HASTINGS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9144, 21 April 1898, Page 3

HASTINGS.

(OWH CORBBSPONDENT. I

lietective Benjamiu was at Hastings yesterday and to-day. Of oonrse, the polioe are reticent as to his business here, bat it is believed to be in connection with the recent attempted railway outrage. Yesterday's proceedings at the Court were a novelty to Haetingu. Assessment O-nrte have been held here bsfore, of oourse, but have usually been a matter of a few minutes. The reverse was the case yesterday, when the proceedings ware tedious and protected, there are thirtytwo objections to the valuation, and several teohnical objections. Three oooupied the Oonrt the chief part of the day, and one of them is not yet conoludod. The elownesa of the proceedings may be understood from a remark made by the Judge in answer to a question of Mr Sainebury as to when a case of his could be heard. Mr Turnbull replied that as tee business was thon going on", it would be about Saturday week. The oivil list to-morrow only being a short one, Mr Turnbull will taka the Assessment Oourt business again at noon. It has been suggested, aud with good reason, that the employment of so many valaers only leads to litigation and confueion. If, for instanoo, a property ia valued by an independent and competent man at £100, of what nao are threa other valuers for as many departments? The variation, too, is often co great as to be amusing, ex capt to the party interested. As an instance, one property waa valued for one department at £(25 and for another at £356.

Tboae who remember owning land in Hasiings about eighteen years ago, and patted with it, will bo highly interested to know that the trite from the Kailway Hotel corner to Land's oorner, is now valued at £25 per foot. One case left unfinished at the Assessment Court reminds old residents of a fallacious opinion that prevailed some twelve years ago, whioh brought many to grief. Tais was that the town would grow towards Omaha, instead of whioh it is extending on the Havelook side Aa an imtacce of this it may be mentioned that Mr John Higgins purohased a oorner section near the theatre for £700. This has been lying idle ever sinoe, and has doubled the ooet in interest. Lower down still a draper bought the lease of forty feet for twenty-one years at £1 per foot per annum. After paying £40 a year for three years the owner, oat of compassion for him, cancelled the lease. Now it can neither be sold nor leased.