COMPENSATION COURT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 148, 19 December 1907, Page 8

COMPENSATION COURT.

THE CITY WATERSHED. A CLAIM FOR £4500. A compensation claim for £4500 for 38 acres 2 roods 25 perches of land taken' for the purpose of a catchment area for the Karon reservoir, was made in the compensation court to-day by Thos. Campbell, farmer, against the Wellington City Council. The court consisted of His Honour Mr. Justice Cooper and two assessors, the Hon. T. K. Macdonald, acting for the claimant, and Mr. C. J. Crawford for the corporation. Mr. Skerrett, K.C., with him Mr. Johnston, appeared for the claimant, and Messrs. Gray and O'Shea for 1 the corporation. In opening for the claimant, Mr. Skerrett said that part . of ' the- area in question adjoined Beautiful Karori, and was situated within three-quarters of a mile by a metalled road- from the tramline to Wellington. The- first piece of ', land consisting of sevqn acres, and an . adjoining piece of one acre two roods 1 sixteen perches was of a peculiar shape ; • the reason being that it was taken so as to , include all the slopes that ran towards Kaiwarra Stream. The sevcn-acre-piecc was a particularly suitable site for dwelling houses ; it sloped towards the city ; commanded a magnificient. view, and was sheltered from the north-west winds. The same could bo said of the other piece, but for the fact that it was a narrow strip of land. That, however, could not influence the court at • all, because if the corporation chose to separate it from tho adjoining property, it must be treated as to its condition at tho time it was taken. The claimant suggested that it was substantially of the same value as the seven acres. Tho rest of the property consisted of 30 acres, and could be- reached, via Campbell's road, which could be extended to" the Southern extremity of the property. On the east side of the gully, consisting of about nine acres, the land was suitable for building sites, part being hilly and - part flat. The area of 21 acres on the west of a proposed road was of a hilly character. Sir. Campbell sold 59 acres and 52 perches, resembling the 21 acres, at £190 an acre ; since then the Golf Link's Syndicate had purchased property out there at £250 an acre, including both hilly and Hat country. Tho claimant estimated the value of the prdperty as follows -. — Eight acres two roods sixteen perches adjoining Beautiful Karori, £500 an acre; the nine acres £250 an acre ; and the twenty-one acres of hilly country, £60 an acre. "That," added counsel, "is very much in adVance of our present claim of £4500. The original value is £6000." His Honour : lam astonished at your moderation. • Evidence was given by Geo. Wm. Brigham. A. C. Pearce, A. S. Smith, ,W. C.'vStevens, Wm. Monoghan, and others in> support of the- claim. Further hearing of the case was adjourne«J until 4 o'clock this afternoon.