MASTERTON TRUST LANDS TRUST.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 740, 12 February 1910, Page 12

MASTERTON TRUST LANDS TRUST.

'A PROGRESSIVE. INSTITUTION., The Masterton Trust Lands Trust,' which- has imiule Masterton- tho possessor of one of tho most valuable inland town educational endowments in- New Zealand, was first originated.by Mr. Joseph Masters, ,aftor whom' Atasterton is named. It appears that some timo in'tho "fifties" Sir George -Grey passed, an Act called The Hundreds Aot' which., had for its object, the settlement of small farms inMasterton and Groytown. A Wairarapa Small Farms Association was formed. The grants were: originally ono hundred town aero sections, and a number of forty-acre suburban Sections. Eventually as • tho town': developed, their - particular, interests fell, apart, :and Hliey formed soparato;organisations. A number of tho. sections in each town were forfeited, and, it was in the way,of taking lip tho forfeited sections that .the fllastcrton and Groytown- Town Lands■ Trusts -sprang into existence.' So 'far us Jlastcrton was concerned the area originally controlled by the Trust was: 30 acres. Its value then at the outside could not have been more than .EIOO. The suburban part of Masterton i in- those early , days,, was .valued at £1 per acre, the town lots nfc per acre. -The area now _ coln'prisei' twontv, two ' town acre sections, and n ■ »üburW section of forty acres. '• ■ ■ The

capital value of the whole property, upon which Bome very handsome < buildings have been erected is estimated between and iS0 4 000. At the inccpfton of, the, Behemo th© trustees chief, of whom were Messrs. J. Masters, C., E. Carter, A. W. Ecnall, H, , .H. Jackson, and B. Haro decided to set tho. endowment apart for educational purposes. The reason was simple. At that time there was no State education, and it. was thought, that, it would be many years before such a desirable system was instituted.: The early settlers clearly saw . the advantages: of education' and they made provision to the best of their ability. At first it ' ivas understood 1 that." the Trust funds would bo used only for edn-, cational and library; purposes, but later the scope was widened to includo works of public' utility. This embraces nearly everything, and'consequently in every ob-. jeet'which has been proposed'for the advancement', of the town, the Trust i. has been . canvassed: for monetary support. Grants in turn/havo been, made for education purposos to the various schools— this churches stand upon land donated by the Trust—and for. beautifying; the public park, to the.l'ire Brigade Board, and: for street, widening purposes. A .big donation was made towards the cost of tho S resent ..new 'Technical School, .which .was uilt at a cost of'sonic JC'IO3O. ..By the way, .Mastertdn hns: to. thank' Messrs. M.; (J. d'Couuell Ahd J.' 51. Coralline, much' ; for this building, also the generous spirit of its town, ami country residents. I'iu! Trust -owns . valuable sites in Queen Street,'. Canil. . these' .are ■. noW : '• bein^.. built 'upon' mulieased as a result of an'-inriova-:. (ion-by'!jtrS:W'. v VW.M'Cardle,; who:gave. ■.lessees' building : rjghts.V' Sonie :'time ago,' th-3 some of its land for : another Queen Street section nest the Dost Office, : and no'doubt' before long ,tbis vacant' patch; will ■•bp ;lilled>by handsome edifices', like those which "now.' form.such , 'an', architecturalfeature of • Masterton s,;. chief thoroughfare.,Tho Jatest new_ Trust building' at.photographic reproduction; of ; which . appears iu -this' issue,;, has; . just:, irassed . the' contractor's hands. Tho cost of: erection was about; ,£1300.. Each ; year i •the fine work of. the'Trust'becomes more,, and more evident ih; the manner,in whiciorit benefits the town. .The policy.of the - Trust is one of educational progress, ol which there is no moro earnest advocate, than tho chairman of the organisation,. Mr. C. E. Daniell. Tho Trust owns, in all fifty-four sections of land,, which bring in an annual rental of .£1353 75... .. -- .j