, he remarked: "Thank goodness, the committee decided to proclaim that land and let the Assessment Court review the price to be paid. I bow to the committee for that. It is just about time that this stampeding into land purchases wiu stopped, and the Council definitely determine on any land it is to acquire, to be taken by the fair and T P hisw m n tho<l ° f , - Public for ZCTZ f f lr aDd °P en treatment tor the local body purchasing, and for the landowner concerned." A Discussion Follows. The Deputy-Mayor (Mr. J 4 War . nock) thought that Mr. Bennett's suggestion would not preclude any owner of land raking in land agents to put the pr.ee of land up to the Assessment ™ h f" V" nOt always disable to I go before the Assessment Court. As for the allegations made by Mr. Bennett. Mr H. E Vaile had stated that he had documentary evidence in his office that would satisfy Mr. Bennett. Had Mr. Bennett be \ n r tO A n Vai,e ' S office to see7h"s' Mr J. Dempsel said he supported the methods that had been followed by the council. He resented the attack which had been made by Mr. Bennett, which might be taken to reflect on Mr Vaile who was not in Auckland at present "f think t would be a great benefit to the council, and also to the ratepayers, if we had no land agents at all." However fn% Wa n ?r rPr ! Sed , at Mr - Bennefct atta <* : ing another land agent. It a 9 not fair to a man like Mr. Vaile, who had conducted his business so well for so loner Miss E Melville stated that all suggestions for the purchase of land should come from the council or committees, and not from outsiders. She thought I that the time had arrived when the council should appoint its own land department and its own officer. All negotiations should be completed' inside the council, and not out of. it. There had been a lately, and they all knew it. " * j "I am concerned about the last few Z * m ot Mr - Ben e"'s resolution," said Air. T. Blood worth. He says: "Ana tt th S T,, by dear and °P°* ugofotiona the fullest confidence of both rate-1 I

payers and property owners alike." "Are we to understand from this that all past negotiations have not been carried out clearly and with confidence- I think that the resolution should be inquired into and also the statements made. Very grave issues had been raised by Mr. Bennett, and I will move an amendment that the Finance and Legal Committee should report to the council on thf> whole matter in a month's time. There is something very serious got to be said, for there are two sides to every question. It is not a matter of urgency, and that is why I think we should not hurry it." Mr. C. F. Bennett, in seconding the amendment, said that he was only too pleased to support Mr. Bloodworth's proposal. The amendment was then carried unanimously.