Land Sales Act

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 309, 24 September 1943, Page 6

Land Sales Act

'Sii'—l was present at Mr. H. E. Combs’s meeting at Woburn on Wednesday evening last when, during his address on the provisions of the above Act, he made the statement that a property belonging to the 'Seater Estate in Wellington city, valued at £21,000, had been passed in at auction at £29,000. Air. Combs referred to this as evidence of attempted exploitation of prospective purchasers by the persons interested iu that estate. He added that £21,000 was the Government valuation in 1941, and that this was a clear case justifying the above Act.

I happen to know that the last .Government valuation of this property was made in July, 1939, and fixed the capital value at £29,000. Government valuations are generally regarded as conservative and I feel under au obligation to correct any impression in the public mind created by Air. Combs’s utterance that the persons interested in that estate were attempting to exploit any potential buyer. Air. Combs's statement was obviously made upon unreliable information, and I would suggest that, in future utterances, he should establish the facts before he makes charges which reflect upon the integrity of property owners.—l am, etc.—WATCHFUL. Wellington, September 23.