The Stark Purchase Commission.

Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 129, 15 October 1886, Page 2

The Stark Purchase Commission.

1 ♦ [By Telegraph.] i united pbess association/! Auckland, 14th October. The evidence taken to-day was that of ; Mr. Oliver Mays (Chairman of the Waitemata County Council) Mr. James Maya, Mr. James Dacre, Mr. Sons (auctioneer), Mr. W. S. Cochrane (of Cochrane & Sons), and Mr. , Henry Ashton (land agent). Of Mr. Ashton's evidence, the only portion of impori tance was that he had" originally sold the Stark property to Mr. Stark in 1881—28 acres at .£OO an acre, and a section on the opposite side of the road at .£45 an acre subsequently, with house and out- ' buildings. It was offered for .£3OOO, onequarter cash, the offer being in Mr. Stark's handwriting ; another offer, including more land, was for £3500, one -fifth cash, the balanco in three years at 5 per cent. Another proposal which Mr. Stark < made to him for tho sale was for the house and 20 acres for .£5OOO. He could not sell at those prices, and Mr. Stark withdrew the ' offers from him in 1884 or the beginning of ; 1885. Mr. Stark subsequently asked him to | go to Mr. Eosr, to get a negotiation concluded with him at .£2500 for ten acreß. ' He believed then that Mr. Stark would have taken £4000, as he wanted money. Be- . tween 1883 and 1885 that property had de- [ predated. Land was at its highest when he , offered in 1883 at .£5OOO. The price which ■ Mr. Stark paid to him for these 25 acres I originally was The whole oost of . the property to Mr. Stark with improvei ments was £3500.