NATIVE LEASE COMMITTEE

Grey River Argus, 23 November 1910, Page 6

NATIVE LEASE COMMITTEE

MEETING TO CONSIDER THE

NEW .BILL

A meeting of the above committee was held, lasi night in ihe BoroughCouncil Room. Present. — Mr T. Eldon Coates (in 'the chair), Messrs Felix Campbell, Lord, Grogan, Ingall, Shannahan, Kettle, Claughesy, O'Donnell and Parfitt. ; Mr Coafes said uhat 'the Bill .s telegnraphi'd, does no: seem to be as satisfactory as it had been hoped and falls very far short of wha-v is required to cover ,tli e exigencies of Grey mouth lessees, and to his mind it seemed as though they would be simply out of the frying pan into the fire. Mr Coate s touched on the difference between the new .Bill and previous Acvs and called upon Mr 'Felix Campbell to address the meeting. Mr Campbell soid that he was disappointed with the. Bill as laid before Parliament. He pointed out exhaustively and lucidly, die objectionable features of the Bill. He considered that 'the proposed five per cent renewal rental was excessive and that three per cen-'j on t!he unimproved value would quite meet the case. He personally would be quite satisfied with the Bill if the term of renewal was altered to 66 years' and the rental to* a three per cent basis. This rate is a fair thing. The toval valuation stand s at the present time at £110,000 which at five per cent means tha: 'this -reserve would have -to pay £5,400 per annum. * Mr iKefde quite endorsed what ±act been said, 'but was of opinion 'thai the Bill should be withdrawn. It would be a mistake to try to. amend it. It was a bad Bill. Mr ' Lord said chat the Government's new- valuation of 1908 wa s in excess of the Borough valuation, which was made seven yetrs ago. If die new Bill became law, the Town Hall standing on land valued at £2 3 - --000, would have to pay. £loo a year rent instead of £1 as a: present. The Gas Works would similarly be called upon to pay in two yeair s time £250 a j'ear as against £5 now. The whole value of the the Borough today is £151,653 of which the Native Reserve alue is over £120,000. He quite agreed wivh " Mr Kettle. If the Bill passed, "Woe to us.", Mr Campbell said that not a word had been received from their member regarding the Bill which he considered .unworkable.^ -He was surprised that the Minister should have" brouglK- dt forward. ■ : After some discussion Mr Campbell moved the following resolutions which were carried : — • (1) That the lessees of the Greymouth Native Reserve note with alarm the Bill at present before Parliament and respectfully ask our member to •request the Minister in charge of the Bill to- modify that clause with regard -'to renewal which should be fox 88 years at a 3 per cent rental. (2). In the event of this request not" being given effect to by the Minister in charge >to respectfully ask our member to get the Minister to withdraw the Bill. It wasresolved that telegrams be .forwarded last night to Mr Guinness, th 2 Prime Minister and Mr Massey.