DOBSON LEASES

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 March 1930, Page 3

DOBSON LEASES

OFFICIAL- POSITION. Mr H. E. Holland, M.P., has received Hie following correspondence from the Minister of Mines (11/3/30) regarding the Dobson leases and miners’ homes: —“With reference to the representations made by a deputation from the Grey Valley Miners’ Union, which you introduced to me at Greymouth on January 28. regarding the difficulty jn obtaining loans for the erection of houses at Dobson owing to the titles of the sections not being satisfactory. 1 have to inform you that I find on inquiry that this matter is still the subject of correspondence between the Superintendent of the State Advances Department and the Secretary of the Greymouth Harbour Board. For your information I am enclosing a copy of a letter addressed by the Superintendent of the Department to the Secretary of the Harbour Board, from which you will see that the latter has been asked to prepare and submit a draft form of lease which will be acceptable to the requirements of the State Advances Department.” The following is a copy of the letter addressed by the Superintendent of the State Advances Department to the Secretary of the Greymouth Harbour Board (24/2/30): “Referring to your letter to me of December 20 last, hnd my reply to you of the 24th ultimo, I desire to say that further consideration has now been given to this matter. In view of the opinion expressed by the Crown Solicitor- that your Board already has all the powers of the Public Bodies’ Leases Act., 190 S, it seems to me that the Board’s solicitors should now proceed to draft a form of lease which will be acceptable to the requirements of this Department. It is, therefore, suggested that the Board let the lands in question under the provisions of the Pub’ic Bodies’ Leases Act, 1908, on the following tenancy or lease: ‘‘A tenancy for any term not exceeding 21 years, with a provision in’ accordance with the First and Second Schedules to the Act that on the expiration of the term the lessee shall have an option either to accept a renewed lease in accordance with the First Schedule to the Act, or to have a now lease offered for sale by auction in accordance with the Second Schedule to the Act, and so on from time to time in perpetuity.” ft appemrs that tliei e may bo some difficulty in regard to the registration of the leases that may be issued, and such difficulty will, of course, have to be met. I understand the Board’s solicitors are of opinion that legislation will be required before the leases can be duly registered. When the draft form of lease has been prepared, it could be sent to me for perusal and consideration.

DAYLIGHT SAVING ENDS. Remember to put back your clocks to-night by halpan-hour.