BOATING CLUB'S TITLE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 206, 31 August 1926, Page 15

BOATING CLUB'S TITLE.

\ QUESTION OF A FREEHOLD. TAKAPUXA TRAXSACTIO-N FINALISED. A transaction involving the transfer of* the freehold title of "the Takapuna Boating 1 lub"s site r: Bayewater from the Takapuna Borough Council to the boat.ii] , ' club was finalised at the adiouini'il meeting "f the council last evening, it 'joing decided that the council's seiil be attached to the transfer. __ , In rcierence to the metier, -Ur. F. E. \. Gauilin criticised the action of three ineniiers of the council, .Messrs. A. H. Wilkiu, F. W. Suckling, and J. W. Wiliiainsou, and several ex-councillors, in p.iblichmg a statement in tne Press, giviu ' it as their opinion that a freehold title ha-1 never been intended. Their action, iie said, was not cricket. By declaring that the transfer had never been considered as a fieenold, the mem- . bers of the present council had sug- . ■y-u-d that there was something under- i kind— that the granting of the. freehold I was wrong. I'hu council was bound by , the .11 tiuii of the previous council. j Mr. Wilkiu buid ihaL Mr. Uaudin was not ;i niomijtT of the council that had first cuiisidere-l the mutter. That council, \\ii!i tin , exception of two memuers, had ivgiu-iied the title as leasehold. ilr. Wil.iamsun said that his sole reason for objecting to the granting 01 j the ii'i'eliolfl title was that the borough engillfi'l' had iiifui'ineil him that tne laml li i.-'it lie v anted. .Mr. ii. 11. .Matthews supported Mr. G'atiuiu in protesting against the matter being rushed into print. Such action belittled tin , louneil. and the piu.lic the idea that the council was not unaniinuuc It Ueliovud tne present coa..cil to honour a promise made by their predecessors, more especially as that promise was backed up by the minutes uf the council. The Mayor (Mr. J. D. Morison) said that, apart from the council's minutes, he was convinced that the club had expected a freehold title. The present eounc.l would be doing wrong if they refused the transfer. The council was merely carrying on the business of a previous council. In reference to the letter published in the Press, he thought that such action made it appear that there was something irregular in the transaction. When put to the meeting, the resolution finalising the transfer was passed. Air. \\ ilkie objecting.