LAND SALES ACT

Grey River Argus, 22 October 1943, Page 4

LAND SALES ACT

. COURT & COMMITTEES . The Personnel and Regulations P.A. , WELLINGTON, Oct. 21. It was announced by the Minister of Finance, Hon. W. Nash, that the members of the Land Sales Court and of the various Land Sales Committees which are to operate throughout the Dominion have been appointed by tre Governor-General-in Council. A special Gazette is being issued to-morrow, notifying, these appointments. The Gazette will also contain notification of an Order-in-Council regulating the practice and procedure of the Land Sales Court.

The Judge of the Court is Mr. Justice Finlay, who has recently been appointed to the Supreme Court Bench. The other two members are Mr. William Stewart, who recently retired from the position of ValuerGeneral and Mr. W. E. Scott, of Kapuni, Taranaki, who is the Government nominee on the Dairy Board.

Fifteen Land Sales Committees have been appointed as follows:— North Auckland:—Messrs Stephen Ingles Goodall (Auckland), solicitor, Chairman; Alexander Allardice McLauchlan (Whangarei), army officer, and Hugh Clifford Fraser (Maungatapere), farmer. Auckland Urban: Messrs William Robert Tuck (Auckland) solicitor; Kenneth Walter Aimer (Auckland), architect; and George Frey Campbell (Auckland), accountant South Auckland: Messrs Nelson Ashley Ching (Onehunga), solicitor, chairman; Harry Oswald Mellsop (Waikowhai) retired; and James Joseph Shellue (Mangaiti) farmer. Gisborne: Messrs Harry Dawson Crisp (Gisborne) solicitor, chairman; Ivan Francis Watt (Arero) farmer; and. Frederick Howard Forge (Gisborne) architect. Hawke’s Bay: Messrs Ernest Horatio Thornton ’ Dunn (Napier) solicitor, chairman; Charles Hamilton Loughnan (Otane) farmer; and Frederick John Douglas (Napier) land valuer.

Taranaki: Messrs Francis Stanley Grayling (New Plymouth) chairman; Laurence David Hickford (Okato), farmer; and Ernest Phillip Aldridge (Stratford) farmer. Wellington Urban: Messrs Clifford Oswald Bell (Wellington), solicitor, chairman; John Thomas Mair (Khandallah) architect; and Ernest Price (Petone) land and estate agent. Wellington Rural: Messrs Thomas Jordan (Masterton), solicitor, chairman; Thomas Gaius Vincent (Levin) farmer; and George Anders Hansen (Kaiparoro) farmer. Marlborough: Messrs Joseph Henry Dick (Spring Creek), farmer, chair* man; Frederick Aiderman Harrison (Blenheim), insurance inspector; and Henry Anthony Ingles Mowat (Bien* helm), valuer. i Nelson: Messrs Percy Stratton Boyes (Nelson), accountant, chairman; Dudley William Win (Owen Junction), farmer; and Arthur Rowling (Mariri) orchardist. Westland: Messrs Mark Wallace (Lower Kokatahi), farmer, chairman; James Mulcare (Ngahere) farmer; and John Webber Greenslade (Greymouth), commission agent. Christchurch Urban: Messrs Kena« rick Gee Archer (Christchurch), solicitor, chairman; Thomas Waltei West (Opawa), land salesman; and Bernard John McKenna (Christchurch), commission agent. Canterbury Rural: Messrs William Henry Nicholls (Christchurch), accountant, chairman; William Osborne Rennie (Doylestown), farmer and Bob Sherburd Robertson (Fairlie), run-holder. Otago: Messrs Eric James Anderson (Dunedin), solicitor, chairman; Dojiald James Ross (Hillgrove) farmer; and Neil McNamara (Dunedin), accountant.

Southland: Messrs Thomas Rewi Pryde (Invercargill), solicitor,, chairman; David Grindlav (Invercargill), timber worker; and John James Lynch (Aparima.) farmer ’if it is found that this number of committees is not sufficient to deal with the applications under the Act, the Government will give early consideration to the appointment of such further committees as may be required. The regulations provide that there shall be offices of the Court in the following cities and towns:— Auckland, Gisborne, Napier, New Plymouth, Wellington, Blenheim, Nelson, Hokitika, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. There will therefore be three committees attached to the Auckland office, two to both the Wellington and Christchurch offices, and one to each of the other offices. The regulations provide that applications for the consent of the Court to any transaction under the Act shall be in a form similar to that of Supreme Court documents, _ the forms to be filled in by the applicants not being printed; but the regulations provide that certain information. shall be given in the application. On the first perusal of the regulations it might be thought that a great deal of information has been asked for, but this has been done purposely in the endeavour to enable the Land Sales Committees to grant a number of applications without a hearing. A considerable saving in time will be achieved, and it is hoped, therefore, that the applicants, in their own interests, will supply all the information asked for. No application wm be refused or granted conditionally without hearing and affording the applicants the opportunity of stating their own cases, but it is hoped to expedite the decisions by granting consent without a hearing in many cases. The regulations provide that no Court fees will be payable on any transaction before the Court or a Land Sales Committee.