MR BOLD’S RETIREMENT

Evening Star, Issue 19844, 18 April 1928, Page 4

MR BOLD’S RETIREMENT

Jt is announced that, in pursuance nl' the policy of a, fixed period for the retirement of public servants, the Government has decided to retire the senior land purchase officer in the Public Works Department (Mr Ik Hold) on June 30. Thus will ho terminated the longest period of service (22J years) hy any ono officer devoted entirely to the particular and onerous duties of arranging or contesting settlements on behalf ,ol the Stale for land taken compulsorily or required for public works and other Government activities throughout the dominion from the inauguration of Sir Julius Vogel’s public works policy down to the present time. Such activities have embraced settlements for land required for railway, roads, public buildingSj scenery preservation, afforestation, irrigation, hydro-electric schemes, harbour and other marine works, defence, riffo range and aerodrome sites, and land drainage and river protection, as well as instances of lands for settlement. The special nature of such duties obviously brings it about that the personality of the laud purchase officer is practically the only buffer between the demands (reasonable or otherwise) of tho deprived landowners and the public purse. It is understood that, out of all tho differences of opinion which, have arisen in the course of Mr Bold’s experience there have been less than thirty instances in which the assistanco of a compensation court has had to lie invoked to arrive at a settlement, and. that half of these were in respect of claims arising out of the construction of over 700'inilcs of railway. The extensive claims, amounting to over a quarter of a. million pounds, in connection with tho land taken for the Auckland new railway station and yard were all negotiated to an amicable settlement for a'"’little over £IOO,OOO. Daring a recent visit to the Old Country Mr Bold closely investigated the amended practice for assessing compensation ui respect of land acquired for public purposes. .