THE CARRINGTON ESTATE

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 124, 18 February 1908, Page 9

THE CARRINGTON ESTATE

I ACQUISITION BY THE GOVERNMENT. QUESTION OP COMPENSATION. The hearing- of claims arising out of tho compulsory acquisition by tho Government, under tho Lands for Settlement Act, of tho. Carrington Estate, containing. 6178 acres, and situated near Carterton, was begun yesterday morning beforo a Compensation Court consisting of tho Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), and Messrs. J. M'Kerrow (assessor for the Government), and H. R. Bunny (assessor for tho claimants). ; Mr. Skerrett, K.C. (with him Mr. Johnston) appeared on behalf of'the owner of tho feo simplo (Mr. William Howard Booth, of Carterton), whoso claim it was decided to hear first, and Mr. D. M. Findlay represented tho Minister for Lands. The statement of claim set forth that tho claimant was tho ownorof the feo simple subject to mortgages scouring to Mrs. Euph'Omi'a Booth, of Carterton, widow, tho a-nminl sum 6f £300; Mrs. Alice Gibson • Wickham, of Waitara, £100 Miss Kato Elizabeth Rathhone, formerly of Carterton, now residing in England, spinster, £120: and a lease containing rights of cutting timber and firewood and tramway privileges .vested in tho ' Public Trustee as oxccutor aud trustee of the lato William 'Booth.'' j" ' . ' \ Claimant nssossed- tho value of tho ostato, including all' buildings, erections, and improvements, but excluding tho claim niado by tho Public Trustee in Yespect of . timber and tramway rights, at £70,000, apcT the incidental losses at £9600. ' The classification of tho estate by tho claimant was as follows -—First class "land, 506 ncrcs; sccond-claSs land, tho balance, of tho estate, viz., 5672 acres. Originally, claimant claimed 1400 acres by disputing the Government's classification and making .tho land sccond-class in nlaco offirst. Mr. Skerrett intimated that he would accept tho Government's classification of tho land as first-class land, 'and elected to tako a block of 983 acres upon which are situated tho homestead'buildings. Mr, Findlay: resisted the claim, on : tho ground that the reservation would bo detrimental to tho estato, also bccauso claimant had not complied with Section 109 of tho' Land Act. ' , ■After h long discussion, tljo' Court awarded claimant the block he had elected to tnko. . . ' ..Mr. Skerrett, in' opening'tho caso.for tho claimant, said that the value ■of the estato was to . bo assessed as from Juno 19, .1900,' the dato ' on' frhicH"the propertywas.'compmsonly. tako'n.The'.estato consisted of 61/8 acres, of 'which 2G52 acrcs aro flat,-and tho balauco undulating and hilly country. Tho ostato was situated within a milo of tho post-oflico, and practically tho same distance from tho railway station at Carterton. The situation of the estato was unique. It was practically within tho /borough,, and thero were schools' and creameries on both sides. It was admirably adapted' for <small settlement'. Tho property had'no ■ disadvantages: practically no rabbits; no noxious weeds. It was also exceedingly well roadod. The Government had had thoir eye on the .'estate: for somo time. . It was taken at tho present juncture only becauso tho Crown feared it would greatly increaso in value within thd next year or twa Tho, last land tax value of 6152 acres, including buildings, was £54,774. Under tho Act 'of last session lO por cent. had,.to be:added to tho unimproved valuo (less' buildings) £5000) iu order_ to airivo qf. tho total valuation. ' An additional : 2 per cent, had to be added for disturbance. .'

Tho property was, counsel : stated, divided conveniently into,two blocks, ono containing 2046 acres, and tho other 4132' acres. The first-mentioned block'was flat,' with tho exception of 121 acros,- which tho Government thomsclves had. classified .as .first-class land. This /pieco 'of ' hilly' ground ' had an added valuo, •• becauso it would bo a convenient placo for cows to run in during wintor. Tho balance of/'tho block was agricultural land, which varied .in quality Tho rich portions rvorb 'to ..tho south of the Mangaterc ;.Road, also to tho west -of '-'tho tramline.

Aftor describing:. -tho in : "dotpilji counsel stated-'thafr-this season, • which - was tho ■ driost - tho - proverbial oldest inhabitant had known—no rain"having fallen for threo months, i and hot winds" having\ prevailed 'of tho streams; including tho Mangatarore, woro ■ dry. ■ Claimant had been under a disadvantage through 'tho assessors having, to- go ovor tho property after,such-a dry'. spell; as it was very difficult, no matter - how expfirt tho assessor might bo, for anyono to put a fair valuo on a property undor. those conditions. Tho estate, counsel coiitmued,, had been carried on as a-sheep farm; sheep had- boeu b'red 1 and fattened upon it and, in addition, storo ?heep had been purchased for, the purposo ■of fattening.' It' was Well-known'' that the property was oasily worked. All thefenccs, which 'aggregated 39 miles, woro .in" excellent condition, excepting where breaches had boon made by recont fires. As a matter of fact, tho - fires had dono: good, but the • m'attor did riot concern- tho ■'claimant, as- tho fires had . occurred subsequent to tho - acquisition of the property by (he Government. If-desired; tho'-claimant could sow grass seed , on the burnt- patches, or. tho Crown could do it. Each year ■50 acres lmd boon cropped. Tho pcrcentagp, of ilambs at docking was 100 per cent.' and t-ho doaths upon "•• a winter : carrying l • capacity , of 5500 had -been 100 in 1906, and 120 in 1907. The portion of tho property in bush con-, sistecf of 1409 acres and 122 acres in small paddocks "wero lot to tenants. •' ~ Tho ■ claimant _ had, - Mr. - Skerrett observod, • been in possession for ono yoar and _ 'nino -months,' i.e., sinco the doath of his father....Tho profit for the first yoar, after allowing for graduated tax, cost of fences, interestvon- stock and.implements' at 6 per cent, insurance,, etc., had amounted to £3118 75., which, if capitalised at 5 por cent., would amount to £60,000, to which tho Court must add; the valuo of the bush and tho land iieased. . At present, tho buildings could bo 1 left out of consideration.. ; . Tho. claimant's valuations on tho wholo property, without buildings,, ranged- from £62,000. to ;£67,000. Aftor- referring to tho - annuities on thq estato, which , woro secured , by ,mort-, gage, counsel stated that claimant proposed to romain ■in possession until March noxt year. .If the Crown insisted on claimant giving up possession at -an earlier, date,- a much, larger sum would ,be, claimed . ; for disturbance. The notice had been given on tho understanding that-there would.be, a speody, hearing of; the case. Upon-the estate, in Juno, 1906, was the following stock—s469 sheep, of which 1194 were dry, 462 head of cattlo,. and 80 :horses. . Last winter... there, was. about.tho same number of stock on the: property. . .- --- ... -

There was somo discussion with reference to tho dato upon which claimant should givo Up possession, and, ultimately, : on the suggestion of the Court, it was decided that the parties should confer subsequently • on the question. Tho first witness called was - Thomas Wilmshurst, farmer, Taratahi, but,, as ■ho had-omitted to bring with, him certain papers showing his valuos of'tho various portions, of the estate, -it was decided that ho should■bo called again at 1 a lator date. Edward Eagle,; farmer,-Belvedere, assessed tho value of tho portion of- tho estate which had been awarded to claimant (buildings :excopted) at £19,953 10s., and the balance of the estate at £42,142 10s. ;

Georgo! Stovens, -farmer, Belvedere, stated that, in, his opinion, the cstato (with the exception.-of the portion; awarded to claimant) was worth £41,301 10s.• ; -».

Cross-examined, witness stated that this was his. first- attempt at land valuing. • Ciiarles Morgan, dairy 'farmer, - Carterton, gave detailed valuations, which substantially agreed with'those of the previous witness. . Goorgo Wilmshurst, farmer, Taratahi, assessed, the value of the land taken at £42, 997.,

Goorgo W. Deller, run-holder, Carterton, stated that, iii'his opinion, tho land retained was .worth {£19)876 155., and the land takon £44,047. *

J. M'Donnld, manager of the estate,-was' the next -witness called. 1 He stated that ho had been in charge of the property for fourteen years. Tlio area which had Been awarded to claimant was valued by. him at £18,340. At' this stage the Court adjourned until iJpO o'clock this morning.