BLACKBALL SECTIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 May 1913, Page 3

BLACKBALL SECTIONS

N REPLY TO A PROTEST.

[bUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

The following is the reply received from the solicitors of Mr. Isaac Gibbs, attorney for Mr. Chas. Dawes, in reference to a petition that was forwarded to him some time ago regarding matters in connection with tenure and increased rental :

"Mr. C. R. Davies, Secretary of Protest Meeting, Blackball.—Dear Sir, we are instructed by Mr. Isaac Gibbs to acknowledge, receipt of your letter of sth inst., enclosing petition by some of the. leaseholders of Blackball, which is being forwarded to Mr. Chas. Dawes protesting against the increase in rental, or the reduction in tenure. In reply we should like, to point out in the first place that several of the tenants' whose rentals have been considerably raised have not signed the petition, and the increase of rental proposed to be charged to most of those signing the petition is only 5s per annum. A few claim a reduction from £1 10s to £1 per section on the grounds that you have made the property yourselves, but you cannot suggest that Mr. Dawes has'gained anything by this, as the property is practically your freehold. We cannot agree with your remarks as to the condition of the township of Blackball. Twenty years ago, when sections were just let at 30s per annum, There were no roads and the country was undeveloped. At the present clay the sections are situated in the centre of a prosperous and thriving mining township. Mr. Dawes cannot be called upon to do anything in connection with the sanitation of township, nor can he be expected to do so. It is a matter entirely for the County Council having control of the township, which Council, we understand, draws a large revenue from the township. With regard to the tenure we have no doubt that Mr. Dawes will be willing to extend the terms of leases from 15 years to 21 years." Mr. C. R, Davis forwarded the following reply:— "In reply to the above statement, I beg to state after a very carfeul perusal of leaseholders holding sections in this town, there are only six persons who never signed the petition, the Committee being unable to procure their signatures "through them being absent from the township of Blackball. One of these persons is the holder of four sections, so Mr. Gibbs is making an error when he states that anly a few of the section holders signed the petition. We claim to have the signatures of persons holding the largest number of sections and the persons whose rents have been increased the most on the petition forwarded. Of course we did not include the Blackball Coal Company."